Apple has confirmed its decision to deactivate the functionality of Beeper Mini, an application that allowed Android users to send and receive iMessage messages. This action underscores Apple’s stance regarding the use of their messaging services by third-party applications, highlighting concerns about user privacy and security.
Does Beeper make sense now that RCS has been announced?
Since its beginnings, Apple has designed its products and services with a focus on privacy and security, integrating industry-leading technologies. The company upholds this philosophy as a fundamental pillar to ensure that users’ personal information remains secure and under control.
In line with this commitment, Apple has taken measures to block techniques that exploit fake credentials to access iMessage. According to Apple, these techniques pose significant risks to users’ security and privacy, including exposing metadata and the possibility of receiving unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks.
Beeper Mini functioned by intercepting the iMessage protocol using Apple’s push notification service, masquerading as an authentic Apple device. This insecure method of accessing the service posed significant security and privacy risks. Considering iMessage’s reputation for security, Apple was unwilling to permit this. Apple has confirmed that they “will continue to make updates in the future to protect our users.”
Following Apple’s statement on The Verge, Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Beeper, expressed to the outlet his willingness to cooperate with Apple for a security review of Beeper’s code. He also announced that Beeper will continue to seek ways to access the service’s content without Apple’s consent.
In this regard, it’s worth noting that Apple has already announced that, in a few months, they will update the Messages app to provide support for the RCS standard before the arrival of iOS 18. With this update, we will be able to send voice messages, photos, and videos to Android users as easily as we currently send SMS. This step leaves apps like Beeper with very little to offer.
