The renowned but controversial iMessage for Android experience by Sunbird is now making its comeback with a new expansion. More users are eligible to access this experience despite not owning an iPhone. However, its expansion and return are seeing a different take than before, as it will now require a monthly subscription for users wishing to enjoy this feature.
Currently, this expansion project from Sunbird will still run in the beta, but as many as 170,000 users will be able to access this cross-messaging feature via Android.
Sunbird: iMessage for Android is Coming to More Users
Sunbird shared a new press release confirming the expansion of its iMessage for Android feature. More than 171,000 users on the waitlist will now have access to this experience. While this will still be under the beta testing program, the expansion ensures that these waitlist users can engage in cross-platform messaging on their Android devices.
Through the app, users may send and receive messages from Android to iPhone and vice versa. The alpha testing has already seen an average of 11 minutes per day on the app.
Currently, it only supports iMessage, but Sunbird claimed that it will soon add Google Messages' RCS and SMS features on the platform.
New Subscription for Sunbird's iMessage for Android
After debuting its alpha testing for free, this new beta phase will require all users to pay a $1.99 monthly subscription for the iMessage for Android experience. The company also said that Sunbird Messaging is a solution to modern problems, and this will continue to be a valuable experience despite Apple's adoption of RCS, which is coming soon.
iMessage for Android: Its Rise and Fall
Various companies have attempted to deliver the touted iMessage for Android feature to the public despite Apple's committing to adopting RCS, which is still months away. First off, there was Nothing, the tech company from Carl Pei, who announced that Nothing Chats would allow iMessage for its devices in collaboration with Sunbird.
However, this did not take off as expected after a security fiasco over at Sunbird.
It was closely followed by the iconic Beeper Mini app, which also offered users the iMessage for Android experience. However, it was met with scrutiny from Apple, which led to massive lawsuits. However, it was also far from perfect during its release, as it is known that it relied on an iMessage glitch to get this working, and there have been different issues that plagued its operations.
Now, the only hope for cross-platform messaging is waiting for Apple's RCS to arrive via iOS 18, a feature already confirmed for iMessage's future update. Sunbird is not waiting for that and is now expanding on its iMessage for Android in this latest release, offering more than 170,000 users on the waitlist access to the experience under a monthly subscription program.
Related Article: Apple RCS Support Coming to iOS 18's iMessage-No More Green Bubbles?
