The “Blue Bubble Green Bubble War” is not over yet. Last weekend, Apple shut down startup Beeper’s “iMessage for Android” app, Beeper Mini. The app apparently exploited a flaw in iMessage that could potentially expose users to privacy and security risks. After a few days, the app was up and running again. But there’s a catch.
Beeper Mini has changed the iMessage registration process. Previously, users were automatically registered with their phone number. However, for now, Beeper has stopped accepting phone numbers and users must sign in with their Apple ID. According to Beeper, they are working on a solution to restore the registration of the phone number, and at the moment the user can send and receive messages only through his email address.
According to the company, the app had over 100,000 downloads within the first 48 hours and quickly became one of the top 20 apps on the Play Store charts. But since last weekend’s fiasco, ratings have declined.
One from last week on Beeper Mini.
Apple revoked Beeper Mini less than a week after the app was published on the Play Store, saying the app was abusing fake credentials to access iMessage, but Apple blocked it, so users were unable to access iMessage via the app. He said he was no longer able to send or receive texts.
“We deeply disagree with claims that ‘Beeper Mini’ poses a significant risk to the security and privacy of our users,” the company wrote in a blog post, adding that Apple’s claims are “completely false.” Beeper says that “in fact, the opposite is true” and that the app will only enhance “security and privacy for both Android and iPhone customers.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed support for Beeper, which has been blocked by Apple. Warren said, “Green bubble text is less secure. So why would Apple block an app that allows Android and iPhone users to chat? Big Tech is targeting competitors to protect its profits. It’s being destroyed,” he said. She wants easy and secure cross-platform messaging for her.
According to Apple, these techniques pose significant risks to user privacy and security and can even lead to unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. Beeper says it uses the same level of encryption as Apple and agrees to third-party security audits. Additionally, he suggests adding a pager emoji to the metadata of all his Beeper Mini messages so that the Messages app on Apple devices can filter out messages from users of the app.
The app is free to use for now as Beeper tries to resolve its issues with Apple. Initially, the app required a monthly subscription of $2/Rs 180. Beeper says it’s not “comfortable” asking users to pay, but will consider reinstating subscriptions once the feud with Apple is over.
FYI, Apple agreed to adopt RCS (Rich Communication Standard) for iMessage, which solved most of the complaints Android users had, but the blue-bubble-green-bubble situation is not over yet. not. “We will continue to make updates to protect our users,” Apple said in a statement. Therefore, the feud between Beeper and Apple may continue.
Beeper Mini has changed the iMessage registration process. Previously, users were automatically registered with their phone number. However, for now, Beeper has stopped accepting phone numbers and users must sign in with their Apple ID. According to Beeper, they are working on a solution to restore the registration of the phone number, and at the moment the user can send and receive messages only through his email address.
According to the company, the app had over 100,000 downloads within the first 48 hours and quickly became one of the top 20 apps on the Play Store charts. But since last weekend’s fiasco, ratings have declined.
One from last week on Beeper Mini.
Apple revoked Beeper Mini less than a week after the app was published on the Play Store, saying the app was abusing fake credentials to access iMessage, but Apple blocked it, so users were unable to access iMessage via the app. He said he was no longer able to send or receive texts.
“We deeply disagree with claims that ‘Beeper Mini’ poses a significant risk to the security and privacy of our users,” the company wrote in a blog post, adding that Apple’s claims are “completely false.” Beeper says that “in fact, the opposite is true” and that the app will only enhance “security and privacy for both Android and iPhone customers.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed support for Beeper, which has been blocked by Apple. Warren said, “Green bubble text is less secure. So why would Apple block an app that allows Android and iPhone users to chat? Big Tech is targeting competitors to protect its profits. It’s being destroyed,” he said. She wants easy and secure cross-platform messaging for her.
According to Apple, these techniques pose significant risks to user privacy and security and can even lead to unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. Beeper says it uses the same level of encryption as Apple and agrees to third-party security audits. Additionally, he suggests adding a pager emoji to the metadata of all his Beeper Mini messages so that the Messages app on Apple devices can filter out messages from users of the app.
The app is free to use for now as Beeper tries to resolve its issues with Apple. Initially, the app required a monthly subscription of $2/Rs 180. Beeper says it’s not “comfortable” asking users to pay, but will consider reinstating subscriptions once the feud with Apple is over.
FYI, Apple agreed to adopt RCS (Rich Communication Standard) for iMessage, which solved most of the complaints Android users had, but the blue-bubble-green-bubble situation is not over yet. not. “We will continue to make updates to protect our users,” Apple said in a statement. Therefore, the feud between Beeper and Apple may continue.