Faking Messages app on PowerPC

[eyoungren]

I'm not sure if I've created a Remote Messages thread in the past. I looked and I can't seem to find one. I know I've mentioned it in the past though in more than one thread.

But I'm using it today, so I thought I'd bring it up.

I've got a handful of old iPhones and each one has a purpose. In this specific case, it's an iPhone 4 running iOS 7.1.2 and it's jailbroken. That allowed me to install Remote Messages, which I have used since iOS 7 or so.

Because iOS 7 allows receiving forwarded messages from other iCloud enable devices, any time my primary iPhone receives an iMessage or SMS it gets pushed to the iPhone 4. With Remote Messages being on I can interact with the phone from any of my PowerPC Macs.

The iPhone 4 has to be on my home WiFi, which it is, because it's a Verizon iPhone and I don't have Verizon. So, it's in Airplane mode with WiFi on.

I created a Fluid app to access the IP address it is broadcasting Remote Messages on. You can see the screenshot of how this looks. Since this app runs on PowerPC it means I can send and receive iMessages and SMS through the iPhone 4 which interacts with my primary phone.

Voila, a Messages app for PowerPC. I've been doing this for a few years now so if you'd like help in setting it up, let me know. But you need a jailbroken iDevice.

 

[Slix]

This is awesome! I don't like jailbreaking, even for something cool like this, but it's so cool to see it in use. Messages getting sent from one machine to the next.

Is there any type of delay on sending or receiving on the PowerPCs from when they actually arrive on the real phone?

 

[eyoungren]

This is awesome! I don't like jailbreaking, even for something cool like this, but it's so cool to see it in use. Messages getting sent from one machine to the next.

Is there any type of delay on sending or receiving on the PowerPCs from when they actually arrive on the real phone?

No, no delay. I suppose the speed could be limited to the WiFi speed of my router but that's not even a concern. It's the same thing as using say an MBP and an iPhone. The iPhone gets the message and it goes to the MBP and you respond from the MBP. No delay.

 

[dbdjre0143]

What are the requirements for the Remote Messaging app? I have a jailbroken iPod Touch 2G running Whited00r that would be cool to use for this. Alternatively, I also have a 4th gen with iOS 6 I could try jailbreaking to use for this if the app is compatible.

 

[eyoungren]

What are the requirements for the Remote Messaging app? I have a jailbroken iPod Touch 2G running Whited00r that would be cool to use for this. Alternatively, I also have a 4th gen with iOS 6 I could try jailbreaking to use for this if the app is compatible.

You need a device running iOS 7, 8 or 9. I believe Remote Messages is $3.99, so since Cydia has shut down purchases you'll need to contact the dev for alternate ways to pay.

If you don't have a device in that range then there is AirMessage which is the same price but covers iOS 10.

Obviously, if you don't hook your device up to your Apple ID for iMessages this is not going to work. The device will need to have it's own line if you want to send SMS. Otherwise it's just iMessage.

After all of that is set up then you have to deal with creating the Fluid app. It's the same process, you are just using the IP address that Remote Messages (or AirMessage) is broadcasting on as the homepage and not an URL.