How to text using iMessage on Android devices

Switching from iPhone to Android often means losing access to exclusive Apple features. However, there is a way to enjoy iMessage (one of the best features of the Apple ecosystem) without giving up your Android phone.

OpenBubbles is the answer you are looking for

RCS messaging on iPhone isn't perfect, so there's still a gap between the blue bubble and the green bubble. Some people still use iMessage exclusively, so group chats can get awkward if everyone has to switch to the green bubble just for you.

OpenBubbles offers a solution to this. It uses the hardware ID of an Apple device you already own to send and receive iMessages on your Android phone. Once you set it up with your old Mac or iPhone, that device acts as a relay and your messages appear directly in the OpenBubbles app on your Android phone.

This setup doesn’t rely on any third-party cloud services. Everything runs through your personal device, which makes it easier to trust in terms of privacy. If you don’t have an Apple device, OpenBubbles also offers dedicated hardware that can act as a relay. However, there is currently a waiting list for this device, and using it means giving up some privacy benefits and paying a monthly fee.

Note : Technically, you can use an iPhone as a relay device, but it's very unreliable and only works if the iPhone is running iOS 17.0 or earlier. You can check out OpenBubbles' setup guide , but using a Mac as a relay is a much more reliable option.

The app also supports FaceTime , and the experience is much better than using FaceTime on an Android device via a web browser. You can also make calls with this method, unlike the official browser option.

• Download OpenBubbles (Free, subscription required)

OpenBubbles Setup

First, install the OpenBubbles app on your Android phone via the Play Store. Once that’s done, head over to OpenBubbles’ self-hosted page and download the QR code generator app for Mac. Open the app like any other app on your Mac, and a QR code will appear on the screen.

On your Android phone, launch the OpenBubbles app, then tap Next to see the tutorial menu. Select the Self-hosted option , then select Scan Code to scan the QR code displayed on your Mac.

If for some reason you can't scan the code, select Copy Activation Code on your Mac and manually enter it into the OpenBubbles app. You can use a messaging app or a shared clipboard to copy and paste the code, as it's quite long.

Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your Apple account credentials. Your password is sent directly to Apple’s servers, so OpenBubbles never has access to it.

Once setup is complete, you can start sending iMessages right away. Tap the send message icon in the lower right corner, select a contact, and type your message.

That's just the beginning, though. OpenBubbles can do a lot more than just send and receive iMessages, and setting it up unlocks a number of other useful features.

FaceTime, iMessage games and more work perfectly

OpenBubbles doesn’t just support sending and receiving iMessages. It also brings a number of other Apple-exclusive features that work well on Android. One of the biggest is FaceTime; you can make FaceTime calls directly from within the app by opening a conversation and tapping the video icon in the upper right corner.

Incoming FaceTime calls also show up as regular calls on your phone, so you can answer without having to fumble through extra menus or links.

Media sharing works exactly the same as on iPhone. You can send full-resolution photos and videos by tapping the plus (+) icon in the conversation and selecting the attachment option you want. The interface will be familiar if you’ve used iMessage before, with just a few minor UI differences from iOS.

OpenBubbles also includes iMessage games via an additional app called OpenPiegon . Once you download the app, which integrates directly with OpenBubbles, you can play most of the same iMessage games as you would on your iPhone. Not all games are supported, but most work without issue.

Once OpenPiegon is installed, you don't need to open it separately. Go to your iMessage conversation, tap the plus (+) icon, select OpenPiegon , and choose the game you want to play.

You can also track your Apple devices using the built-in maps feature. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select Map to see their location. Note that this feature only shows your device's location; you won't be able to ping it or mark it as lost.

You can also view shared albums from the same menu, but you can't upload photos. In my experience, this feature is a bit buggy, so you shouldn't rely on it too much.

Moving from iPhone to Android comes with quite a few trade-offs, but OpenBubbles is one of the standout apps that makes the mobile OS transition a lot smoother.