Nothing Phone says it will hack into iMessage, bring blue bubbles to Android
An Android manufacturer is partnering with Sunbird to route iMessage traffic through remote Mac Minis, promising “blue bubble” iMessage-style chats on Android but raising alarm over broken end-to-end encryption and the need to hand over Apple ID credentials. Commenters argue this approach is insecure, misleadingly marketed, and easily blocked by Apple, contrasting it with self-hosted bridges and more privacy-focused apps like Signal. The exchange broadens into the social pressures around iMessage in the U.S., the dominance of WhatsApp and similar apps elsewhere, and whether regulators should push Apple toward interoperable standards such as RCS.
Architecture and Encryption Concerns
- Nothing Chats uses Sunbird’s platform and appears to rely on logging into iMessage via Mac Minis in a data center, acting as an iMessage relay/proxy.
- Multiple commenters argue this necessarily breaks true end‑to‑end encryption: messages must exist in plaintext on the bridge machine to be handed to Apple’s iMessage stack.
- The marketing claim that messages are E2EE and “not stored” is widely viewed as misleading or false, since servers are an active middle, not an “end.”
- There is skepticism that iMessage’s protocol or encryption has been fully reverse‑engineered; if not, plaintext handling on the Mac bridge is unavoidable.
Trust, Credentials, and Open Source Debate
- A major concern is handing over Apple ID credentials to a third party that can access not just messages but potentially photos, backups, and purchases.
- Some suggest a throwaway Apple ID as partial mitigation, but others warn about ToS violations and account loss.
- Sunbird’s public anti–open‑source stance is heavily criticized as technically wrong and disingenuous; many see it as a red flag for security culture and transparency.
User Demand, Social Dynamics, and “Blue Bubbles”
- Several commenters see this as driven by U.S. social pressure: blue bubbles as status, “normalcy,” or even a dating filter.
- Others dismiss this as shallow and prefer to avoid people who care about bubble color.
- Some iOS users say blue bubbles also signal richer features (reactions, high‑quality media, group behavior), while green bubbles degrade group chats and media quality.
Alternatives and DIY Bridges
- Existing bridges like BlueBubbles, AirMessage, and Beeper are mentioned; self‑hosting on a personal Mac is viewed as safer than a cloud bridge but more technical.
- Many outside the U.S. note they primarily use WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or similar; iMessage/SMS is nearly irrelevant there.
Regulation, RCS, and Interoperability
- Some hope regulation or market pressure will push Apple to support RCS or open protocols; others argue governments shouldn’t intervene just because Google failed at messaging.
- There is debate over whether a single open standard is desirable versus multiple proprietary apps; some fear less innovation, others want interoperability over network lock‑in.