C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
long story short
- Beeper, best known for its iMessage-to-Android efforts, announced it was acquired by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.
- Following the acquisition, Beeper’s Android app is out of beta and available to anyone without a waiting list.
Beeper is infamous for its bold but unsuccessful attempt to bring iMessage to Android. However, this app is more than just that; it’s a convenient aggregator designed to be a single, streamlined inbox for all chat apps.
While the iMessage setback seemed like the end for Beeper, the company appears to have turned over a new leaf, having been acquired by Automattic, the parent company of the popular WordPress platform.
According to the official press release, Beeper’s team will continue to operate as an independent division under Automattic, with founder Eric Migicovsky serving as Automattic’s head of communications. A key aspect of this development is Beeper’s potential integration with Texts.com, a similar chat aggregation service that Automattic acquired last year. It’s worth noting that Texts.com currently offers an iMessage bridge for Android, although it requires users to run the app on their own Apple computers.
Migicovsky further added that he has known Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg “for many years.” He also highlighted the common goals and approach between the two, emphasizing their desire to “build the best chat app on the planet,” emphasizing “being as open source as possible” and Beeper’s operational independence within Automattic.
Beeper’s acquisition announcement also comes with the public launch of its Android app, signaling wider accessibility. The application is currently in the testing phase, with 115,000 users participating in the test. Following the acquisition, the app is now available to everyone, including the 466,000 people already on the waiting list.
The timing of the acquisition is interesting, especially after Apple quickly squashed Beeper’s short-lived iMessage integration. Additionally, Apple’s planned RCS support may further reduce Beeper’s recent appeal, as RCS brings many of the same features as iMessage to cross-platform conversations between iPhone and Android users.