Apple said yesterday, Saturday, that it closed third-party applications that enabled Android devices to use the iMessage service to communicate with iPhone users.
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The iPhone manufacturer said in a statement that it “has taken steps to protect its users by blocking technologies that exploit fake credentials to access iMessage.”
“These technologies pose significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for revealing metadata and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks,” she added.
The company added that it will continue to make changes in the future to protect its users. This announcement comes one day after Beeper Mini, the latest application to enable iMessage on Android devices, stopped working, according to Bloomberg.
Apple’s iMessage service delivers encrypted messages between iPhones, Macs, iPads, and other devices made by the company. The company has resisted calls for nearly a decade to expand the service to include Android.
Apple will support RCS soon
Some users have long argued that the lack of iMessage for Android makes messaging between the two systems less secure. Apple recently said it will support RCS, or Rich Communications Services, later next year.
This is an alternative to the standard SMS service that will enable an improved cross-platform texting experience.
Pepper was founded by Eric Migicowski, known for creating the Pebble smartwatch in the years before the Apple Watch and for being part of Y Combinator, the technology industry’s most popular incubator.
Migicowski said in an interview that his new company continues to work on the Paper Mini and “feels good” about pushing Apple’s limits again.
He added that Beeper Cloud, a variant of Pepper Mini, is still working. He says that Paper Mini is more secure and connects directly to Apple services, while Paper Cloud uses external servers.
Pepper’s developers deny there are security problems
“The passion and energy people have shown this week speaks volumes about the importance of what we are doing,” Migicowski said. He denied that “Paper Mini” causes security problems for users, saying that his application allows encrypted messaging between “Android” and “iOS”, so reducing security is a wrong idea.
Migicowski, who said Apple had not contacted him about his service, was selling Paper Mini for a $1.99-a-month subscription after a one-week free trial. Apple does not charge subscription fees to use iMessage on its devices.
Apple said it cannot verify that messages sent over unauthorized systems that mask the use of Apple credentials are in fact fully encrypted.
Other services, including one called Sunbird, have previously tried to make iMessage work on Android. These efforts were also addressed by Apple.
Apple refuses to facilitate communication
Despite adding RCS support next year, Apple executives have publicly and privately rejected the idea of facilitating communication between iOS and Android users. Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that a user who wanted to text his mother more easily on Android should buy her an iPhone.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering, said in an email to fellow executives several years ago that “iMessage on Android will simply remove the barrier for families with iPhones to give their children… Android phones.
The company’s operating systems will be opened up further next year in the European Union through the Digital Markets Act, which will require Apple to allow third-party app stores in the region to run on its devices.
