Apple Confirms It Shut Down iMessage for Android App Beeper Mini

[Ludatyk]

And as I stated before it’s not because they monetized that apple reacted, or at least not only because of that. It’s because beeper mini eliminated the need for a server (mac or pc with virtual machine) in between.

That’s your opinion and I respectfully disagree. And I understand you agree with me partially. But I don’t think the lack of a server has anything to do with it… of course, the process makes it easy on the individual.

And don‘t get it confused… I’m fully on board with Apple disabling Beeper Mini, I knew this was coming. But Apple is spinning this about privacy and security… and yeah, most will eat that up. But the truth of the matter is… that $2 monthly that Beeper could have potentially made off Android users was more of a threat than privacy and security.

 

[bodonnell202]

So the CEO used to work at Pebble. I thought I found his name familiar.

Nothing meaningful to add here that hasn't already been said.

He didn't just work there, he was the CEO of Pebble.

 

[Naraxus]

This reminds me of Psystar hacking OSX and stealing Apple's ip to sell wannabee Macs

 

[Naraxus]

Security? Bull. It's about their monopoly.

There is no monopoly. Nice try.

 

[rehkram]

I always thought it was pretty stupid doing the green vs. blue color change thing. As a consumer I really don't give a flying, whatever, what device I'm talking to. Apple needs to chill TF out, they're becoming a laughing stock. Really.

 

[BaldiMac]

I always thought it was pretty stupid doing the green vs. blue color change thing. As a consumer I really don't give a flying, whatever, what device I'm talking to. Apple needs to chill TF out, they're becoming a laughing stock. Really.

It isn’t about what device you’re talking to. It indicates functionality.

 

[iMacDragon]

It isn’t about what device you’re talking to. It indicates functionality.

Indeed, and RCS is going to have to be a third colour really to be properly differentiated.

 

[scorpio vega]

I always thought it was pretty stupid doing the green vs. blue color change thing. As a consumer I really don't give a flying, whatever, what device I'm talking to. Apple needs to chill TF out, they're becoming a laughing stock. Really.

Nah that’s android users lmao

 

[scorpio vega]

It isn’t about what device you’re talking to. It indicates functionality.

It’s very much about a color

 

[NewOldStock]

Another sham on Apples back. I hope Elon rubs off on Apple. These going after apple can't beat them out of it steal it.
Another android shark going in for the kill. How many messenger apps are there and ways to communicate. MG.
Go out and make better software you wimps! Always something from someone else or it's their fault. Kids!

 

[macduke]

Ok, I finally have a solution.

Apple says this is a service, and they provide it to their paying customers (people who own Apple devices) free of charge. Makes sense, they have server, maintenance, security, and feature development costs. Can’t give it away.

Apple likes money and wants to grow their services unit. People like blue bubbles. If you want to use this on a non-Apple device, charge $15/mo for a login and make an app for Android, Chrome OS and Windows. Enough people will pay for it that it will make Apple a killing, because people are crazy and enough people would actually pay that much just to fit in. Maybe even more? Sad but true. Look no further than clothing brands. I don’t think they would lose a significant amount of users to Android because it still makes using Android and iMessages more expensive, and most Apple users genuinely like their products.

Problem solved?

 

[scorpio vega]

Ok, I finally have a solution.

Apple says this is a service, and they provide it to their paying customers (people who own Apple devices) free of charge. Makes sense, they have server, maintenance, security, and feature development costs. Can’t give it away.

Apple likes money and wants to grow their services unit. People like blue bubbles. If you want to use this on a non-Apple device, charge $15/mo for a login and make an app for Android, Chrome OS and Windows. Enough people will pay for it that it will make Apple a killing, because people are crazy and enough people would actually pay that much just to fit in. Maybe even more? Sad but true. Look no further than clothing brands. I don’t think they would lose a significant amount of users to Android because it still makes using Android and iMessages more expensive, and most Apple users genuinely like their products.

Problem solved?

Again apple doesn’t need to make iMessage for android. Android users don’t pay for apps as often. They pirate.

 

[laptech]

Whilst Apple huff and puff about how good and popular their iphones are, in my opinion that is just smoke and mirrors because Apple knows the price of their iphones is a bone of contention for this users and again in my opinion it scares them to death knowing the sales of iphones could drop if they allowed seamlessly imessage operability between iphones and Android without the need of 3rd party app's because people would go out and purchase the much cheaper Android phones to be able to imessage/text message friends and family who have iphones.

If people want to imessage/text one another, Apple's stance is for everyone to purchase an iphone. Android phone owners should not be forced to jump through technical hoops to get their android phone to work seamlessly with iphones imessage. They should just be able to purchase the android phone, add the contact of their iphone using friend/relative and start texting/imessaging one another but they can't because they will find that some type of texts wont work and you either have to go through the settings of the phone to get it to work or to use a 3rd party app to text message one another.

