iMessage has always been one of Apple’s greatest workhorses, and its existence shines so brightly in the bitten apple ecosystem that many of those who ditch the iPhone are returning to them because they can’t forget the company’s proprietary messaging app.
Until recently, we were talking about iMessage, but for some time now we have been hearing about the possibility of using this application on Android mobile phones. Is this possible?
It is true that Apple has allowed iMessage to be used from platforms like PC, but this has always been associated with the iPhone, which must be connected and linked to the PC for it to work.
Okay, but what if you want to use this app on an Android phone? iMessage is a proprietary app from Apple, so it’s impossible to introduce an “official” iMessage app on the Google Play Store in the short term.
But there are ways to use iMessage on an Android device, and it does so with the help of an old resource invented by developers: using a middleware app. One of them is Beeper, a universal chat app that lets you chat with friends on 15 different chat networks, including iMessage.
Here’s how to set up iMessage on your Android phone using Beeper.
Beeper? What is Beeper?
Beeper is invite-only, but you can sign up for the waitlist on the Beeper website. If you know someone who has a referral code, you can ask them for an invite and skip the line. Be careful: you’ll have to download the desktop version before you can get the mobile app.
With a service like Beeper, you can worry about security and privacy. Apple’s iMessage service is end-to-end encrypted; how does it work with Beeper?
Essentially, for encrypted chat services including iMessage, Signal and WhatsApp, the Beeper web service acts as a relay. For example, if you send a message via iMessage to Beeper, it is encrypted in its Beeper client and sent to the Beeper web service, which decrypts and re-encrypts the message using Apple’s iMessage encryption protocol.
If you’re really concerned about security, it’s always safer to use your own encrypted chat app than to send a message through Beeper. Until these encrypted chat networks have an open API that includes full end-to-end encryption, this is how things work with Beeper.
But there is also good news. European legislation coming into force in 2024 will force iMessage and WhatsApp to offer an end-to-end compatible encrypted API. Since Beeper’s servers are located in Europe, the company plans to switch to this open interface whenever possible.
How it happened with the Lightning port: Europe may again get changes from Apple.
For unencrypted chat networks, things are a little simpler: Beeper is just a forward and receive relay. While the networks themselves may not have end-to-end encryption, messages sent from Beeper on these networks are encrypted in transit to Beeper’s servers using TLS encryption, and to the recipient’s chat service using TLS encryption.
If you’re still concerned about your privacy, it might be best to stick with your usual chat apps, in this case iMessage. Either way, it’s very convenient to receive your iMessages on your Android device, and depending on your situation, you may be sacrificing some security to use iMessage on your Android phone.
How to Use iMessage on Android Using Beeper
Step 1– Install Beeper on your Mac or PC by downloading the app from the website.
Step 2: Set up your Beeper account with the email address you used to sign up for the waitlist. Be sure to check and confirm your name, email address, and username by following the onscreen instructions.
Step 3: You will be provided with a recovery code in case you need to recover your account; It is important to be sure to save the recovery code in a safe place.
Step 4– From the main chat app selection screen, select iMessage.
Step 5: On the next screen, you can select other chat networks if necessary.
Step 6: Make sure you are looking at the iMessage connection. If it’s not selected, do so and then select Start.
Step 7: Enter your Apple ID credentials, then select Continue.
Step 8: If you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled, be sure to enter the verification code and then select Continue.
Step 9: If you want to receive iMessage SMS messages on Beeper, you need to make sure that text message forwarding is enabled on your iPhone and that they are forwarded to a device named Beeper (Mac) in the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 10: Select Continue.
Step 11: Make sure the text message forwarding option is enabled in the Beeper desktop app.
Step 12– On your Android device, download Beeper from Google Play Store.
Step 13: Launch Beeper, then enter your account email address.
Step 14: A confirmation code will be sent to your email; enter it on the screen.
Step 15: Check out the desktop version of Beeper to see your chats.
Step 16: Once this is done, you will receive new iMessages on your Android device.
Other Ways to Receive iMessage on Android
Beeper isn’t the only way to use iMessage on Android, but it’s definitely one of the easiest ways.
A popular alternative is AirMessage, but it requires a little more effort to get started. You will need a Mac that will act as a server (i.e. always on and connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Then, when you send an iMessage from your Android phone, it reaches your Mac, which sends it as a real iMessage. And when you receive an iMessage from someone else, it will be sent to the Mac and then to your Android phone.
There is also BlueBubbles, another app that works similar to AirMessage. However, the key difference is that BlueBubbles does not require a constant connection to your Mac to work. BlueBubbles doesn’t even connect directly to your Android phone when it’s not in use, which also helps save battery life.
Another option is Sunbird, another feature-rich chat app that includes iMessage, SMS/MMS, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. There’s also a waitlist like Beeper, but unlike that, you’ll only need an Android phone to get set up; There’s no need for a personal server, an Apple device, or even desktop software. While it’s coming to Google Play and other Android stores soon, the only way to check it out now is to become a trained alpha tester on the Sunbird Discord server.
However, it is important to note that there is not a lot of information about Sunbird itself, which may make some people wary. By comparison, Beeper’s co-founder is Eric Migicovski, the former CEO of Pebble, which gives Beeper a little more credibility.
Source: Digital Trends
