• 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
  • 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

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
AIAnthropic
Exclusive: Anthropic acknowledges testing new AI model representing ‘step change’ in capabilities, after accidental data leak reveals its existence
By Beatrice NolanMarch 26, 2026
5 hours ago
Anthropic's logo on a wall.
AIAnthropic
Exclusive: Anthropic left details of an unreleased model, invite-only CEO retreat, sitting in an unsecured data trove in a significant security lapse
By Beatrice NolanMarch 26, 2026
5 hours ago
Startups & VentureDefense
Defense startup Shield AI is projecting more than $540 million in revenue this year as valuation more than doubles to $12.7 billion
By Jessica MathewsMarch 26, 2026
6 hours ago
AIAnthropic
U.S. judge blocks Pentagon’s ‘Orwellian notion’ to label Anthropic a supply chain risk and ban Claude from the government
By The Associated PressMarch 26, 2026
7 hours ago
AIData centers
Southeast Asia could become a booming AI market if its data centers can beat the heat
By Angelica AngMarch 26, 2026
10 hours ago
New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro pictured
Arts & EntertainmentDisney
Disney CEO’s no good, very bad week: Josh D’Amaro is dealing with 3 major headaches
By Tristan BoveMarch 26, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

C-Suite
'I didn’t want anybody shooting me': Five Guys CEO gave away $1.5 million bonus to employees over botched BOGO burger birthday celebration
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
1 day ago
Environment
Vail Resorts CEO says it’s time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that helped build the empire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
1 day ago
Success
Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
3 days ago
Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
4 days ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 25, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
2 days ago
Economy
Social Security insolvency: How a six-figure cap to flatten benefits for the ultrawealthy could buy the program 7 critical years
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
23 hours 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.