How to use iMessage on Android (and Windows and Linux!) [Free and Open Source]

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I noticed there was someone named Anthony attempting to comment on my video, but for some reason, his comments aren't going through. If you see this Anthony, please attempt to reply to the comment. He asked if BlueBubbles uses your email or your phone number for iMessage, and if BlueBubbles supports SMS chats. The answer to question one is it depends, but more than likely, it will be your email. You can use your phone number, but you will need an iPhone (older/cheaper models work okay), and you have to do a set up process (check r/AirMessage for instructions). I personally use my email since I don't want to go through the set up and maintenance for the phone number, but if you want to do it, it can be done. As for the second question, BlueBubbles does not currently have SMS support, so you will need to use another app. SMS is a long term goal for BlueBubbles, but it will be a while before it comes out. If you'd like to have iMessage and SMS in one app for Android, check out AirMessage by Tagavari.

[@ShadierMars944]

Great work on this video. I had no idea about the high Sierra patch

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Thanks so much! I'm hoping to get out more videos soon.

[@Wolfboy0628]

this was very helpful, I really just needed help with the firebase, android notifications part, and on another video, the person was like, "I'm not going to do it because that would require me to sign in with my personal google account, but its very simple" so I went to this video and yeah... that did not look too simple, but anyway, thanks for helping

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Hey! This video is actually a bit outdated and there are smoother ways to set up Firebase now. However, even easier is to use OpenBubbles, which is what I currently use. Check it out at play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.openbubbles.messaging and openbubbles.github.io/docs/

[@jsal1993]

Great video and very informative, thanks!

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I'm glad to have helped!

[@kalharpatel4784]

Man tysm u earned a sub from me u've worked so hard I hope u get more subs...it's amazing what u did...make more videos

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I’ve got three more videos currently planned! They are taking a while unfortunately, but I recently finished the script for one video. I hope to have that filmed and edited within a month.

[@kalharpatel4784]

@@CSab-ui2jt yea tysm I'll wait for it

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I hear you. I've since moved to a different place, and I don't own a tripod anymore. I tried using my car's phone mount to film a video but it didn't go well. I can't currently afford a camera+tripod, but as soon as I can I do have a video planned. I hope it'll be up by like September-ish but we'll see.@EpicKhamgee

[@NotSombra]

This man’s the goat

[@pablosabogal5132]

Dude nice

[@truckingandtraveling]

Gotta try this when I get home

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Let me know how it goes!

[@sdfjsd]

Can you please make a video of how to set up SMServer on a jailbroken iOS device? I use a Mac for iMessage, but I use an iPad mini because I use some iOS apps that aren't available on Android. It would be really nice just to do everything on one Apple device. Thank you.

[@CSab-ui2jt]

The iOS 15 jailbreak is in early stages, so if it solidifies in the next few weeks I may do this

[@sdfjsd]

@@CSab-ui2jt Okay. Thank you.

[@iimelloo]

can you like heart messages on the blue bubbles app because it don't pop up

[@CSab-ui2jt]

You can! Check out the instructions here docs.bluebubbles.app/private-api/installation

[@iimelloo]

@@CSab-ui2jt thank you

[@CrazyTuBe141]

i have a question, I hope you can answer this ASAP, ok so for example if I leave my house and the server is still online on my Mac ( the mac is still awake) , and i go to mcdonalds and i use the wifi there, If i send a text on bluebubbles from a different wifi connection will the text still be sent? (what i mean is if i send a text off of my android on bluebubbles with a different wifi connection while the mac is still awake with bluebubbles on)

[@CSab-ui2jt]

For the most part, the answer is yes. Sometimes, certain WiFi networks block outside ports, but for 95% of the time it will work. The only time I have personally had WiFi port blocking issues were on my school WiFi, at Panera, and at a hospital. For those situations, you can just use cellular data and it will work.

