Abstract
- Sunbird is relaunching its messaging app in beta with the AV2 encryption protocol for improved message security and privacy.
- The company promises improved security measures and organizational changes for a more secure messaging experience.
- It temporarily shut down its messaging app late last year due to security concerns, such as a lack of encryption for internal processes.
A bunch of messaging apps have tried to bridge iOS and Android messaging, but Nothing (the phone company) came closest with its Sunbird partnership. The London-based company has joined forces with Sunbird to create Nothing Chats, a messaging service that mirrors iMessage support. It’s like chatting with an iPhone user on Android—complete with messages, group chats, high-quality pictures, and voice memos. However, it was later discovered that the app did not encrypt Apple’s login credentials when it sent them. This forced Sunbird to pause its app on the Play Store last November due to security concerns. Now the company is relaunching the iMessage-for-Android app.
In a press release, Sunbird announced the relaunch of its beta app with some major back-end upgrades. The company said more than 165,000 users have signed up for the waiting list, and invitations are coming in small waves. In addition, this new version comes with a bunch of fixes, tweaks and upgrades from the first round.
The company has revamped its earlier AV1 iMessage setup into something even better: AV2. This new system is intended to protect your messages using a special program (MQTTS) for secure message handling, like an encrypted tunnel. According to Sunbird, once your message is decrypted and sent to iMessage or the RCS/Google Messages Network, it is only stored briefly in memory, keeping your conversations secure.
Nothing beats pulling your iMessage app from the Play Store after a privacy disaster
Nothing Chats’ security protocols were seemingly non-existent
Sunbird debuted in 2022 with the goal of bringing iMessage to Android. However, it started small, with a private beta and a waiting list for a lucky few. Although he never went mainstream, he broadened his horizons by teaming up with Nothing for Nothing Chats. Unfortunately, there was a major snag: anyone could see your messages because they weren’t encrypted.
Sunbird this time promises a secure messaging experience
With the return of Sunbird, the company is making big promises for secure and simplified messaging. He was the owner of the past security flaws and had taken down all connections to “BlueBubblesApp” on his system. After the turmoil of last year, the service said it took a step back to really dig into its technical setup and how things are run internally.
In addition to technical changes, Sunbird shakes up organizationally as well. He brought in CIPHER, an independent security consultancy, for an extra layer of protection. In addition, he appointed Jared Jordan, former engineering director of Google’s Gmail team, as an advisor.