Beeper has officially announced their plans to discontinue their efforts to bring iMessage to Android. Despite implementing multiple fixes over the past month, each one has been shut down by Apple. In a recent blog post, Beeper explained their decision and revealed that they do not intend to come up with another workaround if this one is unsuccessful against Apple’s regulations.
Each time that Beeper Mini goes ‘down’ or is made to be unreliable due to interference by Apple, Beeper’s credibility takes a hit. It’s unsustainable. As much as we want to fight for what we believe is a fantastic product that really should exist, the truth is that we can’t win a cat-and-mouse game with the largest company on earth.
In their latest software release, Beeper believes that they have finally created a solution that Apple will tolerate. However, they do not have any plans to respond if this workaround is also knocked offline. This decision comes after several attempts to bring iMessage to Android, which initially only required users to download an app.
However, as Apple continued to block the service, Beeper had to come up with increasingly complicated workarounds. The most recent workaround involves users having access to a jailbroken iPhone, either through owning one or renting one from Beeper. Users also need a Mac computer to get iMessage working through the Beeper app. This is a significant departure from the original appeal of Beeper, which was designed to provide an easy way to use iMessage on Android.
To use Beeper now, users must have an old jailbroken iPhone, such as a 6, 6s, SE1, 7, 8, or X, and a Mac or Linux computer. They also must install a Beeper tool to generate an iMessage registration code and update the Beeper Mini app. The old iPhone must stay plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi at all times.
If users do not have an old iPhone, Beeper suggests renting one from them or potentially offering their own rental service if there is enough interest. When asked by TechCrunch for a comment on these recent developments, Apple did not respond.
At this stage, Apple’s actions to block Beeper Mini look increasingly hard for them to defend. The only potential reason they have left is that they might make less money selling iPhones if iMessage were available on Android.
Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Apple’s potential anticompetitive treatment of Beeper, noting that interoperability and interconnections are crucial for competition and consumer choice. However, the outcome of this inquiry is yet to be seen.
Although Beeper has decided to end their pursuit of bringing iMessage to Android, they have made their software open-source for other developers who may wish to give it a try. Beeper will now shift their focus back to their long-term goal of building the best chat app possible in the new year.
