Apple kills the last hope Android users had for iMessage, releases a statement in the Beeper Mini case

As we reported earlier, Beeper Mini is experiencing a “massive and potentially permanent outage.” The outage began on December 11, 2023, around 3:30 PM ET, and is suspected to be the result of Apple blocking Beeper’s access to its iMessage service.

Apple has responded to the controversy surrounding Beeper Mini, a service that allowed Android users to access iMessage. The company claims that it took action to protect its users’ privacy and security, which were allegedly compromised by Beeper’s “fake credentials.”

 Apple senior PR manager Nadine Haija said in a statement:

At Apple, we build our products and services with industry-leading privacy and security technologies designed to give users control of their data and keep personal information safe. We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage. These techniques posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. We will continue to make updates in the future to protect our users. 

Apple’s recent announcement regarding RCS may be a reaction to Beeper Mini and similar apps. However, it’s logical that if Apple is introducing RCS, they would want Android users to be able to utilize this feature, especially considering that Google has been pushing for it for quite some time now.

Overall, here is the story till now:

Beeper Mini:

• Enabled Android users to send and receive iMessages directly.
• Achieved this by exploiting Apple’s push notification service.
• Beeper claims its process does not compromise user privacy or security.

Apple:

• Blocked Beeper Mini due to concerns about user security and privacy.
  • Argues that Beeper’s methods posed significant risks, including Metadata exposure
  • Unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks.
• Remains committed to protecting its users and will continue to update its security measures.

Beeper’s Response:

• Founder Eric Migicovsky rejects Apple’s claims and argues that Beeper Mini enhances security compared to unencrypted SMS.
• Offers to share Beeper’s code with Apple for a security review.
• Proposes marking Beeper messages with a pager emoji for transparency.
• Believes public opinion will eventually pressure Apple to adopt a more open approach.

The company has stated that it is still monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available. We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as we learn more.