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Beeper (application)

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Beeper
Other names
  • NovaChat
  • Beeper Cloud
Original author(s)
Developer(s)
Initial release2020; 4 years ago (2020)
Repositorygithub.com/beeper
Operating system
Standard(s)Matrix
Websitebeeper.com

Beeper is an instant messenger software that enables using a variety of chat services and protocols all from the same application. Originally developed by Beeper Inc, it was acquired by Automattic in April 2024.

Features

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Beeper supports a variety of chat services and protocols, including Discord, Facebook Messenger, IRC (via Libera Chat), Matrix, Signal, Skype, Slack, SMS/RCS (via Google Messages), Telegram, and WhatsApp.[1][2][3] The app used to support iMessage, but has since been removed due to unreliable performance caused by iMessage's operator Apple.[4] Beeper is built on top of the Matrix protocol and Element application, bridged to the other services.[5]

History

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Previous logo

Beeper was created in 2020 by Eric Migicovsky, Brad Murray and Tulir Asokan[6][7][8] as NovaChat. The company is located in Palo Alto, California.[6] Migicovsky was previously the founder of smartwatch company Pebble.[1]

The company renamed the app from Beeper to Beeper Cloud upon launching Beeper Mini in December 2023.[9] It got renamed back into Beeper in 2024.[10]

In April 2024, Automattic, owner of the similar cross-platform messaging application Texts since the year before, acquired Beeper for $125M.[11][12] The plan is for Texts and Beeper to merge under the Beeper brand.[13]

Beeper Mini

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Beeper Mini was a version of the application focused on supporting iMessage on Android.

In 2023, James Gill – a 16-year-old Saucon Valley High School student at the time – reverse engineered Apple's iMessage instant messaging protocol after inspecting the network traffic generated by Apple Music on Windows and by iMessage on macOS. Gill published a proof of concept called Pypush that reimplemented iMessage in the Python programming language and released it on GitHub. After Gill contacted Migicovsky via Discord in August 2023, Migicovsky hired Gill to apply the implementation in Beeper Mini.[14][15][16]

On December 5, 2023, the company released Beeper Mini, an Android app that can send messages through Apple's iMessage instant messaging service.[16][14] The app was marketed as a way for Android users to communicate with iOS users through chat bubbles that are blue, the color used by Messages – the built-in text messaging app on iPhones – to show texts sent through iMessage.[17] Apple keeps iMessage exclusive to Apple devices and only allows Messages to communicate with Android users through the lesser-featured SMS protocol with texts that are displayed in green chat bubbles, which are disfavored among some iPhone users who perceive them as an indicator of lower social status.[14][18] Beeper Mini uses a reverse-engineered implementation of the iMessage communication protocol that supports some of iMessage's features, including blue chat bubbles and end-to-end encryption.[19]

Beeper Mini was downloaded more than 100,000 times within two days of launch. After the release, Apple repeatedly blocked Beeper Mini from sending messages through iMessage, and Beeper updated the app multiple times to circumvent Apple's blocks.[18] On December 21, 2023, Beeper issued its last update to Beeper Mini, which requires users to access an iOS or macOS device to enable the app to send messages through iMessage.[20]

At the urging of congresspersons Amy Klobuchar, Mike Lee, Jerry Nadler, and Ken Buck,[21] the United States Department of Justice initiated an antitrust investigation on December 22, 2023 to examine Apple's blocking of Beeper Mini.[22]

Beeper Mini was discontinued in 2024.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Porter, Jon (21 January 2021). "Pebble founder promises iMessage on Android and Windows with universal chat app". The Verge. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  2. ^ Perez, Sarah (5 December 2023). "Beeper reverse-engineered iMessage to bring blue bubble texts to Android users". TechCrunch. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  3. ^ Schoon, Ben (17 August 2023). "Beeper adds support for Google Messages RCS alongside iMessage, works on Android and iPhone". 9to5Google. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ^ Roth, Emma (2023-12-21). "Beeper is giving up on its iMessage dream". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  5. ^ "Beeper Tackles iMessage Lock-In and Reinvents Consumer Chat Interop". www.m.io. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  6. ^ a b "Beeper Mini, the iMessage app for Android, gives you the blue bubble". The Indian Express. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  7. ^ Holt, Kris (11 December 2023). "Beeper Mini is back, promising iMessage access on Android if you sign in with an Apple ID". Engadget. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. ^ Perez, Sarah (2021-01-21). "Pebble founder launches Beeper, a universal chat app that works with iMessage and others". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  9. ^ Myrick, Andrew (6 December 2023). "How to use iMessage on Android with Beeper Mini". Android Central. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Beeper is now available, no waitlist!". Beeper Blog. 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  11. ^ Perez, Sarah. "WordPress.com owner Automattic acquires multiservice messaging app Beeper for $125M". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  12. ^ Purdy, Kevin (2024-04-09). "Wordpress.com owner acquires Beeper, giving it two chat apps to rule them all". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  13. ^ Perez, Sarah (2024-04-09). "WordPress.com owner Automattic acquires multiservice messaging app Beeper for $125M". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  14. ^ a b c Mickle, Tripp; Isaac, Mike (22 December 2023). "Apple's Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  15. ^ Goode, Lauren (5 December 2023). "Meet the 16-Year-Old Whose Code Is Jailbreaking iMessage". Wired. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  16. ^ a b Kastrenakes, Jacob (5 December 2023). "There's a new iMessage for Android app — and it actually works". The Verge. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  17. ^ Kent, Jo Ling; Novak, Analisa (18 December 2023). "New app seeks to end iPhone-Android text color bubble divide - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  18. ^ a b Nguyen, Nicole (22 December 2023). "The Fight Over Apple's iMessage and Those Green Bubbles". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  19. ^ Purdy, Kevin (5 December 2023). "Beeper Mini for Android sends and receives iMessages, no Mac server required". Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  20. ^ Bonk, Lawrence (21 December 2023). "Beeper says it's done playing cat and mouse with Apple over its iMessage for Android app". Engadget. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  21. ^ Holt, Kris (18 December 2023). "US lawmakers call for DOJ probe into Apple's blocking of Beeper's iMessage app". Engadget. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  22. ^ Lovejoy, Ben (22 December 2023). "Department of Justice investigating Apple blocking Beeper; FTC too". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Beeper – Moving Forward". Beeper Blog. 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2024-06-27.

Further reading

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