The short-lived saga of Beeper Mini – a daring try at iMessage compatibility with Android – seems to lastly be actually over.
Once we final wrote about Beeper Mini simply earlier than Christmas, the app was lifeless to all however probably the most devoted Android customers who wished to emulate the iMessage expertise. The workaround was an advanced course of that concerned utilizing an previous, jailbroken iPhone ( completely linked to WiFi) and a Mac or Linux laptop had been used for setup functions.
With comparatively few customers prepared to tackle this problem, it appeared like Apple would enable it, however apparently not. A number of Beeper customers who took these steps discovered that their Macs had been blocked from utilizing iMessage as a result of they had been marked as “spam.”
Whereas some suspended accounts had been unbanned following a New York Occasions request for remark, Beeper has now “disabled the flexibility for customers to start out new iMessage connections from the Beeper Cloud.”
Detailed info: We obtained and authenticated reviews from 30 Beeper customers whose private Mac computer systems had been blocked from utilizing iMessage. These customers have configured the Beeper iMessage connection (Cloud or Mini) to make use of their Mac based on our December 21 replace. We maintain this…January 26, 2024
At the moment linked accounts won’t be routinely disconnected, however you are able to do so manually if needed. Merely open Beeper Desktop and click on the gear icon, adopted by “Chat Networks,” “iMessage,” and eventually “Delete.”
Nonetheless, the corporate doesn’t imagine this might be a needed transfer. “Simply to be clear, this isn’t a widespread concern and impacts 30 customers,” it continued X. “Apple rapidly reversed course and we don’t assume they’ll do this crap once more.”
The truth is, 30 of the three,500 prospects stated to be utilizing the bridge solely make up 0.85%, so it isn’t precisely extensively used on the time of writing.
Nonetheless, for brand spanking new customers, eradicating the Beeper Cloud iMessage bridge appears like the ultimate nail in a coffin that was already just about utterly sealed. The Beeper Mini app had already been faraway from the Google Play Retailer earlier this month, and Beeper made it clear on the time that the December workaround could be its last try and resolve the problem.
Nonetheless, the corporate remains to be clearly sad with Apple on this – maybe not stunning, contemplating the iMessage bridge reportedly price $750,000 to construct.
“No matter what occurred earlier than, there are solely questions [sic.] “That is at the moment an issue,” the corporate wrote another X post. “Is a {hardware} ban (with out warning) an appropriate motion by Apple towards paying prospects who’ve chosen to make use of a third-party consumer (Beeper) to entry iMessage on their very own Mac laptop?”
The corporate will now proceed its unique mission of constructing “the perfect chat app on the earth.”
As for Apple, the corporate has promised to lastly help RCS messaging later this yr, nevertheless it’s not but clear how complete will probably be. We already know that this won’t shut the hole between inexperienced and blue chat bubbles.
