How Android Users Can Now Stop Green Bubbles
For years, companies have tried making iMessage available on Android so that Android users can stop the green bubbles on iPhones. Over the years, we have seen many different approaches to this, including logging into a Mac Mini in a server farm somewhere – which is really shady, seeing as you’re logging into your Apple ID on a computer you cannot access. But today, Beeper Mini changes all of that.
Beeper, whose app has been available with a waitlist, has now launched a new app that has no waitlist – called Beeper Mini. This app will make your Android phone number a blue bubble. Beeper Mini is also blazing fast, has end-to-end encryption, and it’s a standalone Android app. Beeper makes a point of stressing that there’s no server, laptop, Mac, or iPhone required for this.
How does Beeper Mini work with iMessage?
Beeper explains that Beeper Mini does not use a Mac relay server in a data center. Instead, it directly connects to Apple’s servers to send and receive end-to-end encrypted messages. This means that encryption keys never leave your device, and there’s no Apple ID required.
Beeper is also stressing that it cannot access your Apple Account. So you can use Beeper Mini without worrying about your Apple ID falling into the wrong hands.
Beeper only works with iMessage, but it will add about fifteen other messaging networks over time. To make it your truly all-in-one messaging app. This could be the future of messaging.
The service is not free, as you’d expect. Beeper does need to make some money so that the app will cost you $2 per month.
How did Beeper Mini make iMessage possible?
It’s all thanks to a 16-year-old on Discord.
Eric Migicovsky, the co-founder of Beeper, also founded Pebble in 2008. Migicovsky received a message on Discord from user JJTech0130, whose real name is James Gill, saying he had just released a coding project called Pypush. Which is a mashup of “Python” and “push notifications.” Gill claimed he “reimplemented iMessage” and thought Migicovsky would be interested. Less than 10 minutes later, he responded, “Holy crap! Does it work?”
Of course, Gill responded, “Yes, it works,” with a tongue-out emoji. Gill worked on this project between his high school robotics classes and part-time shifts at McDonald’s. Keep in mind this kid is only 16 years old. It is quite impressive for someone who is a Junior in High School.
Gill said that “in theory, iMessage uses public encryption keys, because that’s how end-to-end encryption works”. He continued by stating, “Pypush figures out how we can publish those keys to Apple’s key server and how you can retrieve keys from Apple’s key server.”
Migicovsky was so impressed with Gill’s work that he offered him a contract to work part-time at Beeper, and obviously, Gill accepted after his parents agreed, of course.
The Beeper team quickly took Gill’s proof of concept, rewrote it, and added a few new features. This includes photo and video sharing, group chat dynamics, and someone else’s typing status. And over the past three months, the team has added all of these features to Beeper – the company’s original app. Remember that Beeper runs on Beeper Cloud, but Beeper Mini runs inside the app.
Could Apple patch this and shut down Beeper Mini?
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering if Apple might make some changes to iMessage and block this functionality. It could happen, but Migicovsky also notes that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) says that reverse engineering for interoperability is protected.
That won’t necessarily prevent Apple from sending a Cease and Desist order to Beeper. Apple did previously sue the NSO Group to block it from using its services, and it’s possible that Apple could make a good legal case here if it chose to.
However, the Digital Markets Act in Europe could hold Apple back. This new law in Europe forced Apple to add USB-C to the iPhone and side-loading on the iPhone in Europe starting next year.
With all of this happening, it’s possible that Apple could sweep it under the rug instead of bringing up more legislation for the trillion-dollar company.
For years, companies have tried making iMessage available on Android so that Android users can stop the green bubbles on iPhones. Over the years, we have seen many different approaches to this, including logging into a Mac Mini in a server farm somewhere – which is really shady, seeing as you’re logging into your Apple ID on a computer you cannot access. But today, Beeper Mini changes all of that.
Beeper, whose app has been available with a waitlist, has now launched a new app that has no waitlist – called Beeper Mini. This app will make your Android phone number a blue bubble. Beeper Mini is also blazing fast, has end-to-end encryption, and it’s a standalone Android app. Beeper makes a point of stressing that there’s no server, laptop, Mac, or iPhone required for this.
How does Beeper Mini work with iMessage?
Beeper explains that Beeper Mini does not use a Mac relay server in a data center. Instead, it directly connects to Apple’s servers to send and receive end-to-end encrypted messages. This means that encryption keys never leave your device, and there’s no Apple ID required.
Beeper is also stressing that it cannot access your Apple Account. So you can use Beeper Mini without worrying about your Apple ID falling into the wrong hands.
Beeper only works with iMessage, but it will add about fifteen other messaging networks over time. To make it your truly all-in-one messaging app. This could be the future of messaging.
The service is not free, as you’d expect. Beeper does need to make some money so that the app will cost you $2 per month.
How did Beeper Mini make iMessage possible?
It’s all thanks to a 16-year-old on Discord.
Eric Migicovsky, the co-founder of Beeper, also founded Pebble in 2008. Migicovsky received a message on Discord from user JJTech0130, whose real name is James Gill, saying he had just released a coding project called Pypush. Which is a mashup of “Python” and “push notifications.” Gill claimed he “reimplemented iMessage” and thought Migicovsky would be interested. Less than 10 minutes later, he responded, “Holy crap! Does it work?”
Of course, Gill responded, “Yes, it works,” with a tongue-out emoji. Gill worked on this project between his high school robotics classes and part-time shifts at McDonald’s. Keep in mind this kid is only 16 years old. It is quite impressive for someone who is a Junior in High School.
Gill said that “in theory, iMessage uses public encryption keys, because that’s how end-to-end encryption works”. He continued by stating, “Pypush figures out how we can publish those keys to Apple’s key server and how you can retrieve keys from Apple’s key server.”
Migicovsky was so impressed with Gill’s work that he offered him a contract to work part-time at Beeper, and obviously, Gill accepted after his parents agreed, of course.
The Beeper team quickly took Gill’s proof of concept, rewrote it, and added a few new features. This includes photo and video sharing, group chat dynamics, and someone else’s typing status. And over the past three months, the team has added all of these features to Beeper – the company’s original app. Remember that Beeper runs on Beeper Cloud, but Beeper Mini runs inside the app.
Could Apple patch this and shut down Beeper Mini?
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering if Apple might make some changes to iMessage and block this functionality. It could happen, but Migicovsky also notes that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) says that reverse engineering for interoperability is protected.
That won’t necessarily prevent Apple from sending a Cease and Desist order to Beeper. Apple did previously sue the NSO Group to block it from using its services, and it’s possible that Apple could make a good legal case here if it chose to.
However, the Digital Markets Act in Europe could hold Apple back. This new law in Europe forced Apple to add USB-C to the iPhone and side-loading on the iPhone in Europe starting next year.
With all of this happening, it’s possible that Apple could sweep it under the rug instead of bringing up more legislation for the trillion-dollar company.
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