4 ms·

iMessage pressure is real for me too. I was considering switching to an iPhone for a while but found air message and have been using it for a few weeks. It does

by bhahn 7y ago

iMessage pressure is real for me too. I was considering switching to an iPhone for a while but found air message and have been using it for a few weeks. It doesn't have all the features of iMessage, but core messaging works pretty well and I haven't felt a need to switch to an iPhone. https://airmessage.org/ https://airmessage.org/

rolltiide 7y ago
do you appear as an iOS user to actual iOS users? I can't tell from the website
- kbenson 7y ago
  Given that the installation guide[1] says you need "A computer running OS X 10.10 Yosemite or higher (and a place for it to stay)" I'm pretty sure they are just relaying your messages through an actual desktop iMessage instance, so probably. I imagine a lot of Android users don't have a computer running MacOS to do this though, so while a cool solution, it probably doesn't help the majority of people. 1: https://airmessage.org/guide/ https://airmessage.org/guide/
runako 7y ago
This is an interesting workaround. People forget that part of the point of different colors for iMessage vs SMS was to indicate that iMessage is encrypted and SMS isn't. It's also a handy marketing thing, but there is a technical justification for making a visible distinction. AirMessage is basically a proxy that strips encryption for Android devices: "AirMessage leverages the power of your Mac computer in order to route messages to and from Apple's iMessage servers. The server is to be installed on a computer at home, and will pass messages to and from your smartphone to allow the usage of iMessage and other installed services."
- untog 7y ago
  Does it re-encrypt them when sending, though? I would have to assume they've at least looked at doing that, otherwise it's a giant security hole.
  - runako 7y ago
    See my peer response. I would imagine all traffic from the Mac<->other device is encrypted. You're responsible for securing the Android<->Mac link.
- dkonofalski 7y ago
  I don't think that's what's happening here. I think AirMessage is just functioning as an iMessage client by using the Messages app on the Mac as a proxy. It would be no different from sitting physically in front of the computer. You can only read the messages off the screen and you can only send messages through Message itself.
  - runako 7y ago
    I think we're saying the same thing. :-) I would imagine that the AirMessage Android app is actually in communication with the AirMessage server on your Mac. It uses some automation (perhaps via something like https://github.com/shusain93/OSXMessageProxy https://github.com/shusain93/OSXMessageProxy) to talk the the Messages app. The connection is encrypted from there to the other side, as if you were sitting in front of your Mac. This happens in reverse the other way. Hacky, and now you own the weak links in the E2E encryption chain. But a neat workaround, in a pinch.
    - dkonofalski 7y ago
      Yes, it looks like we are. :)
wuliwong 7y ago
I'm coming from the other side, I've been feeling more and more of a desire to go back to Android. I had a pretty gnarly experience where my cellular antenna stopped working and apple gave surprisingly poor customer support. I've had really annoying wifi issues on the latest iphone xs as well as the latest apple tv. Overall, I get the feeling that things in general are headed in the wrong direction and would love to get away from them. I'm pretty married to OS X for development but otherwise I would like to get away. The biggest thing holding me back from switching is messages and the integration between ios and os x. It seems so silly but that's where I'm at.
ModsCtrlideas 7y ago
Can you take it the other way? Pressure Apple users to switch to a company that isn't as harmful to Capitalism?
- dkonofalski 7y ago
  I'll bite. Why is Apple harmful to capitalism? If you have an actual argument for that point, why is harm to capitalism a bad thing?
  - ModsCtrlideas 7y ago
    Less competition is bad for most people.i suppose it's a utilitarian viewpoint.

by bhahn 7y ago

rolltiide 7y ago

do you appear as an iOS user to actual iOS users? I can't tell from the website

kbenson 7y ago
Given that the installation guide[1] says you need "A computer running OS X 10.10 Yosemite or higher (and a place for it to stay)" I'm pretty sure they are just relaying your messages through an actual desktop iMessage instance, so probably. I imagine a lot of Android users don't have a computer running MacOS to do this though, so while a cool solution, it probably doesn't help the majority of people. 1: https://airmessage.org/guide/ https://airmessage.org/guide/

runako 7y ago

This is an interesting workaround. People forget that part of the point of different colors for iMessage vs SMS was to indicate that iMessage is encrypted and SMS isn't. It's also a handy marketing thing, but there is a technical justification for making a visible distinction. AirMessage is basically a proxy that strips encryption for Android devices: "AirMessage leverages the power of your Mac computer in order to route messages to and from Apple's iMessage servers. The server is to be installed on a computer at home, and will pass messages to and from your smartphone to allow the usage of iMessage and other installed services."

untog 7y ago
Does it re-encrypt them when sending, though? I would have to assume they've at least looked at doing that, otherwise it's a giant security hole.
- runako 7y ago
  See my peer response. I would imagine all traffic from the Mac<->other device is encrypted. You're responsible for securing the Android<->Mac link.
dkonofalski 7y ago
I don't think that's what's happening here. I think AirMessage is just functioning as an iMessage client by using the Messages app on the Mac as a proxy. It would be no different from sitting physically in front of the computer. You can only read the messages off the screen and you can only send messages through Message itself.
- runako 7y ago
  I think we're saying the same thing. :-) I would imagine that the AirMessage Android app is actually in communication with the AirMessage server on your Mac. It uses some automation (perhaps via something like https://github.com/shusain93/OSXMessageProxy https://github.com/shusain93/OSXMessageProxy) to talk the the Messages app. The connection is encrypted from there to the other side, as if you were sitting in front of your Mac. This happens in reverse the other way. Hacky, and now you own the weak links in the E2E encryption chain. But a neat workaround, in a pinch.
  - dkonofalski 7y ago
    Yes, it looks like we are. :)

wuliwong 7y ago

I'm coming from the other side, I've been feeling more and more of a desire to go back to Android. I had a pretty gnarly experience where my cellular antenna stopped working and apple gave surprisingly poor customer support. I've had really annoying wifi issues on the latest iphone xs as well as the latest apple tv. Overall, I get the feeling that things in general are headed in the wrong direction and would love to get away from them. I'm pretty married to OS X for development but otherwise I would like to get away. The biggest thing holding me back from switching is messages and the integration between ios and os x. It seems so silly but that's where I'm at.

ModsCtrlideas 7y ago

Can you take it the other way? Pressure Apple users to switch to a company that isn't as harmful to Capitalism?

dkonofalski 7y ago
I'll bite. Why is Apple harmful to capitalism? If you have an actual argument for that point, why is harm to capitalism a bad thing?
- ModsCtrlideas 7y ago
  Less competition is bad for most people.i suppose it's a utilitarian viewpoint.