Beeper, the software that offers iMessage to Android users, is working on a patch that would enable users to use the service again after Apple disabled it. However, the remedy needs access to a Mac computer or a buddy on Beeper who has a Mac.
The business noted in a Reddit post that when users join iMessage on Beeper, it has to transfer identity information known as “registration data” from a genuine Mac. Previously, the firm used its own fleet of Mac servers to supply this, but the company adds that “this has proven to be an easy target for Apple because thousands of Beeper users were using the same registration data.”
Beeper will begin creating unique registration data for its users with the new update, which is set to go live tomorrow.
“This 1:1 mapping of registration data to individual users—in our testing—makes the connection very reliable,” the title of the blog post states. “If you use Beeper Mini, you can also use your Mac registration data with it, and Beeper Mini will restart.” Beeper has to renew this data on a regular basis, usually once per week or month, even after you’ve connected, thus the Mac must be turned on often.”
According to Beeper, if you have a buddy on Beeper who has a Mac, you may ask them whether you can use their registration information. According to Beeper, in its tests, 10 to 20 iMessage users may securely utilize the same registration data.
The business said that it would “also be open-sourcing our full iMessage bridge as well as the Mac code that generates registration data.”
Eltry’s request for a comment was not responded to by Apple.
Although the latest update should keep Beeper alive, it reduces the attractiveness of the service, which once enabled users to use iMessage without an Apple device. Some users have already expressed their dissatisfaction on Reddit, with one commenting, “At this point, I am willing to wait for Apple to release RCS support.” Others, on the other hand, are pleased with the patch, with one user saying, “This is a great bandaid to stop the bleeding and let people use Beeper as intended… as a way to integrate all your message apps in one place.”
Of course, considering Apple’s previous continual efforts to disable Beeper, it’s unclear how long the patch will be effective once released.
The news comes just a day after a bipartisan group of US lawmakers asked the DOJ to look into Apple’s “potential anticompetitive treatment” of Beeper, noting that “interoperability and interconnections have long been key drivers of competition and consumer choice in communications services.”
