Apple's iMessage is an instant messaging service that's only available to those in the Apple ecosystem. But that's about to change with the launch of a "third-party client" that will give users the ability to use iMessage. The "third-party client" solution, called Zen, has been developed by a company called Amnesia Software, which is set to introduce a similar iMessage solution for mobile versions.
iMessage has been around for nine years and is supported by the Messages app in iOS 5 and OS X Mountain Lion. There are many users who say they are satisfied with the service and the way it handles messages. For this reason, there have been other attempts to integrate iMessage into Windows. These attempts are either in the form of browser that access web services.
Zen is the first service for secure iMessage that can be used across any platform and will soon be available to Windows and Linux users.
The makers of Zen have taken care to address the most basic issue, namely privacy and customization. To that end, Zen only streams iMessage P2P activity. Instead, it doesn’t create any server or monitor user conversations. The developers also describe it as a “super-customizable design” where users can use CSS to change projects, modify a user’s interface and layout, and create new animations.
Amnesia Labs is working on the Zen service and plans to launch it and make it available to the public in March 2020. The company will launch it as a subscription model, where users will have to pay an amount between $3 and $5. They could also offer a full purchase for around $10 to $15.
The extremely low cost of the Zen service allows users to run it on older hardware. However, there are many Reddit users who believe that Apple will “shut down” the product soon. This is because Apple has a history of shutting down any project that seems to imitate its core work.