[@CrazyTuBe141]

@@CSab-ui2jt THANK YOU SOOO MUCHHHH, I also appreciate you replying right away, ahah thanks again, you just got a new subscriber 🙌🏻

[@Saul31]

I followed all of the steps but I'm getting a "(server error) cannot read property 'ROWID' of undefined... Do you know how I can fix this?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Hello, I'm sorry to be late to this reply, I've been busy over the holidays. I believe the ROWID error was fixed in the latest update so I was wondering if you could give it another go and let me know your results? Thank you for watching and good luck!

[@Saul31]

@@CSab-ui2jt The reason why I had ROWID issue is because I was not connected to my imessages account on the macbook. I stopped using the app though because I couldn't send or receive photos, videos, and voice recordings

[@CSab-ui2jt]

@@Saul31 That's a very strange error, what computer and OS are you running?

[@645-u6e]

What are your thoughts on Blue Bubbles vs AirMessage (the Mac one)?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Update - I will leave my original reply below with no altercations, but since posting this reply, AirMessage has now become open source airmessage.org/blog/airmessage-is-now-open-source This is a great move towards improvement! TL;DR - Both do a great job and have their strengths over the other. To me, BlueBubbles feels more like native iMessage, and it is much more inviting to other developers and users, so that's why I prefer it. But that's not to say that AirMessage can't change :) Great question - I was a daily AirMessage user for 11 months before I switched to BlueBubbles, so I have a lot of thoughts on the two apps. The first thing is that both of them do different things well, and it is entirely possible for person A to think that AirMessage is perfect and doesn't need a competitor or alternative, while person B thinks exactly the opposite. To me, what's most important in an iMessage client app is for it to feel like I'm using iMessage natively. When I was using AirMessage, it was obvious to me that I couldn't send tapbacks or see subject line text. Those are two features that I use frequently, so in my own subjective opinion, it was noticeable that I wasn't ~actually~ using iMessage. Another thing I was frustrated about with AirMessage was how long it takes to report a bug and then get any kind of feedback or fix on it. I know that Tagavari (the AirMessage dev) does his best, but he is just one guy having to scroll through hundreds, if not thousands, of reddit posts and comments to try and keep up. I was happy with what AirMessage allowed me to do (send blue messages to my friends and family), but while I was using it, I couldn't help shake the feeling of "something's missing here". Enter BlueBubbles. In November 2020 I heard that they were working on software that allowed you to send tapbacks from Android, and that's all it took for me to give it a try. I'll be honest and tell you that when I first installed BlueBubbles, I found it unimpressive. I had a bug where there was about a 20 second delay between me pressing the send button and my message going through, and the subject line text situation was even worse on there. But wanting to have a better experience, I reported my bugs on GitHub, and the developer responded to me within one day on both issues. In fact, both issues were fixed in no more than two days. (Here are the links to both issues bit.ly/2QqxSu2 and bit.ly/2QePZDv). A couple of weeks later, I wanted to have a full screen camera as an option, and I was able to message the devs directly, and the feature was added in only a few weeks. I was astounded by the turnaround time and feedback reception that this app offered, and I love the secure feeling of knowing when a feature is coming or is being worked on. Neither BlueBubbles nor AirMessage are perfect, and I encourage everyone to use both and decide on which app prioritizes what is most important to you. To me, iMessage features like sending tapbacks are very important to have, and a responsive development community (that is also open source!) is what makes BlueBubbles better for me. However, AirMessage is more of a polished/simplified app that gets the job done, and for some people, that is better. I hope this comment was helpful, let me know if you have any other questions.

[@645-u6e]

@@CSab-ui2jt This is a fantastic response thank you! This could be a great video if you were interested in making one, there is surprisingly not much content on KZbin comparing what I found to be the most robust of imessage on Android options. Showing differences between functionality, layout, reliability etc. I didn't realize the difference in TapBacks, so I might look into BlueBubbles first as opposed to air message. How is reliability? I'm planning on using a 2012 mac mini connected through ethernet, and would like to be able to set it and not worry about it for at least a couple weeks without problems.

