Beeper is a startup building a messaging aggregator for multiple platforms, sort of like bringing iMessage to Android. Beeper’s new Android app is called Beeper Mini. This app allows Android users to send and receive end-to-end encrypted iMessage chats. The man behind this app is a 16-year-old boy who reverse-engineered the iMessage protocol to turn green bubbles blue.
Earlier this year, when a developer messaged Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky and claimed to have reverse engineered iMessage, he was in complete disbelief. Migikowski was skeptical, but a 16-year-old developer provided a working prototype, which became his Beeper Mini.
Beeper reverse engineered the iMessage protocol down to its lowest layers. This means that Beeper Mini is a native implementation of the iMessage protocol and does not use the Mac server as a relay like other apps.
The company says chats through the app are end-to-end encrypted. Therefore, Beeper has no access to your messages, and unlike Sunbird’s app, messages are not sent in clear text. Instead, Beeper Mini encrypts the message on her Android device before sending it to the recipient. The encryption key is stored on your phone and the app only connects to Apple servers, not Beeper servers.
Just log in using your phone number, no Apple ID required. Once you sign up, your chats will appear inside a blue bubble on iMessage. Not only that, all iMessage features are supported, including input status, read receipts, media sharing, emoji reactions, voice messages, and more. You can also join iPhone-only group chats.
The Beeper Mini app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. A one-week free trial is offered, after which there is a monthly subscription fee of USD 1.99 or Rs 199.
The app will integrate other chat services like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Signal into a single interface, Migikowski told The Verge. This app in the future he also plans to add support for SMS and RCS, but this may incur additional charges. Despite the arrival of RCS in iMessage, the app’s creators claim that Beeper still has an important role to play in creating a single app that lets you chat with anyone in the world.
Earlier this year, when a developer messaged Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky and claimed to have reverse engineered iMessage, he was in complete disbelief. Migikowski was skeptical, but a 16-year-old developer provided a working prototype, which became his Beeper Mini.
Beeper reverse engineered the iMessage protocol down to its lowest layers. This means that Beeper Mini is a native implementation of the iMessage protocol and does not use the Mac server as a relay like other apps.
The company says chats through the app are end-to-end encrypted. Therefore, Beeper has no access to your messages, and unlike Sunbird’s app, messages are not sent in clear text. Instead, Beeper Mini encrypts the message on her Android device before sending it to the recipient. The encryption key is stored on your phone and the app only connects to Apple servers, not Beeper servers.
Just log in using your phone number, no Apple ID required. Once you sign up, your chats will appear inside a blue bubble on iMessage. Not only that, all iMessage features are supported, including input status, read receipts, media sharing, emoji reactions, voice messages, and more. You can also join iPhone-only group chats.
The Beeper Mini app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. A one-week free trial is offered, after which there is a monthly subscription fee of USD 1.99 or Rs 199.
The app will integrate other chat services like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Signal into a single interface, Migikowski told The Verge. This app in the future he also plans to add support for SMS and RCS, but this may incur additional charges. Despite the arrival of RCS in iMessage, the app’s creators claim that Beeper still has an important role to play in creating a single app that lets you chat with anyone in the world.