long story short
- Beeper on Android refreshes the unified chat app from the ground up with a focus on speed. It also brings the app closer to Android aesthetics.
- Beeper integrates chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, SMS, RCS, Instagram DM and more into one app.
- Beeper on Android is subject to a waitlist, so you need to wait or get referral invitations from existing users.
renew: A previous version of this article incorrectly associated Beeper with efforts by smartphone brands to bring iMessage to their phones. We deeply regret this error and the article has been corrected.
Beeper is best known for providing iMessage access to Android smartphones through the Beeper Mini app. The love story didn’t last long, as Apple cracked down on iMessage integration in Beeper, ultimately dooming the effort. But Beeper’s apps aren’t just about iMessage, as they’re focused on being a universal inbox for all the top chat apps. The Beeper app has received a major update and been completely rebuilt to give it more flexibility in aggregating all chat apps under one roof.
As Beeper claims on its blog, the new Beeper on Android app is a complete rewrite. There is still a waiting list, so you will have to wait until you are accepted or receive an invitation from someone who is already on Beeper. The team also notes that the app will be moving to a paid subscription model “in the near future,” so be aware of that before making a commitment.
The highlight of this new Beeper app on Android is that it’s fast because it caches all chats locally, allowing for instant chat and full message search. You can choose from two view densities and themes, use Android’s bubbles and home screen widgets, and even support dual-pane views for foldable devices.
As a review of Beeper’s capabilities, it introduces the following into an application:
- Android SMS and RCS
- telegraph
- Signal
- facebook messenger
- Instagram DM
- Twitter DM
- relaxation
- Disharmonious
- google chat
- IRC
- matrix chat
Beeper notes that for large accounts, the first sync can take up to eight minutes, which isn’t bad when you think about it. There are also some more known issues, such as how clicking on a message in search results doesn’t open a chat. However, the first public release of the list appears to be small.
Buzzers also address the elephant in the room. An on-device iMessage bridge is present on the upcoming features list, but it’s not enabled yet. If you rely on iMessage, you’ll have to stick with Beeper Mini.
The service is also working on other features such as deleted chats, network disconnection alerts, scheduled sending, mentions, device-to-end encryption bridge for WhatsApp and Google Messages, and more.
Have you tried the new app refresh? Let us know in the comments below!