Sunbird could offer iMessage on Android

The biggest difference between Android users and iPhone users for years has been iMessage (well… Here in the US anyway). The rift between these two platforms has been caused by the fact that iPhone users have their own gathering spot where Android users can be at best annoying and at worst completely off-limits.

Many companies have attempted to solve this problem. Google has invested all its money to solve the problem. Bring the whole situation out in the openApple to adopt RCS. Beeper is a company that brings together iMessage to AndroidUsers will be charged to connect their Android device with an Apple device, such as a Mac or iPhone.

SunbirdIt seems to be the only app that can truly rule them all, despite this. Today, the company gave Android AuthorityThis is a summary of the app (which remains in alpha) and how it functions.

Sunbird: iMessage on Android…maybe

During the presentation by the company, it showed a prerecorded screenshot showing a Samsung phone communicating using iMessage with an iPhone. There were blue bubbles and emoji reactions as well as typing indicators. It looked exactly like a Samsung smartphone. I was Iphone.

However, the company did not reveal what the iPhone saw. It was a prerecorded video so we were naturally skeptical. The company eventually gave us early access the Sunbird app so that we could test it for ourselves.

I was able connect my Apple ID with Sunbird. I was able sign in to Apple via the Sunbird app, and theoretically, the two were connected. My attempts to send iMessages went awry. No matter what type of message I sent, the recipients did not receive it, no matter whether it was text, a photograph, or a VCard.

Sunbird tried to help me troubleshoot it but it didn’t work. We’ll let you know if it is possible to get it running in the future.

What is the cost and how does it work?

Sunbird does not intend to open-source its technology to bring iMessage to Android. As such, we haven’t received a detailed report on the app’s functionality (or at least should).

However, from what the company has said, it appears to have taken the Beeper method — connecting an Android phone to an Apple-based system — and taken a few more steps. First, not all users need their own connected devices. Sunbird has found a way to allow thousands to connect to one device. Sunbird has also found a way to keep end-to-end encryption using this method, something that Beeper cannot (at least not yet). Sunbird has not yet disclosed how it does these things.

Fortunately, if the app is successful and released to the public, then Sunbird says the app will be free — for a while. You won’t be charged anything if you are one of the early birds. The company may monetize the app in the future by charging for other connected services such as Telegram, Signal or other chat apps.

We will continue to work with Sunbird in the interim to get the app running on our own devices.