Sunbird’s blue bubble dream for Android users is making another attempt, and this time the company insists it’s actually earned your trust. Sunbird Messaging, the app that lets Android users join iMessage conversations without the green bubble stigma, is now available on the Google Play Store after sitting dormant since 2023.
Back then, security researchers discovered the app was sending Apple ID credentials over unencrypted connections and quietly logging user messages through a debugging tool, despite Sunbird’s public claims of full end-to-end encryption. The fallout forced both Sunbird and its Nothing Phone partnership to shut down almost overnight.
What’s new in the relaunched Sunbird app?
Sunbird says messages are now encrypted on the device itself, encrypted again in transit, and stored using AES 256 encryption while sitting on the phone. CEO Danny Mizrahi says an independent security firm tested the rebuilt app and found no critical vulnerabilities, and that Apple ID passwords are used once to start a session, then deleted entirely.
The app also introduces a new priority inbox, splitting conversations into Primary and Secondary tabs so important chats don’t get buried. Beyond iMessage, Sunbird now pulls in Google Messages and SMS into one inbox, with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integration planned for later this year.
What’s next for Sunbird?
Sunbird also teased an AI assistant called Sunbird Intelligence, expected sometime in the third quarter of 2026, designed to summarize missed conversations and help draft replies. More than 181,000 people reportedly signed up during the app’s closed access period before this relaunch. Whether Sunbird has fixed the issues that got it shut down before is something only time, and probably another security audit from outside the company, will really confirm.
