Phone maker Nothing is bringing iMessage support to its latest Android phone through a new messaging app called Nothing Chats. The app utilizes Sunbird’s platform to bridge iMessage between iPhones and Android devices.

Nothing Chats will roll out to Nothing Phone 2 users in North America, the EU, and other European countries beginning November 17th. The company says it wants to “break down barriers” between messaging platforms.
The app works by having users sign in with their iCloud credentials. Sunbird then routes messages through Mac Minis acting as servers. Nothing claims messages are end-to-end encrypted and not stored.
In testing, Nothing Chats has worked relatively smoothly, albeit missing some native iMessage features like message editing and full Tapback support. Media sharing quality has been strong. The app currently lacks read receipts and reactions, but Nothing says those are planned.
Relying on a third-party service for iMessage does come with privacy concerns that users should weigh carefully by reading Sunbird’s policy. Additionally, Apple could attempt to block or legally challenge the app.
Nothing founder Carl Pei called the app “not world-changing” but hopes it sparks discussion on messaging interoperability and platform access in the EU where investigations around iMessage are ongoing.
For now, Nothing Chats provides Nothing Phone 2 owners a way to tap into iMessage from Android. Rival app Beeper has a long waitlist, but Sunbird access is currently exclusive to Nothing devices.
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