Sunbird, the corporate that makes “iMessage for Android,” has introduced that it’s quickly shutting down its Android app as a result of safety considerations. The corporate has not given an ETA as to when the app could also be re-enabled for its customers.
Final week, Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced a brand new app for the Nothing Cellphone 2 known as “Nothing Chats.” Pei claimed that the app enabled customers to ship an Apple iMessage from an Android telephone with a lot of the advantages of iMessage. The corporate says that it was in a position to make this occur by means of a partnership with Sunbird, which additionally provided its personal app to make use of iMessage on Android.
When Nothing made the announcement, Pei mentioned that the app wouldn’t “change the world,” however that they constructed it to be able to “begin a dialog.” Google has been having a “dialog” with Apple for years to undertake assist for RCS on the iPhone for years, and Apple announced final week that it could assist the brand new normal beginning subsequent 12 months. iMessage would nonetheless stay the “finest and most safe messaging expertise for Apple customers.”
“Later subsequent 12 months, we might be including assist for RCS Common Profile, the usual as presently printed by the GSM Affiliation. We consider the RCS Common Profile will supply a greater interoperability expertise when in comparison with SMS or MMS. It will work alongside iMessage, which can proceed to be the perfect and most safe messaging expertise for Apple customers.
Talking of safety, scrutiny of Sunbird skyrocketed after the Nothing Chats announcement and it seems that scrutiny was warranted. As reported by 9to5Google, the outlet was in a position to entry “over 630,000 information” accessible by means of a vulnerability in its software program — together with messages despatched between customers. In response, Nothing has pulled the Nothing Chats app and Sunbird has additionally shut down utilization of its Android app “for now.”
Expensive Sunbird Consumer. We’ve got determined to pause Sunbird utilization for now whereas we examine safety considerations. We’ll replace you after we are able to proceed.
The corporate had already been attempting to repair safety vulnerabilities by sharing media on the app, which it posted about to Reddit, nevertheless it seems the safety points prolonged far and broad from simply that situation.
Good afternoon everybody. We’re investigating the safety points raised within the final 24 hours. In an abundance of warning and to guard your confidential information, we’re shutting down Sunbird media quickly. We’ll maintain you posted. Thanks, & honest apologies for the inconvenience.
It’s presently unclear when or if the Sunbird app will return to the Google Play Retailer. It’s additionally unclear if Nothing will transfer ahead with the Chats app — even when Sunbird returns and claims all safety points have been resolved.
Personally, I wouldn’t belief a 3rd get together with my messages on iMessage — there’ll inherently be a threat in trusting these messages with any entity that requires them to have entry to an encrypted system. Whether or not or not it’s iMessage, Sign, or another encrypted messaging service, it’s at all times most safe to maintain every thing inside that app.