[@CSab-ui2jt]

​@@645-u6e Reliability is very comparable on both apps. One thing to note is that both apps have alternatives to port forwarding. AirMessage has AirMessage Cloud (Beta) which runs on Tagavari's personal servers and uses a Google account for log in. BlueBubbles uses ngrok by default, however, ngrok connection has been spotty recently. Thankfully, there is an easy fix by making a free account at dashboard.ngrok.com/signup and then uploading your ngrok authtoken to the BlueBubbles server app. One thing that BlueBubbles has the upper hand on is that you can restart and test the server directly from your Android phone app (even when you're away from home/your Mac), while if you want to manage your Mac on your Android phone with AirMessage, you have to use a remote desktop app like Chrome Remote Desktop or Teamviewer. However, regardless of which app you use, I recommend setting up a remote desktop just in case you ever need to pop into your Mac remotely (which, ever since COVID started has been a lot less frequently for me). As for being able to set up the app and leave it for weeks or months without a problem, AirMessage and BlueBubbles both offer that level of functionality and comfort. Obviously, things happen like power outages or internet speed going down, but for the most part, both will serve you well. And thank you for the video suggestion! I would love to do more videos on BlueBubbles vs. AirMessage, as well as their features and set up. I'm definitely also interested in a more in depth look at apps like SMServer, WebMessage, and MyMessage. Also, just to be 100% clear on the tapback situation, AirMessage shows tapbacks and information about tapbacks on Macs that run at least version 10.12 Sierra. BlueBubbles allows for sending tapbacks from Android on Macs that run 10.13 High Sierra through 10.15 Catalina, though some extra set up is needed. This extra set up is another video I would like to work on soon too.

[@645-u6e]

@@CSab-ui2jt Amazingly helpful thank you man. Subbed to be sure that I catch your next videos. I'll let you know how my install goes!

[@louishurr393]

Any idea if BlueBubbles would run on a deGoogled ROM such as Graphene or Calyx?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I've actually opened a GitHub ticket to have a version of the app uploaded to F-Droid specifically for this reason. github.com/BlueBubblesApp/bluebubbles-app/issues/893 Technically, nothing should stop you from installing the apk from GitHub or Aurora, but it would be nice to have an official version or to make Firebase opt-in. The short answer is that if you did run this on Graphene, you probably just wouldn't receive any notifications since Firebase is what makes that possible, but it should be perfectly fine on Calyx because of their microG implementation. However, I'm on OneUI and I still miss notifications from time to time, so it's not always 100%.

[@kalharpatel4784]

Can I make my WINDOWS into MAC by installing MAC-OS on Dell and then follow this procedure

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Yes. You can use VMWare, VirtualBox, or any other VM software to get macOS on a Windows computer. However, you do need to configure the VM to be able to use iMessage on it. Check out r/bluebubbles for a VMWare guide, and join the Discord if you need more help.

[@kalharpatel4784]

Do we need to keep pc on all the time to use it on android?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Yes, unfortunately. There are ways to configure the computer to auto-shutdown at night and auto-turn on in the morning, but for the most part, you will need to keep the computer on 24/7. This is one of the reasons I prefer running my server from iOS devices.

[@dmzhockey94]

Does your Mac mini need to be connected to a monitor to run 24/7 or can it just run 24/7 on its own?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

It can just run on its own. I hardly ever connect mine to a monitor since I can connect to it with Chrome Remote Desktop

[@dmzhockey94]

Wow this is perfect thank you so much. Switching to android in 10 days and if I can still have iMessage I think it will be a really great fit because I love the multitasking with android. How many gigs of ram does the Mac mini need to have to run air message and chrome Remote Desktop?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

@@dmzhockey94 Good to hear! I had a mini with 2 GB of RAM and it ran just fine, but I also did other stuff on the Mac (e.g. XCode), so I upgraded to 8 GB. If you're only running the server on it, 2-4 should be good. Also, I recommend using Big Sur since it has private API functionality for replies. Monterey is still a bit buggy.

