Created by Android app developer Daniel Zweigart, an unofficial app named iMessage Chat for Android has been released in the Google Play store that allows Android users to communicate with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users over Apple’s iMessage network. According to 9to5Mac, a few users who have tried the app, claim that it actually works.
However, serious security concerns have been highlighted by TechCrunch over the unofficial iMessage Android app that uses Chinese servers to process the data. It has been reported that the questionable techniques used to send the messages between the two platforms are “not best practice”, and also mean that “Apple can’t simply block the app based on its IP address”. According to the app’s Google Play page, it was released earlier this month and has been downloaded over 10,000 times.
Meanwhile, renowned iOS jailbreaker / hacker @pod2g has warned users not to use the fake Android iMessage app as it canbe used to extract your AppleID and password:
Please do not use this Android iMessage app, never ever! They can grab your AppleID and password! It can’t be worse.
— pod2g (@pod2g) September 24, 2013
Also, software developer Adam Bell has revealed that the app connects to Apple’s iMessage server posing as a Mac mini:
If you’re smart, and don’t want your Apple ID stolen, don’t install that iMessage on android thing: https://t.co/qzGmf6XVJ0
— Adam Bell (@b3ll) September 24, 2013
Similar warnings have been issued by Saurik (Jay Freeman), Steven Troughton-Smith and other developers as well on Twitter.
So, no matter how tempted you feel to try this one on your Android device, DON’T!
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The best part about the world population is that most of it isn’t smart. That’s 3.5 billion less than average smarts.. then think about how smart/dumb the average person is. … now you can guess what happens next.
Google needs to do something to stop unofficial apps like this.
any idea if its the users Apple id or also the recipients of the messages? Not sure how but just asking
Just the person who logs in with their Apple ID credentials into the Android app.
Ok so if one of my “friends” contacts me, then I am safe, fewww lol. Although, come to think of it, I don’t have friends with Androids, they have all switched…Closest I have is Windows phone.
I am assuming this is the case. Just by sending a message to a friend’s account shouldn’t compromise your security.
Oh Android, so easy to add things to your app store, so convenient to find the right anti virus software I need, and have it not work with half of the new apps that are out there to steal my data. Although I was hopeful for and official version (would kill bbm unfortunately) Pod2g and Saurik know what they are talking about, they deal in security issues and Pod2g is known for his hacking abilities and hired by companies to do just that.
Already removed from the store