• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Will Apple Bring iMessage to Android at WWDC?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 10, 2016, 11:50 AM ET
Apple

Apple might bring another app to Android. And this is a big one.

Apple is planning to offer its iMessage messaging application on Android and could unveil the feature at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in San Francisco on Monday, Apple-tracking site MacDailyNews is reporting, citing a source.

Apple’s (AAPL) iMessage was released in 2011 as an alternative to traditional text messages users might send through their carrier. On Apple’s mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, users are able to send text messages, video, audio, and even their location to each other. Users can also message users on the Mac, where the software is also supported.

However, Apple has yet to make iMessage available on other services, bucking an industry trend. In fact, users can employ Google’s (GOOGL) Hangouts app to chat between iPhones and Android devices with ease. Even BlackBerry (BBRY), which has long remained committed to its BBM messaging application, now offers it on competing operating systems. Apple has been a notable outlier.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Despite only living inside Apple’s products, iMessage has proven extremely popular. In February, in fact, Apple announced that 200,000 messages were sent each second through iMessage. The company didn’t say, however, exactly how many users it has.

Delivering iMessage to Android could be a boon for Apple and put the company squarely in competition with other popular messaging applications, like Facebook (FB) Messenger, WhatsApp, and Kik. Messaging applications have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and there is little reason, given the gold rush in that market, for Apple to keep its service, which has many of the same features as the competition, locked into its products.

There’s even a precedent: Apple currently offers its streaming-music service Apple Music on Android devices. So, while Apple might prefer to keep its proprietary software on its devices, it doesn’t always take that tack.

According to the MacDailyNews source, it’s also possible that Apple might not announce iMessage Android support at WWDC and that the company is determining now ahead of the keynote on Monday whether it should announce the feature then or at some point in the future. Regardless, the source says Apple will offer iMessage on Android at some point this year.

For those who don’t want to wait, though, there is a quasi-solution.

For more on Apple, watch:

In May, iPhone user Eric Chee posted a hack to GitHub that would allow Android owners to communicate with Apple users via iMessage. The hack, called PieMessage, requires a series of advanced steps, including using AppleScripts and Java apps, but works and allows Android owners to talk over iMessage.

Chances are, Apple’s solution will be much easier—if it actually exists.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

dave ricks
AIScience
Tech giants see a cure for cancer in AI. But Eli Lilly’s CEO finds it ‘not particularly good’ at solving biology or chemistry problems
By Jake AngeloMarch 2, 2026
2 minutes ago
Photo of a young man holding a smartphone having his face scanned
LawSocial Media
Social media companies are fighting the ‘age verification trap’ as collecting biometrics on kids violates privacy rights
By Catherina GioinoMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
AIOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defends decision to strike Pentagon deal after Anthropic blacklisting, admits ‘optics don’t look good’
By Jeremy KahnMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
greenspan
EconomyFederal Reserve
’90s nostalgia seizes the Fed and White House as Warsh and Trump see AI as an internet-style productivity boom
By Paul Wiseman and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
5 hours ago
washington
LawWashington
Washington roasted for using AI feature with heavily accented English instead of actual Spanish on state helpline
By Cedar Attanasio and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
6 hours ago
Europedigital transformation
Why Europe can lead in trusted, industrialized AI
By Dave McCannMarch 2, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Your grandparents are the reason the U.S. isn't in a recession right now. That won't last forever
By Eleanor PringleMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
MacKenzie Scott's close relationship with Toni Morrison long before Amazon put Scott on the path to give more than $1 billion to HBCUs
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
As Iran attacks Dubai, the tax-free haven for the global elite could see 'catastrophic' fallout — 'this can also send shockwaves globally'
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Gen Z men are eating ‘boy kibble,’ the human equivalent to dog food, to load up on protein cheaply
By Jake AngeloMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.