Sunbird's iMessage app for Android has returned to the Google Play Store, three years after it was pulled over a serious privacy failure. The app lets Android users take part in iPhone group chats and texts, working by linking an Android device to a remote server that registers it with an Apple ID so Apple's network treats it as authorised hardware.

The original 2023 version was withdrawn after users discovered they could exploit weaknesses in its encryption to access private messages, with 9to5Google reportedly accessing over 630,000 files this way. The relaunch comes after Apple adopted the RCS protocol in 2024, which already solved most cross-platform texting problems such as read receipts and media quality, leaving Sunbird's main selling point as turning green chat bubbles blue; the firm cites a survey claiming 30% of Android users have considered switching to iPhone over social pressure. The app is free to install with a 14-day trial, then costs $3 a month or $24 a year, and the company has promised future WhatsApp and Messenger integration plus new AI features, alongside assurances that user messages will stay private.