{
  "id": 175239,
  "title": "Sunbird is back, bringing iMessage to Android (again)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/sunbird-is-back-bringing-imessage-to-android-again",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-05T12:13:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Android Authority",
    "slug": "android-authority",
    "url": "https://www.androidauthority.com/sunbird-relaunched-app-imessage-android-3694775/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Sunbird messaging app, once a pioneer in enabling Android users to converse through iMessage with iPhone owners, has returned to the Google Play Store following a brief hiatus. Launched in 2022, the app was initially pulled from the store due to security concerns. Now, the Sunbird team has announced its return, this time available for a two-week free trial, with a monthly subscription of $2.99 or an annual fee of $24.99.\n\nThe relaunch brings back the original functionality that allowed Android users to engage in iMessage conversations with iPhone users, a feature that had initially attracted significant attention and usage. Messages exchanged via Sunbird will display in the distinctively blue bubble style, a hallmark of Apple's iMessage service, as opposed to the green bubbles traditionally associated with Android and other non-Apple messaging platforms.",
  "summary": "The relaunched app brings iMessage to Android once again, and the team is making some lofty security claims.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Google",
        "title": "Sunbird launches its iMessage for Android app, expecting you to trust it in the name of blue bubbles",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/sunbird-launches-its-imessage-for-android-app-expecting-you-to-trust",
        "published": "2026-08-05T13:59:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "AppleInsider",
        "title": "Unsafe iMessage for Android app Sunbird just will not die",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/unsafe-imessage-for-android-app-sunbird-just-will-not-die",
        "published": "2026-08-05T16:02:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Engadget",
        "title": "Sunbird's iMessage app for Android is back after a major privacy snafu",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/sunbirds-imessage-app-for-android-is-back-after-a-major-privacy-snafu",
        "published": "2026-08-05T16:06:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNET",
        "title": "Sunbird Brings the iMessage Experience to Android Phones",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/sunbird-brings-the-imessage-experience-to-android-phones",
        "published": "2026-08-05T23:48:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}