Nearly three years later, Sunbird is making a comeback with a redesigned Messaging app, new features and the same promise of letting Android users participate in iMessage conversations.
If you've ever wanted iMessage's blue bubbles on Android, chances are you've heard of Sunbird Messaging. The app first launched in 2022 with the promise of bringing iMessage to Android, but was pulled from the market in late 2023 following security and privacy concerns.
Sunbird Messaging App Returns to Google Play Store
In an official press release, the Sunbird announced that its messaging app is once again available on the Google Play Store. The primary function of the app is to let Android users send/receive iMessages, appearing with blue bubbles in iPhone conversations instead of the usual green bubble.
The app combines iMessage, Google Messages (RCS) and SMS/MMS into a single app, eliminating the need to own an iPhone or any other Apple product like Macs and iPads. This is important since, even though Apple has adopted RCS, most iPhone users still prefer communicating via iMessage.
Sunbird claims to have conducted an independent survey, revealing that 38% of Android users have missed or misunderstood messages. Moreover, the survey results reportedly suggest that due to the incompatibility, 30% have considered switching to iPhones purely because of the pressure.
Beyond the key functionality of letting Android users appear as blue bubbles on iMessages, the new Sunbird app is also feature-rich. The app now comes with a Priority Inbox, which splits conversations into two tabs: Primary and Secondary
The Primary tab contains contacts and groups users interact with regularly, while the Secondary tab holds chats from unknown numbers, pending verifications and inactive conversations. Users can manually move chats between the two sections whenever needed.
The company also says all Sunbird messages are protected with end-to-end encryption.
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Sunbird Messaging Outlines Plans for Q3 2026
Aside from what is live today, Sunbird's press release also outlines a Q3 2026 roadmap with three key feature additions. The first is Sunbird Intelligence, a set of AI features that will run entirely on-device.
It will include a Catch Me Up feature, which will generate a summary of missed conversations. This is similar to the Meta AI Chat Summary feature in WhatsApp. Catch Me Up can also draft replies and move chats to the Primary tab on request.
The other two additions are WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integration. Both are said to be in late-stage development and are expected to go live by 2026 end. This is especially important for users outside the USA, like India, where WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are predominantly more popular than iMessage.
That said, the Sunbird Messaging app is live on the Google Play Store for all Android users in "early access".
The app comes with a 14-day trial period, beyond which a $2.99 (approximately Rs 300) per month subscription price will kick in. Users can also opt to pay $24.99 (approximately Rs 2,500) for 12 months' access.
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