Beeper is an instant messenger software that enables using a variety of chat services and protocols all from the same

application Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a c ...

. Originally developed by Beeper Inc, it was acquired by Automattic in April 2024.

Features

Beeper supports a variety of chat services and protocols, including Discord, Facebook Messenger, IRC (via Libera Chat),

Matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** '' The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchi ...

, Signal, Skype,

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SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...

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(via Google Messages), Telegram, and WhatsApp. The app used to support iMessage, but has since been removed due to unreliable performance caused by iMessage's operator Apple. Beeper is built on top of the

protocol and Element application, bridged to the other services.

History

Beeper was created in 2020 by

Eric Migicovsky Eric Migicovsky is a Canadian engineer and businessman. Migicovsky founded the smartwatch company Pebble A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally consi ...

, Brad Murray and Tulir Asokan as NovaChat. The company is located in Palo Alto, California. Migicovsky was previously the founder of smartwatch company

Pebble A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predominant ...

. The company renamed the app from Beeper to Beeper Cloud upon launching Beeper Mini in December 2023. It got renamed back into Beeper in 2024. In April 2024, Automattic, owner of the similar cross-platform messaging application Texts since the year before, acquired Beeper for $125M. The plan is for Texts and Beeper to merge under the Beeper brand.

Beeper Mini

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

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

. 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. On December 5, 2023, the company released Beeper Mini, an

app that can send messages through Apple's iMessage instant messaging service. 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 A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus. A ...

– the built-in text messaging app on iPhones – to show texts sent through iMessage. Apple keeps iMessage exclusive to Apple devices and only allows Messages to communicate with Android users through the lesser-featured

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 Social status is the level of social value a person is considered to possess. More specifically, it refers to the relative level of respect, honour, assumed competence, and deference accorded to people, groups, and organizations in a society. Stat ...

. 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. 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. 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. At the urging of congresspersons

Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...

, Mike Lee, Jerry Nadler, and Ken Buck, the United States Department of Justice initiated an antitrust investigation on December 22, 2023 to examine Apple's blocking of Beeper Mini. Beeper Mini was discontinued in 2024.

References

External links

* {{Instant messaging Mobile instant messaging clients Android (operating system) software IOS software Instant messaging clients for Linux MacOS instant messaging clients Windows instant messaging clients

Features

History

Beeper Mini

See also

References

Further reading

External links