 

[wanha]

This makes no sense; you are describing actions that foster competition. If Samsung can’t use Apple’s operating system it means Samsung has to create a competing product. This results in more competition. Its products like Google’s Android that eliminate competition (how many mobile operating systems compete with android?).

My comment was in response to the guy who asserted that iMessage is anti-competition because it is not interoperable.

I suppose one can see it both ways: not having access to something or no control over it is an incentive to create your own.

But also creating a service that won't work with others is a structural barrier to competition.

Both can be true at the same time.

 

[wanha]

There is no law which says you need to open your OS, research, IP to other manufacturers. If that was the case there is no incentive innovate or invest in R&D.

Just wait until the EU gets on that...

Btw, I think you're missing my point as what I wrote was in response to another comment and I intended it as a "devil's advocate" type of comment and not as a standalone comment to which people are now responding.

 

[wanha]

You're failing to consider how ads can deliver malware via zero-day exploits that have been previously discovered on iOS.

No, I am not. It's precisely why I said there is overlap between the privacy and security.

 

[pankajdoharey]

Dik Move by Apple IMO.

 

[pankajdoharey]

How is this legal? We have devices we are not in control off, apple dictates who we can receive message from on our phones.

 

[TECHNIKVERBOT]

As long as american society sees no issue in these two things, services like Beeper will always exist in some form or the other to fill that void:

1. The fact that excluding people from your friend groups because of classism (perceived cheaper/less prestigious Android phone) is seen as cool and normal for young US iPhone users. I highly doubt convenience is a factor, when those people also tend to use other services like Discord.

2. Americas fixiation on stricy pre-installed services (tho I partly doubt it, because 1.) Part of why iMessage became so successful is because they took advantage of the fact most US carriers never charged for SMS and (therefore having no reason to use an alternative way of text messaging) added their protocol to the stock Messaging/SMS application

Services like WhatsApp existed because SMS was expensive in most parts of the world and people were sick of it but most US people never had the issue at all.

 

[Abazigal]

Just wait until the EU gets on that...

Btw, I think you're missing my point as what I wrote was in response to another comment and I intended it as a "devil's advocate" type of comment and not as a standalone comment to which people are now responding.

The chief reason why the EU is even willing to go ahead with such a legislation is because all the companies affected are US companies, so it's pure upside. It's really just protectionism by another name.

 

[heretiq]

Don’t be naive, that’s not apple’s stance it’s apple’s BS. Their real stance is prioritizing profits over expanded functionality, customization and interoperability. It’s all about money, not security/privacy.

Don’t be cynical, there are individuals and companies that can and do balance principles and profit. If you don’t trust Apple why are you (presumably) using their products?

 

[scorpio vega]

How is this legal? We have devices we are not in control off, apple dictates who we can receive message from on our phones.

How is it illegal? Lmao.

Apple doesn’t dictate who you can get messages from. It just isn’t allowing android to use their service. Which is their right.

 

[scorpio vega]

Might be rock solid on the latest Pixel devices, but some cheapo phone from Asia running an older version might be full of compromises.

Android isn’t rock solid on pixels so much as it sucks less than some other versions.

Then why are most american iphone users ignoring those competitive alternatives and limiting themselves to imessage and sms only?

We aren’t limiting ourselves to anything.

While I personally am not Beeper's target audience (as in, iOS user,) I really do sympathize with them as a dev. I don't think there's anything that could be more crushing than a community or team spending days reverse engineering a protocol or API only to have it completely flipped on you the next day.
For all the unofficial hackyness of the implementation, it tends to only be like that when there's no other reasonable option. See, Twitter's nonsense and Nitter developers' response.
I hope Apple can either reach some sort of private agreement or document the protocol if they really did only have good intentions.

I don’t feel bad since they knowingly went into this with arrogance stating that apple can’t block them without breaking iMessage. As we have seen that was a lie.

Limited to SMS when it comes to non-iphone users, actually. There are alternatives to that and they’ve been mentioned here, but american iphone owners simply ignore them and stupidly use the decades-old and unencrypted sms to chat with non-iphone users. And it’s partly apple’s fault for merging imessage and sms in the same app.

It’s not apples fault for creating a software for their Devices. We do use other apps.

The amount of entitlement you people have is astounding.

 

[centauratlas]

I just want interoperability and privacy. It's mad that it costs me £0.60 each time I send a photo to an Android buddy using MMS.

Maybe you need a better cell phone plan? Who doesn't have unlimited everything?

 

[nt5672]

Next time, don’t break the rules.

View attachment 2323081

Apple should have real security, that does not rely on App Store political powers.

What we should be asking ourselves is why this worked in the first place.

Not, OMG you did something we don't like so we are going to punish you.

If beeper-mini can do it and get caught, then others are doing it and not getting caught. Lets face it the bubble color thing was not subtle.