Nothing Chats suspended after criticism

The company behind the Android-iMessage bridge has to address some issues

20.Nov.23 7:37 AM
By Shawn Highstraw
Photo Nothing Co.

Nothing Chats, the messaging service from Nothing, has been temporarily removed from the Google Play Store. The company has decided to withdraw the beta version, citing the need to address certain bugs before the official launch. The release date for the app is currently uncertain, pending the resolution of these issues.

Although specific details about the bugs in Nothing Chats have not been disclosed, Nothing has stated that they will collaborate with Sunbird to rectify them. Sunbird is responsible for managing the underlying platform of the Nothing Chats app, enabling Android users to communicate with iMessage users.

The underlying process involves a cluster of Mac computers with iMessage installed, which receive SMS traffic from users. Subsequently, software directs these messages to the correct contacts via the iMessage app. While Sunbird asserts that a separate Mac is not required for each user, this information has not been officially confirmed. Nothing claims that messages are encrypted end-to-end and are not stored on their servers, although the specific workings of this encryption method remain undisclosed.

Following the announcement of Nothing Chats, several journalists expressed reservations about Nothing and Sunbird's approach. An examination of the video app's code by 9to5Google editors revealed that messages sent through the app were not end-to-end encrypted, contrary to Sunbird's claim. Additionally, concerns were raised about the potential vulnerability to hackers intercepting contact details, photos, and videos sent through the service.

Nothing initially introduced Nothing Chats on November 14, making the messaging app available in beta on the Google Play Store from November 17. Initially exclusive to users of the Nothing Phone (2) smartphone in the European Union, the US, Canada, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland, the timeline for the final release remains unclear.

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