Beeper’s push for iMessage on Android is really over

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Beeper announced it’s removing the Beeper Mini app from the Google Play Store and moving the iMessage bridge to the “Labs” section of its cloud version. No new users will be able to use Beeper Cloud to gain entry into Apple’s messaging service, but the chat app acknowledged that iMessage may still work on Beeper Cloud for some existing users. Beeper also made the iMessage bridge (which it noted cost $750,000 to build) open source.

The company doesn’t plan to provide help or troubleshooting to current users who run into problems with the iMessage fix, as it’s now fully focused on “our mission beyond iMessage” and building “a universal, multi-network chat app.”

After Apple blocked Beeper’s iMessage for Android app, Beeper’s next solution used Macs to enable Beeper Cloud and connect to iMessage. The chat app released one last workaround (asking its users to buy or rent a jailbroken iPhone) but stressed it would not respond if Apple retaliated. 

Several Beeper customers lost access to Apple’s messaging service on their Macs, too, reported The New York Times on Friday. After the Times began its reporting, some of those users regained access via Mac, while users on Reddit noted that they could access iMessage on their Macs again after being blocked.