[@dmzhockey94]

@@CSab-ui2jt man thank you so much for your time. You are my new favorite KZbinr. Will be referring back to this when setting up iMessage 👌🏻👌🏻

[@mackimations]

Hey for remote messages is it possible to connect to your device when using data or do you have to be on the same wifi for both devices because I've had some trouble when out and about.

[@CSab-ui2jt]

You will need some kind of port forwarding or reverse proxy set up to connect to the device on data. How to port forward varies on what router you have, and you can use ngrok, nginx, CloudFlare, and other proxy services as an alternative

[@mackimations]

@@CSab-ui2jt Ah I see, thank you!

[@titogaribay8171]

so did this on a virtual machine and ran macOS big sur.... got to the end ... connected bubbles on android via qr code the machine and ...."WARNING: Support for creating chat is limited on MacOs 11 (big Sur) and are up due to limitations imposed by apple" -______- hahaha great video though! obviously i need to find a another vm to run or see if the forum has found a patch for this image!

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Congrats on getting a VM up! Yes, if you are only using the VM for BlueBubbles, I highly recommend Catalina just because Big Sur still has some compatibility issues. However, if you need the VM for XCode and Catalyst apps and such, then I understand using Big Sur. Check out the video description or r/BlueBubbles for a Catalina VM guide

[@b_riverz]

Please do a video on the last option.

[@CSab-ui2jt]

SMServer? Or just the jailbreak ones in general?

[@Gk_516]

Is it safe granting the app access to your mac like does it have full access to the entire computer?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Technically speaking you're allowing the app to run any execution that it requests. So for example, if you are on macOS Monterey, right now the workaround to send attachments is remotely opening the Messages app and attaching the file(s) via UI automation. This would not be possible without giving the app permission to do so. I understand that this could cause security concerns, but every piece of code is open source and can be checked by anybody. Additionally, there are multiple contributors to the code, not just the lead developers, so many people are looking at it to make sure that it is secure and efficient. You can check out all of the code at this link github.com/BlueBubblesApp

[@theonabailey4168]

Hey can u help me they said i need an URL SOMETHING but i dont know what there talking

[@CSab-ui2jt]

The URL should be on your Mac. Are you unable to find it?

[@tongy3334]

Does remote messanger still work?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Yes, it will always work because it always runs as a locally hosted server.

[@suryaraghavendran3627]

How do you do your phone number setup?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Check r/AirMessage, it should be one of the pinned posts

[@suryaraghavendran3627]

@@CSab-ui2jt got it, also saw your response on the Reddit, thanks!

[@ramilcaste9072]

Hey brother will this work with a mac book?

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Yes, any macOS device that can run iMessage will work

[@dinoo4740]

hey, im having a hard time these days... and i need a computer for my school maybe if you could help me... since you said you really dont use this mac mini..

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Sorry, I have since sold the computer in this video, and while I do have another Mini, I need it to run my server. If your school requires a computer but you cannot afford one, they should have a system in place whereby you can either receive a loaner device from the school, or receive some kind of government fund to purchase the computer with. Definitely get in contact with your school's administration and/or your state education system.

[@dinoo4740]

@@CSab-ui2jt thank you!

[@koocie2008]

can´t get Remote Messages, even trying to pay to the developer.

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Add this repo and search around julio.hackyouriphone.org/

[@truckingandtraveling]

You should do more videos

[@CSab-ui2jt]

I've been meaning to (especially regarding the private API features in BlueBubbles), however, real life has been very busy recently. Thank you for the kind words :)

[@monicow]

YOOOOO

[@trksreboot6975]

"Non-Mac" still Mac regardless and people don't have an iOS if they are basically seeing this video lol

[@CSab-ui2jt]

Well it’s more about cost saving. It’s usually much easier and cheaper to find a used iOS device for sale than a Mac.