There's finally and Android texting app that will allow you to play nice with your iPhone friends, Sunbird. All you need is an Apple ID and your iMessaging with friends! I was shocked when my hardcore Android buddy started sending me blue texts - best part is that finally being able to send videos back and forth that aren't all fuzzy!
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Sunbird - iMessage on Android!
- Thread starter rockitdog
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This is really cool! Thank you for sharing this! One of the major roadblocks to Android is now out of the way. This is even better to use than native Android messaging apps as it is e2ee.
Edited to add: See below. People are bringing up legitimate security issues!
Edited to add: See below. People are bringing up legitimate security issues!
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Both Sunbird and Beeper is leading the pack with this method and kudos for them giving Android users the ability to use iMessage without the need for additional hardware, but I prefer using BlueBubbles.
I've used AirMessage in the past and one thing that always annoyed me was the lack of read receipts support... because when I'm using my Mac or iPad, I'll have tons of notifications/badge alerts on those devices. And I personally don't like having too many notifications or alerts, but I can understand completely that most people don't really care about that.
Most people are just excited with having iMessage on Android (regardless of certain features missing) given Apple reluctance to make it cross-platform.
I've used AirMessage in the past and one thing that always annoyed me was the lack of read receipts support... because when I'm using my Mac or iPad, I'll have tons of notifications/badge alerts on those devices. And I personally don't like having too many notifications or alerts, but I can understand completely that most people don't really care about that.
Most people are just excited with having iMessage on Android (regardless of certain features missing) given Apple reluctance to make it cross-platform.
Except there's one big obstacle to overcome and that is that this application is still in beta. You have to sign up for the waiting list which I did last week and I presently have over 100,000 people in front of me.
The other concern is I believe all of these services require you to sign in using your Apple ID onto servers that they maintain, at least that's how Beeper works. And Beeper also costs $10/mo. So there is a huge question of privacy.
The other concern is I believe all of these services require you to sign in using your Apple ID onto servers that they maintain, at least that's how Beeper works. And Beeper also costs $10/mo. So there is a huge question of privacy.
You'll have a better chance of getting access if you go through their Discord. They have certain times when a window is open to allow users onto the beta... I did it before and got access to it.
Beeper no longer cost $10 to use it, it's free. I believe they are bringing extra features to the app and that's gonna be tied to a subscription, but in regards to privacy that's a good point. Since users will be using their AppleID onto Beeper and Sunbird servers.
Sunbird says that it is end-to-end encrypted here. But I don't know if that explicitly applies to the login information. Good issue to bring up.
Have to use an apple id to send/receive correct? No phone number option?
I know there are work around for this using blue bubbles and airmessage,wondering if it's the same thing for Sunbird.
I know there are work around for this using blue bubbles and airmessage,wondering if it's the same thing for Sunbird.
If you don't mind me asking, how does BlueBubbles work and what's involved in the setup process?
I believe both Sunbird and Beeper are limited to your Apple ID as the send/receive address but my research has admittedly been pretty high level so far.
Here's a relatively recent article about a journalist's experience using Sunbird including a bunch of pitfalls and limitations. Also, the founder states messaging itself is encrypted but his lack of transparency about the Apple ID data speaks volumes, IMO. I cannot see how your Apple ID data isn't stored in some capacity on the respective Mac mini they're using for your Apple Messages.
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In a nutshell.. BlueBubbles is self-hosted, and all activity is isolated to that macOS environment. All actions that the BlueBubbles server will take (i.e. sending messages, attachments, reactions, etc.) are all using APIs within the macOS environment.
But in regards to the setup process.. I followed this video below, but in order to use read receipts and other additional features you'll need to enable Private API. Although that requires some questionable steps like disabling SIP... but of course, not everyone is comfortable with doing that.
This is why I wouldn’t feel comfortable using this, despite the freedom of switching platforms it would provide.
EDIT: Honestly, something like this would have been much, much better open sourced and offered as a paid service. Having the peace-of-mind of data privacy as well as functioning iMessage is something I feel a lot of people would have been willing to pay for.
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I think the problem is that the only viable solutions to this problem require hosting on a Mac, so that means hosting yourself on your own hardware like BlueBubbles or in what’s effectively a server farm run by these apps. I’ll use the former if I’m going to try this.
Free useful service with no revenue stream with access to your login credentials. It’s either going to be loaded down with ads or subscription at some point in the future or… 
This is why iOS needs sideloading, so it can get cool apps like this. Apps that provide workarounds to bad software decisions, like region locked apps, or companion apps to devices that are no longer made.
me thinks they get you to rely on this...then down the road charge a fee for the service. Not a bad plan! It all depends on the what the final cost will be.Free useful service with no revenue stream with access to your login credentials. It’s either going to be loaded down with ads or subscription at some point in the future or…
The problem with apps like this one is that they only last if they become popular. And if they become popular, Apple will obviously cut them off.
agreed...i would be cautious of paying for somnething like this to be honest. If it does become popular and gets Apple's attention...they will end it. Either by way of a technical work around. Or through legal action of some kind. Apple has very deep pockets for legal fees. Small companies cannot hope to withstand the weight of legal action.
I poked around their site and I haven't seen any mention of how they are implementing this or what protocols they are leaning on. Like Beeper, I imagine they are relying on Matrix and existing bridges that have been developed by the open source community.
The lack of technical details or any disclosure make this look like a pretty sleazy techbro VC-backed nightmare
The lack of technical details or any disclosure make this look like a pretty sleazy techbro VC-backed nightmare
Yeah, as their roadmap mentions other services, they could charge per number of services you want to continue to connect with. My assumption is that it’s tailored for the US market as most of the rest of the world (not all, but quite a significant amount) are not using iMessage and aren’t ever going to.
What? Not true at all.
The market share may be smaller, but its far from "not using iMessage"
They can if they communicate with their legal team (and if a tech company doesn’t have a legal team, are they even a company?) and get those things squared away well ahead of even introducing a product. If they ignore legal advice that says, “Of all the things to build a company around, iMessage over non-Apple devices just doesn’t seem like it’s legally free of challenges.” and goes ahead anyway? Then, yeah they basically put the shoes and socks onto the foot that’s going to stomp them.
Oh, and stood directly under it so they won’t miss!
“Most of the rest of the world (outside the US) are not using iMessage” is not a controversial statement. Neither is “The messaging service used by the most people worldwide and that delivers more messages daily than any other service is WhatsApp.”
I hope Apple takes this app down or blocks it. iMessage is apple only feature and it's an advantage of the apple platform. People who want iMessage need to UPGRADE to an apple device.
I hope apple cuts it off real soon. It's nothing but DECEPTION for me to text someone and think I am texting an apple user only to see its an Android phone with this app.