Beeper: Multi-messenger for WhatsApp, Signal & more works without cloud access
Beeper is designed to enable users to exchange messages via different messengers. This is now possible without the need for a cloud intermediary.
The "new Beeper" offers numerous new functions
(Image: Beeper)
A little over a year after US internet company Automattic acquired messaging platforms Beeper and Texts, the merger is now largely complete. Beeper allows users to send and receive messages across ten different chat networks, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger – without having to take a detour via Beeper's cloud. This is according to a blog post by the messenger and information obtained in advance by TechCrunch. According to this, end-to-end encryption will now remain in place in messengers such as WhatsApp and Signal. However, iMessage will still not be supported.
Battle for iMessage
Beeper has been developing its own all-in-one messenger for using various chat services under one roof for years. The provider gained greater prominence at the end of 2023 when it engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with Apple and used reverse engineering to tap into the iMessage protocol to enable direct communication with Android devices. Ultimately, Beeper came out on the losing end, with Apple thwarting Beeper's various attempts and blocking all workarounds. Automattic later acquired the service and announced a merger with the multi-messenger app Texts, which it had also purchased.
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As Beeper explains, users can now choose whether they want to continue accessing the connected messengers via Beeper's cloud. Alternatively, they can now skip this intermediate step and connect the services directly to their devices. This requires a little more effort on the user's part, but the encryption remains intact. The goal is to completely remove the cloud option at some point. Beeper does not expect any resistance from the connected messengers; it has good contacts with some of them, and others have no problem with it. The app can be used free of charge with five services, and more can be connected for a monthly fee.
(mho)
