Beeper Mini, the Android app that allows users to send iMessages, went live last week, got blocked, found a workaround, and has now seemingly been blocked again, according to Beeper. This time, only about 5% of users are suffering from the block and there’s one very simple workaround.
In a post on X, Beeper said ‘Apple appears to be deliberately blocking iMessages from being delivered to ~5% of Beeper Mini users. Uninstalling and reinstalling Beeper Mini fixes the issue.
We won't have a fix tonight, but we're working on it.’
As a result of the issues it is facing, Beeper has canceled its subscription service for the app until it is stable enough to get the results Beeper Mini promises. It is not yet clear why uninstalling and reinstalling the app fixes this block but Apple’s alleged proactivity in blocking the app is a sign that this likely isn’t over. Both companies are working on ways around each other and this story is sure to develop over the coming weeks.
A smart solution – iMore’s take
Beeper Mini is a very smart little app. According to The Verge, the prototype was originally invented by a 16-year-old high school student, who was then approached by Beeper to turn it into a fully-fledged app. This is not the only time an app has promised Android users the ability to avail of iMessage, as Nothing has shown, but it’s the first time without a major catch or security flaw.
All messages are encrypted from end-to-end which means that Beeper doesn’t hang on to to that data. You do technically need an Apple ID to use it, which has changed in the last week, but your information never leaves your device. Nothing, on the other hand, used an Apple ID as a proxy device, essentially allowing your phone to use an ID on a different device to message. This is rather dangerous as there’s no way of ensuring that the middleman doesn’t abuse your information.
If Android users have to use iMessage, this is the best and safest way to do so, other than just buying an iPhone instead.
