BlueBubbles: Server solution forwards iMessages to Android
Apple continues to make its communication service iMessage accessible only on its own devices. The open-source project BlueBubbles aims to change that.
BlueBubbles on Android and Windows: Unfortunately quite complex.
(Image: BlueBubbles-Projekt)
Although iOS, iPadOS, and macOS now have robust RCS support (which is set to become significantly better in the future), Apple has still not opened up its proprietary communication service iMessage to other platforms. The result is the famous “green bubbles”: they indicate that the other party is not using Apple technology. Only iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch support iMessage and then display “blue bubbles.” There have been attempts in the past to change this with various hacks. However, Apple has repeatedly put obstacles in the way of projects like Sunbird. The open-source project BlueBubbles is now trying again.
Mac acts as the forwarder
The creators promise to bring the “real” iMessage experience to Windows, Linux, and Android via a server solution. However, this requires a Mac on your network to act as a forwarding instance. The project participants claim that data privacy will be guaranteed, and there is end-to-end encryption even for devices not supported by Apple.
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BlueBubbles consists of two parts: the server and clients, which are available for the platforms mentioned above. However, a look at the installation steps shows that the solution is not suitable for beginners. Furthermore, not many users likely own a Mac that can run constantly and is equipped with a consistently stable internet connection made accessible from the outside.
Full disk access
BlueBubbles also requires various permissions that at least raise an eyebrow: for example, you are supposed to allow full disk access, and the app needs access to accessibility features (though this is optional). Previously, you also had to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP) System Integrity Protection, but this no longer seems to be necessary. To send notifications, a Google account is also needed to create a Firebase project, and Cloudflare is recommended as a proxy service.
Once BlueBubbles is running, almost all iMessage functions should be available, including emoji reactions, Tapbacks, read status, group chats, and more – and the speech bubbles will, of course, be blue. For better server security, Tailscale can also be used. The BlueBubbles project also runs its Discord server, where questions can be asked.
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