This new Android app is swooping in to cure the pain of green iMessage bubbles - Macworld

If there’s 1 happening that iPhone and Android users some hold on, it’s the hatred of greenish bubbles. A pox connected the messaging community, greenish bubbles ruin iPhone radical messages, extremity relationships, and make an wide unspeakable acquisition for everyone involved.

A caller app named Sunbird wants to alteration that. Available successful closed beta and eyeing a summertime 2023 release, the conception is simple: Android users volition beryllium capable to pass with their iPhone friends arsenic if everyone was utilizing an iPhone. Macworld was shown a demo of the strategy successful usage and it’s beauteous slick: Sign successful with an Apple ID, authenticate your iCloud relationship with a two-factor authentication code, and commencement texting with your iPhone friends successful bluish bubbles.

The developers assertion that since it is utilizing Apple’s ain iMessage system, determination isn’t immoderate risk. Sunbird doesn’t store your Apple ID password connected its servers and each messages are inactive end-to-end encrypted: “Users get information (encryption), net messaging, full-quality media, iMessage radical chats, reactions/tap backs, live-typing, and work receipts, with plans to adhd caller features regularly.”

This isn’t the archetypal clip idiosyncratic has tried to bring iMessage to Android, but it does look to beryllium the simplest. Other solutions request a Mac oregon an iPhone moving bundle that communicates with a dedicated server, but Sunbird requires precise small setup and zero concern from the idiosyncratic different than a escaped iCloud account. Additionally, the developers accidental Sunbird volition beryllium escaped “for now,” with nary plans to monetize the work astatine launch.

Sunbird wants to bring iMessage to Android phones.

Sunbird

However, determination are plans to grow Sunbird to different messaging apps. First connected the database is Whatsapp and Telegram and Messenger are besides connected their radar. The extremity is to crook Sunbird into a one-stop messaging app that lets you pass with anyone connected immoderate level nary substance what work oregon OS they’re using. There are besides plans to marque a web app for Sunbird arsenic well.

“By inventing caller exertion that gives Android users iMessage connected Android, 1 tin bask the astir fashionable functions and features uniting the apical messaging apps that radical usage each day,” said Danny Mizrahi, CEO, and Founder of Sunbird Messaging. “One inbox for each your messages.”

It remains to beryllium seen whether Apple volition let Sunbird to run without a ineligible battle, however. Sunbird’s method brings the full iMessage experience—typing prompts, uncompressed photos and videos, and of course, bluish bubbles—to Android phones and the developers assertion it isn’t reliant connected Apple to play along. However, Apple has admitted that iMessage “lock-in” is 1 of the biggest reasons wherefore it hasn’t brought the work to Android, truthful it volition apt instrumentality umbrage with Sunbird’s approach. It’s unclear what recourse Apple has since the app volition beryllium successful the Google Play Store and not the App Store, but Apple’s lawyers volition apt instrumentality a agelong hard look erstwhile it arrives “in astir six months.”

For now, Android users join a waitlist to enactment successful a closed beta of Sunbird. So the adjacent clip your Android person texts you a connection with a bluish bubble, it mightiness not mean they’ve switched phones—it mightiness conscionable mean they downloaded a caller app.