Android app that allowed users access to iPhones’ most prized feature is shut down by Apple

APPLE has forced an Android app to shut down after it allowed users access to iPhones’ signature feature.

Tech company Beeper released an app that let users send and receive blue-bubble iMessages directly from their Android devices.

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Beeper used a custom-built service to connect to iMessage through Apple’s own push notification service.

Beeper had to somehow show Apple’s servers that it was pinging the notification protocols from a genuine iPhone device – but it obviously was not.

All iMessage on iPhones travel over this protocol, and Beeper effectively intercepts and delivers them to your Android device.

However, just 24 hours later Apple shared its take on the case while taking strict steps to shut it down.

The tech giant said what any other leading company would say: it’s simply trying to do right by the Apple users and protect the privacy and security of their iMessage.

Apple senior PR manager Nadine Haija said in a statement: “We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials to gain access to iMessage.”

The full statement released by the iPhone maker suggests these techniques by third-party apps pose significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. 

However, Beeper says the entire process works without compromising original iPhone users’ encryption or privacy – the company’s documentation says that no one can read the contents of your messages other than you.

But Apple said it was not able to verify that and indicated it poses risks for users and the people they chat with.

Founder Eric Migicovsky said in a statement: “If Apple truly cares about the privacy and security of their own iPhone users, why would they stop a service that enables their own users to now send encrypted messages to Android users, rather than using unsecured SMS?”

Now Beeper has been working tirelessly to get its app up and running again.

It says the iMessages are working fine over its cloud network, but the app has become functional.

It comes after tech giant Google announced a huge design change on its Chat app on Android devices.

The messaging app is set to get a new “bottom navigation bar” with four new tabs – instead of the existing two – following the UI of the web version.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk