iMessage will soon be available on a new Android flagship through an unofficial app. Nothing, the Android phone maker company launched by the OnePlus cofounder Carl Pei, has today announced plans for its “Nothing Chats” app with iMessage support.
Users only need to log in to the Nothing Chats app with their existing Apple ID account to be able to send and receive iMessage texts through their Android phone. As expected, all messages sent through the app are end-to-end encrypted meaning that neither Nothing nor Sunbird can view your texts.
The new app is co-developed with and powered through Sunbird, a standalone messaging platform and app on Android that also claims iMessage compatibility. Nothing states that its Nothing Chats app is still in its beta phase, which means besides one-on-one chats it also supports group chats, live typing indicators, full-resolution media sharing, and voice notes.
Other features like read receipts, message reactions, and replies are not currently supported. Nothing says these features will be made available soon once the Nothing Chats app exits its beta status. Nothing Chats also includes support for the RCS messaging standard.
Nothing has also uploaded a six-minute video on YouTube featuring its CEO Carl Pei to explain the rationale and thinking behind its Nothing Chats app and its decision to support iMessage despite Apple’s longstanding decision to keep its messaging service exclusive to its devices.
Nothing says that its Chats app will be available exclusively on its new Phone (2) flagship. Nothing Chats will be available to users in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union starting from Friday, November 17.
