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You've heard it here first, iMessage is going cross platform
- Thread starter tomtad
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Don’t they already embed the private key in software for iCloud on Windows which makes photos, videos, emails, files, bookmarks, and passwords accessible on a non-Apple platform.
iMessage is available on Intel Macs without the T2 chip or Secure Enclave.
All messages currently sent to non-Apple devices fall back to SMS which is plaintext/not encrypted.
iCloud on Windows makes passwords stored in iCloud Keychain available when using Google Chrome on Windows devices.
These computers don’t have a T2 chip or Secure Enclave, yet Apple has made passwords, photos, videos, emails, and files accessible on these Windows computers.
Passwords to bank accounts and other services have a risk of financial loss and other ramifications if compromised.
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Oh this will be great, although a bit late imo. Apple should've done this when there was a huge backlash against WhatsApp. It has died down now, so the momentum has lost. But opportunity is still there. Apple can still play the privacy game to gain more users for iMessage. I have friends who are getting more aware, and they are prime candidates for this as some of them are even willing to donate to Signal. This means Apple can even charge money for it (be it one time purchase or subscription).
Still, it's a bit late. Most people on WhatsApp are already pressing that "Agree" button now for the new ToS.
Apple could make it part of their services business, free for iOS users, but requires subscription on Android.
I am so glad iMessage infatuation has not taken over Europe, but people use other things here that are not depended on one platform.
I'm glad in Europe they start teaching us programming in fourth grade and we learn about every operating system there is. Very happy that Europeans are used to everything and aren't as closed-minded as most Americans when it comes to technology
I know many people who'd never use an iPhone and unfortunately right now I'm battling whether to get an iPhone or not, but iPhones have very awful batteries since iPhone 5s. Samsung phones last way longer and I am glad because Android offers freedom. You can easily download YouTube Vanced and YT Music Vanced.
WhatsApp is dominant but not invincible, or did everyone forget the privacy shenanigans at the start of 2021 that made millions of users switch to Telegram and Signal?
Also, the whole strategy of tying a service to one hardware is obsolete, this is why everyone is making services universal to all platforms including Apple with Apple Music and TV and other services.
Last but not least, I think now is the perfect time for Apple to make iMessage cross-platform, because of the privacy aspect where Apple can make a difference.
The main challenge is if Apple can develop an android version that doesn't suck, Apple generally makes the worst apps for other platforms.
Also, the whole strategy of tying a service to one hardware is obsolete, this is why everyone is making services universal to all platforms including Apple with Apple Music and TV and other services.
Last but not least, I think now is the perfect time for Apple to make iMessage cross-platform, because of the privacy aspect where Apple can make a difference.
The main challenge is if Apple can develop an android version that doesn't suck, Apple generally makes the worst apps for other platforms.
Yes, but it is for a non-Apple platform and unlike Apple Music and Apple Music, iCloud can't be monetized for users that don't have Apple devices as there are better alternatives if you aren't in the Apple ecosystem.
Nah it won’t, just as their recent terms update backlash did not. Some people got confused, for sure, but WhatsApp is still well alive and kicking. Sure, it is simple to switch a messaging platform, but moving all your conversation pals along is another story. So what I see happening is people are keeping their “established” social messaging apps and just add some new ones to cover more bases in case somebody wants to contact them. iMessage is just one of them in a densely populated market and it does not have anything special about it to make people abandon other messengers, IMO.
They won't make iMessage for Android. They won't. Craig said pretty recently that they won't.
Why WhatsApp users in Europe can opt-out of New WhatsApp privacy policy but users in India cannot?
WhatsApp users in Europe can opt-out of the new privacy policy owing to the laws in the EU called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which shield them from sharing data from Facebook or grant them the power to say no to WhatsApp’s new terms of service.
Vast majority of macOS devices with iMessage don‘t have a secure enclave. There are ways to sandbox and encrypt content on Android, which is perfectly suitable for storing encryption keys.
You fell for the marketing bait by Apple my friend. There is nothing stopping Apple from introducing iMessage on non-Apple hardware that would compromise security.
Source: me, having developed a secure messaging cross-platform app for my company that uses the Signal protocol.
Paid messaging is dead on arrival.
If Apple really wanted to compete in the apps arena, they could make all of their core apps cross-platform, including Maps. They do not want to compete, they want to keep people locked into iOS with all its pluses and minuses. As an example, how many people with Android use Apple Music for their streaming? Apple are good at influencing, but competing with the likes of Spotify or Netflix is another story.
I could see Apple putting iMessage out on Android for a monthly fee, say $5 per month which includes 5GB of iCloud for message storage. Then they could say ‘we offer this service on competing devices, for a fee’.
I use WhatsApp only for Android using friends (5 of them), iMessage for everyone else. Anecdotal evidence is, anecdotal…Correct. Here in Germany, I have many contacts with iPhones (you can see the FaceTime option in contacts) but no one, I communicate with on a regular basis, is using iMessage. WhatsApp is #1 by far (not that I like it, but that’s what it is).
For my closest family contacts like my 70+ year old parents or my aunt, Telegram is #1 as they mainly use iPads and Android Tablets and there is no WhatsApp-App for tablets. My aunt does not even own a smartphone but uses Telegram for messaging and sharing photos with her friends and family a lot on her Lenovo Tab.
iMessage is really not a thing in Europe.
Android users aren't going to pay $5 per month when there are so many other messaging services that are free, end-to-end encrypted, and have more features than iMessage.
You are joking, right? Apple would have to pay Android users to switch. What does iMessage have that other messengers do not?
That’s the point. Apple could also have iMessage replies from android appear as pink bubbles 🤣
They could offer if for free, and build other services on top of that in the future.
I think that IF iMessage were to be on Android it would only be there as an olive branch to regulators, so Apple wouldn’t go out of their way to give it away fully featured or for free. So, charge for it and identify Android users with a different colour bubble.
I don’t believe that Apple will be putting iMessage out cross platform any time soon.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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True, true. I have an iPhone and some of my friends have an iPhone. They all use WhatsApp and I've asked if they want to use iMessage I get an answer: "I prefer WhatsApp". Same with video calling. Nobody Facetimes you. They call you on WhatsApp even though both of you have iPhones.Correct. Here in Germany, I have many contacts with iPhones (you can see the FaceTime option in contacts) but no one, I communicate with on a regular basis, is using iMessage. WhatsApp is #1 by far (not that I like it, but that’s what it is).
For my closest family contacts like my 70+ year old parents or my aunt, Telegram is #1 as they mainly use iPads and Android Tablets and there is no WhatsApp-App for tablets. My aunt does not even own a smartphone but uses Telegram for messaging and sharing photos with her friends and family a lot on her Lenovo Tab.
iMessage is really not a thing in Europe.
iMessage + Apple Music etc are only American things, really. Also, in many European countries iPhones aren't the "most sold phones" as most people claim and iPhones definitely are not "the most globally sold phones" etc.
That is assuming you're after the mass market. Considering Apple had never even put iMessage outside iOS, that shows that Apple is not interested in mass market. Like I mentioned, thanks to the WhatsApp debacle, there are more and more people who are more aware of privacy issues, and some even are willing to pay for a messaging service (eg. many people are donating to Signal). Apple can capitalise on these segment.
Look at email. Sure, the lay person would balk at for-pay email services, but as we see, there are still plenty of paid email service providers out there.