Beeper Mini was released last week on December 5 to give Android users access to Apple's iMessage service for a small monthly fee. However, days after launch, Apple blocked the service due to privacy and security concerns. Beeper claimed that its service is secure and facilitates communication between Android and iPhone users. The company also said they are working to restore service as quickly as possible. Beeper has revealed that its services have now resumed, although this will come with some significant changes.
In a blog post on Monday, December 11, Beeper announced that its services had been restored. However, Beeper Mini users must now log in with an Apple ID as phone number registration is not available. The platform said it had unsubscribed all phone numbers and that all messages would be sent and received via the email address used in the user's Apple ID.
Considering the chaos that resulted in the service inconsistency, the Beeper team said that Beeper Mini is free to use for the time being. They noted that once things stabilize, they aim to return to subscription mode. Notably, the service was initially launched at a cost of $1.99 (approximately Rs. 160) per month. The latest update is currently available for download on the Google Play Store. If users experience problems logging in with two-factor authentication, they are urged to uninstall and reinstall the application.
In the post, Beeper also denied Apple's claims that the Beeper Mini services were not secure. The company reiterated that their services are local, end-to-end encrypted and if Apple agrees, they would be happy to share their entire source code for security evaluation with mutually agreed upon third parties.
After blocking its services, Apple claimed that it had taken the necessary steps to protect its users, as the techniques (used by Beeper) “posed significant risks to user security and privacy” and that it was exploiting “fake credentials”.
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