Beeper Mini Reinstates iMessage Support on Android Devices, Introducing Key Modifications

Service Disruption: Apple’s Privacy and Security Concerns Led to Beeper Mini’s Block

Following its release on December 5, Beeper Mini, designed to facilitate access to Apple’s iMessage service for Android users at a nominal monthly charge, faced an obstacle days after its debut as Apple blocked the service, citing privacy and security apprehensions. Despite Beeper’s assurances of robust security measures and the platform’s role in simplifying communication between Android and iPhone users, Apple raised concerns, leading to the temporary suspension of Beeper’s service. The company assured its ongoing efforts to swiftly reinstate services.

In a recent blog post on December 11, Beeper announced the restoration of its services. However, users of Beeper Mini are now mandated to log in using an Apple ID due to the unavailability of phone number registration. Beeper explained that it had deregistered all phone numbers, redirecting message exchanges through the email address linked to the user’s Apple ID.

Given the disruption in service, Beeper has temporarily made Beeper Mini free for users, with plans to revert to subscription-based access once stability is regained. Initially offered at $1.99 (approximately Rs. 160) per month, the service’s return to subscription mode is contingent upon resolving ongoing issues. The updated version is currently accessible for download on the Google Play Store. Users encountering difficulties with two-factor authentication during login are advised to uninstall and reinstall the application for a smoother experience.

In the post, Beeper also denied Apple’s allegations that the Beeper Mini services lacked security. The company reiterated that their services are local, end-to-end encrypted and if Apple agrees, they would willingly share their entire source code for security evaluation with mutually agreed upon third parties.

After blocking its services, Apple claimed that it took necessary steps to protect its users as the techniques (used by Beeper) “posed significant risks to user security and privacy” and that it exploited “fake credentials.”