The demise of the Beeper Mini app was inevitable from the start. Since its launch this week, the app that allowed Android users to access iMessage text support was anticipated to face trouble as soon as it attracted Apple’s attention. Indeed, it has now caught Apple’s notice. Yesterday, the entire Beeper platform experienced disruptions, leading to speculation that Apple had taken action to shut down the iMessage workarounds. Despite Beeper Mini still acknowledging the issue on X (formerly Twitter) this morning and expressing efforts to resolve the outage, Apple’s recent announcement suggests that these attempts may prove futile.
In response to the situation, Apple stated, “We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage. These techniques posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks. We will continue to make updates in the future to protect our users.”
While Apple does not explicitly mention specific apps, it’s logical to infer that, given the timing of Beeper Mini’s launch and subsequent issues, the statement likely pertains to the loophole exploited by the platform.
Beeper’s approach involved routing users’ texts through Apple’s servers before reaching their intended recipients, a method conceived by a high school student. Interestingly, individuals desiring to use iMessage via Beeper Mini did not need an Apple ID. However, the Android app did provide end-to-end encryption for conversations involving both operating systems.
Apple further emphasized today that it cannot verify the maintenance of end-to-end encryption for messages sent through unauthorized means that falsely claim valid credentials. Beeper had anticipated the potential shutdown of this workaround, and as of now, the divide between Android and iOS messaging appears to persist.
