IMessage_IconApple is planning to announce an iMessage app for Android users at WWDC, according to a report from MacDailyNews citing sources "familiar with the company's thinking."

Apple will announce that iMessage encrypted text messaging is coming to Android users at WWDC next Monday at WWDC 2016, according to a source familiar with the company's thinking. [...]

Apple is increasingly focused on services which means opening up certain avenues beyond its own iOS and OS X platforms, the source says. The company release Apple Music for Android last November.

Google recently announced a new messaging app called "Allo," which will be available on both Android and iOS devices. Allo integrates with a user's phone number and includes features like a built-in Google assistant that offers up proactive suggestions, resizable message bubbles, emoji, stickers, smart replies, mini games, an Incognito mode with end-to-end encryption, and more.

With Google set to release a chat app on iOS, bringing iMessage to Android could potentially be Apple's response. Apple has previously released three apps on Android, including Apple Music, Move to iOS for transitioning from an Android device to an iPhone, and Beats Pill*, for controlling the Beats Pill speaker. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said Apple Music is Apple's way of testing the water ahead of bringing additional Apple services to other platforms.

The simplicity, convenience, and security of iMessage is one of the major perks of the iPhone, however, so it is unclear if Apple would want to expand such a key feature beyond its own devices.

MacDailyNews doesn't have a solid track record when it comes to accurately predicting Apple's plans, so today's report should be viewed with some skepticism. The site's source also suggests "plans are constantly in flux" ahead of keynotes so the release could be delayed, but iMessage is "definitely" coming to Android in 2016.

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
110 months ago
FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY
geezus that was annoying to deal with green bubbles.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
110 months ago
I think iMessage (and hopefully FaceTime soon) cross platform could be big!!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
110 months ago
I hope this isn't true. iMessage is awesome and it should remain a flagship exclusive feature of iOS/OS X.
no. ABSOLUTELY wrong.

you know what's the number one thing I hate about imessage?
when you select an android user and send a message "Hey where are you? waiting in front of store...". then he doesn't respond for 5-10 minutes. then you realize it got sent to their iPad instead of their Android device.

then you have to figure out how to FORCE send as sms since the android phone number and imessage e-mail got lumped together into one contact.

there are also other problems, but they're too long to list here.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
110 months ago
I hope this isn't true. iMessage is awesome and it should remain a flagship exclusive feature of iOS/OS X.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpinThis! Avatar
110 months ago
Huh, one of the reasons I stay with Apple is because of iMessage lol. love Apple and don't want to change, but the grass sure is looking really green over there...
If you like carrier-controlled updates, bloatware pre-installed, fragmented OS, derivative, non-polished inconsistent UI, and second rate apps released after their iOS counterparts, go ahead and get an Android phone.

iMessage is just the frosting on the cake for me. But I suppose if all you do is text, then any phone will do.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
captain cadet Avatar
110 months ago
Didn't Steve jobs say that FaceTime was meant to be open source?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

best buy holiday

Best Buy Reveals Black Friday Plans With Sitewide Sales Available Now

Friday November 8, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Black Friday sales are continuing today with Best Buy kicking off early Black Friday deals that will last for the next few days. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...
mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
maxresdefault

Hands On With Apple's New M4 Mac Mini

Friday November 8, 2024 12:21 pm PST by
Apple launched the new Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro models with M4 chips today, and because the Mac mini is the only one of the machines that got a design update, we thought we'd check it out to see how it compares to the prior version. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The 2024 version of the Mac mini is much smaller than the previous M2 model, so it takes up...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
next generation carplay multi display

Here's the Latest on Next-Generation CarPlay After 2.5 Years of Waiting

Wednesday November 6, 2024 8:33 am PST by
It has been nearly two and a half years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. Below, we recap the latest information about next-generation CarPlay. Launch Timing Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay support will "arrive in 2024," but it has yet to provide ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are the Rumors About M5 Models

Friday November 8, 2024 9:35 am PST by
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips launched in stores today. If you are not planning to upgrade this year, be aware that there are already rumors about next year's MacBook Pro models with M5 series chips. It appears the MacBook Pro will remain on an annual upgrade cycle next year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said camera module...