Apple Rumored to Be Debuting iMessage for Android at WWDC

IMessage_IconApple is planning to announce an iMessage app for Android users at WWDC, according to a report from MacDailyNews citing sources "familiar with the company's thinking."

Apple will announce that iMessage encrypted text messaging is coming to Android users at WWDC next Monday at WWDC 2016, according to a source familiar with the company's thinking. [...]

Apple is increasingly focused on services which means opening up certain avenues beyond its own iOS and OS X platforms, the source says. The company release Apple Music for Android last November.

Google recently announced a new messaging app called "Allo," which will be available on both Android and iOS devices. Allo integrates with a user's phone number and includes features like a built-in Google assistant that offers up proactive suggestions, resizable message bubbles, emoji, stickers, smart replies, mini games, an Incognito mode with end-to-end encryption, and more.

With Google set to release a chat app on iOS, bringing iMessage to Android could potentially be Apple's response. Apple has previously released three apps on Android, including Apple Music, Move to iOS for transitioning from an Android device to an iPhone, and Beats Pill*, for controlling the Beats Pill speaker. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said Apple Music is Apple's way of testing the water ahead of bringing additional Apple services to other platforms.

The simplicity, convenience, and security of iMessage is one of the major perks of the iPhone, however, so it is unclear if Apple would want to expand such a key feature beyond its own devices.

MacDailyNews doesn't have a solid track record when it comes to accurately predicting Apple's plans, so today's report should be viewed with some skepticism. The site's source also suggests "plans are constantly in flux" ahead of keynotes so the release could be delayed, but iMessage is "definitely" coming to Android in 2016.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
106 months ago
FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY
geezus that was annoying to deal with green bubbles.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
106 months ago
I think iMessage (and hopefully FaceTime soon) cross platform could be big!!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
106 months ago
I hope this isn't true. iMessage is awesome and it should remain a flagship exclusive feature of iOS/OS X.
no. ABSOLUTELY wrong.

you know what's the number one thing I hate about imessage?
when you select an android user and send a message "Hey where are you? waiting in front of store...". then he doesn't respond for 5-10 minutes. then you realize it got sent to their iPad instead of their Android device.

then you have to figure out how to FORCE send as sms since the android phone number and imessage e-mail got lumped together into one contact.

there are also other problems, but they're too long to list here.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
106 months ago
I hope this isn't true. iMessage is awesome and it should remain a flagship exclusive feature of iOS/OS X.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpinThis! Avatar
106 months ago
Huh, one of the reasons I stay with Apple is because of iMessage lol. love Apple and don't want to change, but the grass sure is looking really green over there...
If you like carrier-controlled updates, bloatware pre-installed, fragmented OS, derivative, non-polished inconsistent UI, and second rate apps released after their iOS counterparts, go ahead and get an Android phone.

iMessage is just the frosting on the cake for me. But I suppose if all you do is text, then any phone will do.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
captain cadet Avatar
106 months ago
Didn't Steve jobs say that FaceTime was meant to be open source?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)