Switching from iPhone to Android often means shedding entry to Apple’s unique options. Regardless of this, I’ve discovered a solution to get pleasure from iMessage (the most effective elements of the Apple ecosystem) with out giving up my Android telephone.
OpenBubbles Is the Reply You have Been Wanting For
Sending texts by way of RCS on an iPhone is not good, so the blue bubble vs. inexperienced bubble hole nonetheless exists. Some folks proceed to make use of iMessage completely, so group chats can really feel awkward if everybody has to change to inexperienced bubbles simply due to you.
OpenBubbles affords a method round this. It makes use of the {hardware} code of an Apple gadget you already personal to ship and obtain iMessages in your Android telephone. When you set it up with a Mac or an previous iPhone, that gadget acts as a relay, and your messages seem instantly within the OpenBubbles app in your Android telephone.
Raghav Sethi/MakeUseOf
This setup doesn’t depend on any third-party cloud service. Every part runs by means of your personal gadget, which makes it simpler to belief from a privateness standpoint. If you do not have an Apple gadget to spare, OpenBubbles additionally affords devoted {hardware} that may act as a relay. Nonetheless, there’s at the moment a waitlist for this, and utilizing it means giving up a number of the privateness advantages whereas additionally paying a month-to-month payment.
You may technically use an iPhone because the relay gadget, but it surely’s very unreliable and solely works if the iPhone is working iOS 17.0 or earlier. You may undergo OpenBubbles’ information for setting it up, however utilizing a Mac because the relay is the way more reliable possibility.
It additionally helps FaceTime, and the expertise is much better than utilizing FaceTime on an Android gadget by way of an internet browser. With this technique, you may as well provoke calls, not like the official browser possibility.
Obtain: OpenBubbles (Free, subscription obtainable)
Setting Up OpenBubbles
First, set up the OpenBubbles app in your Android telephone by way of the Play Retailer. As soon as that’s executed, head over to OpenBubbles’ self-hosting web page and obtain the QR code generator app to your Mac. Open the app such as you would some other app in your Mac, and it’ll show a QR code on the display.
In your Android telephone, launch the OpenBubbles app, then faucet Subsequent to get by means of the onboarding menus. Choose the Self-hosted possibility, then select Scan Code to scan the QR code displayed in your Mac.
If you cannot scan the code for some motive, choose Copy Activation Code in your Mac and manually enter that code within the OpenBubbles app. You may want to use a messaging app or shared clipboard so you’ll be able to copy and paste the code, because it’s fairly lengthy.
Subsequent, you will be prompted to enter your Apple Account’s credentials. Your password is distributed on to Apple’s servers, so OpenBubbles by no means has entry to it.
As soon as the setup is full, you can begin sending iMessages straight away. Faucet the ship message icon within the bottom-right nook, select a contact, and sort your message.
That is solely the start, although. OpenBubbles can do way more than ship and obtain iMessages, and setting it up unlocks a number of different helpful options.
Get FaceTime, iMessage Video games, and Extra Working Flawlessly
OpenBubbles just isn’t solely about sending and receiving iMessages. It additionally brings over a number of different Apple-exclusive options that work simply as effectively on Android. One of many largest ones is FaceTime; you’ll be able to place FaceTime calls instantly from inside the app by opening a dialog and tapping the video icon within the top-right nook.
Incoming FaceTime calls additionally present up like a daily name in your telephone, so you’ll be able to reply with out having to fumble by means of further menus or hyperlinks.
Sharing media works precisely because it does on an iPhone. You may ship full-resolution images and movies by tapping the plus (+) icon within the chat and selecting the attachment possibility you want. The format will really feel acquainted you probably have used iMessage earlier than, with just a few small UI variations in comparison with iOS.
OpenBubbles additionally contains iMessage video games by way of an add-on app referred to as OpenPiegon. After downloading the app, which integrates instantly with OpenBubbles, you’ll be able to play most iMessage video games similar to you’ll on an iPhone. Not each single sport is supported, however the majority work with out points.
As soon as OpenPiegon is put in, you don’t must open it individually. Head into an iMessage chat, faucet the plus (+) icon, choose OpenPiegon, and decide the sport you need to play.
You may as well observe your Apple units by means of a built-in map function. Faucet the three dots within the top-right nook and choose Map to see their areas. Understand that this solely exhibits the place your units are; you gained’t be capable of ping them or mark them as misplaced.
You may as well view shared albums from the identical menu, however you’ll be able to’t add images to them. In my expertise, this function has been a bit buggy, so that you should not depend upon it an excessive amount of.
Switching from an iPhone to Android comes with its fair proportion of compromises, however OpenBubbles has been one of many standout apps that made the cell OS transition a lot smoother for me.
I went into it anticipating a makeshift workaround that I’d solely use often, but it surely turned out to be probably the most helpful apps I’ve ever tried on my Samsung telephone.
