How to use iMessage on Android with AirMessage

iMessage has great features, and they aren’t accessible to Android users. But, you can run iMessage on Android devices with the help of a Mac.

Photo: Brady Snyder

A big perk that comes with owning an iPhone is iMessage, which happens to be one of the best messaging services around today. Unfortunately, Android users can’t participate in the blue-bubble fun on iMessage. That fact has drawn the ire of Android users and the platform’s developer, Google. But until Apple decides to make iMessage available on Android devices — which might not ever actually happen — there is a solution. AirMessage is a workaround that allows you to send and receive iMessages on your Android smartphone, and with a few kinks, it works pretty well. If you’re looking for how to get iMessage on an Android device, this guide will show you how.

What is AirMessage, and how does it work?

AirMessage is a messaging app like any other, and it can be the default messaging app of choice for your Android smartphone. But, unlike most messaging services, AirMessage has the ability to send iMessages from its Android app or web client. So, how does it work? Essentially, to use AirMessage, you’ll need to have a Mac computer available that will act as a server. When you send an iMessage from your Android phone, AirMessage will relay that message to your Mac, which will send the contents of the message as a legitimate iMessage. When you receive an iMessage on your Mac, AirMessage will forward that message to your Android phone as well.

What you need to get started with AirMessage

AirMessage is a great tool for Android users, but you have to have at least a foot into the door of Apple’s ecosystem in order to take advantage of it. You need a Mac computer that can run as a server — meaning that it must be connected to power and the internet at all times — so you can send and receive iMessages on Android. But, it is possible to use a laptop computer as an AirMessage server. However, if you plan to go that route, you’ll need to follow additional guidance.

Luckily, you don’t need the newest tech to get started with AirMessage. The AirMessage Server program can run on macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later, which covers a lot of Macs. In fact, we tested AirMessage Server on an iMac from 2007 that featured an Intel Core Duo processor, and it worked great. Quite literally, any Mac you have lying around from the past decade and a half can be set up as an AirMessage server with a bit of tinkering. After the server is set up, all you’ll need to do is download the AirMessage app from the Google Play Store or access the web client from a supported browser.

How to install AirMessage Server on your Mac

Getting iMessage on your Android phone starts with installing AirMessage Server on a Mac. You can visit AirMessage’s official website to find the download link yourself, or simply click the direct link from Github in the steps below.

1. Download AirMessage Server. (Click this link to download)

   

2. Find the AirMessage Server download in the Downloads folder or in Safari.

   

3. Double-click the AirMessage Server download to open it.
4. Click the blue Open button to confirm you want to open the application.

   

5. After the AirMessage app opens, press the blue Connect an Account button.

   

6. Follow the on-screen prompts to connect a Google account to AirMessage.
7. After you’ve connected an account, press the blue OK button to finish.

   

Now, you’ll need to grant AirMessage Server the permissions needed to relay iMessages to and from your Android devices. For this, you’ll need to give the application full disk access to your Mac, as well as a few Accessibility settings. It is a lot to ask, but it is necessary, given the way AirMessage works.

1. Click the blue OK button to allow AirMessage to control Messages.

   

2. Click the blue OK button to allow AirMessage to control System Events.

   

3. Click the gray Open System Settings (Preferences) button to give AirMessage access to Accessibility features.

   

4. Click the gray toggle next to AirMessage in the list that opens. You will be asked to enter your Mac’s password.

   

5. A prompt will open asking you to grant AirMessage full disk access. Click the blue Open Full Disk Access Settings to get started.

   

6. Click the gray toggle next to AirMessage in the list that opens. You will be asked to enter your Mac’s password.

   

7. Press the blue Quit & Reopen button that appears.

   

8. Wait for AirMessage to restart. After AirMessage restarts, it will have the ability to send and receive iMessages.

Change your settings, so your Mac runs as a server

Macs aren’t set up to run as a server straight out of the box, so you’ll need to change a few settings to make sure your Mac stays on. Here are a few settings you need to change to keep your Mac running as an AirMessage server.

For a Mac computer or laptop running macOS Ventura or later:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click on the Displays tab.
3. Click the Advanced button.
4. Click the toggle next to Prevent automatic sleeping while the display is off.

   

For a Mac computer or laptop running macOS Monterey or earlier:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on the Energy Saver tab.
3. Drag the computer sleep bar to the Never option.

   

Download AirMessage on your Android smartphone

After you’ve gotten your AirMessage server up and running, the easy part is getting AirMessage on your Android phone of choice. All you need to do is download it from the Google Play Store and sign in with the same Google account used for the AirMessage Server setup.

1. Find AirMessage in the Google Play Store and install the app.
2. Sign in with your Google account from the above steps.
3. Start sending iMessages on your Android device.

Troubleshooting AirMessage on Android and Mac

Since AirMessage is a workaround to an intentional compatibility issue, you’ll run into occasional annoyances with AirMessage on Android. Luckily, there are a few fixes to some of the most common errors you’ll see if you are daily driving AirMessage on an Android device.

• If you get an error message that says your device is not connected to the internet, check your connection and completely restart the app. Usually, this issue is corrected by force closing and reopening AirMessage for Android.
• If you get a “connection compatibility error,” this typically means your Wi-Fi or cellular connection is weak. Check your connection and completely restart the app. This issue can be fixed by force closing and reopening your app, but changing your network can help as well.
• If you get a “personal server not available” error, that means something has gone wrong with your server. Usually, restarting the AirMessage Server app on your Mac will fix this issue. But, if you’re away from home, you will most likely be out of luck.

Though AirMessage isn’t a perfect solution, it is one of the few reliable ways to use iMessage on an Android device. Until Apple and Google agree to work together — which may be never — AirMessage is a way for the tech-savvy person to enjoy some of the blue-bubble perks while still retaining the flexibility of Android.