{"slug": "imessage", "name": "iMessage", "category": "communication", "category_name": "Email and chat", "description": "", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 40, "warners": 12, "score": 0.467, "rising": 0.69, "first": "2025-11-18", "latest": "2026-10-26", "why": "iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 20, "compare": 3, "warn": 14}, "spark": [1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/linjunpop/imessage", "official_url": "https://github.com/linjunpop/imessage", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["iMessage", "imessage"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 804016868, "item_id": 50251054, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50251054", "by": "nvme0n1p1", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The kids and young adults all moved to Telegram, Discord, Whatsapp, iMessage, etc.", "excerpt": "We did not solve email with legislation. CAN-SPAM is a joke, and you as an individual have no recourse when you get spammed: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/inbox/can-spam_and_consumer_lawsuits Email is tolerable because gmail and others implemented software spam filters. Gmail did so because they were in competition with other email providers and it was a way to get users. The incumbent phone carriers have no incent", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Somebody please stop the spam texts"}, {"id": 787184288, "item_id": 49199018, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49199018", "by": "alexpotato", "date": "2026-08-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Photo sharing is a breeze and even integrated iMessage \"just works\".", "excerpt": "I've been using Linux as my daily driver on my main personal computers for years. You could say that I love Linux and it has treated me very well. That being said, I consciously chose an iPhone b/c I want my phone to \"just work\". I had a Blackberry Storm for a year and it was buggy, had to be restarted everyday just for it operate etc etc. The iPhone has always been great. It just does what I need it to do b/c clearl", "context": "Linux user on desktop, iPhone and MacBook", "use_case": "messaging across Apple devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}, {"id": 782226818, "item_id": 48889176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48889176", "by": "jandrewrogers", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps", "excerpt": "This is empirically false. I am on many groups that have (at least) several dozen people over SMS/RCS/iMessage. It isn\u2019t ideal but it definitely works adequately. I use Signal with some groups but that is a minority. I use WhatsApp daily but only people overseas use it. Many Americans have no idea what WhatsApp is. The practical reality is that iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps, a", "context": "has spent a lot of time overseas", "use_case": "group chats in the US", "switched_from": "", "story": "Death of the Status Update: Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting on Social Media"}, {"id": 745083122, "item_id": 46567695, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46567695", "by": "k2enemy", "date": "2026-01-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I like having access to iMessages from the desktop.", "excerpt": "MacOS seems to be going the way of Windows, with unnecessary and distracting notifications for things users don't care about. Then on top of that, the whole liquid glass redesign that hurts usability and information density. Definitely moving in the direction of \"what is good for a particular PM\" and not \"what is good for the user.\" I would have switched to linux years ago if it were not for the great hardware and I ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft May Have Created the Slowest Windows in 25 Years with Windows 11"}, {"id": 737901088, "item_id": 46118818, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46118818", "by": "fragmede", "date": "2025-12-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the iMessage integration between devices is also great", "excerpt": "I have the opposite problem. Apple's respect for user privacy is great and the iMessage integration between devices is also great, so when I change device mid-conversation, the recipient now has messages coming from two places. My phone number, and my icloud email address. Thankfully the icloud email address I used has my name in it, so people don't totally get confused when that happens, but figuring that out was de", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Last Week on My Mac: Losing confidence"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 801249920, "item_id": 50078120, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50078120", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-10-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "most people fall for the E2E-encrypted iMessage story, while the Messages are only encrypted at rest", "excerpt": "Yet, most people fall for the E2E-encrypted iMessage story, while the Messages are only encrypted at rest when you have iCloud Backup enabled (I\u2019d guess most people) and ADP disabled (I\u2019d guess most people). The fact that I have ADP enabled doesn\u2019t matter because most people I communicate with don\u2019t have ADP enabled (or know what it is). This is all only mentioned in the footnote of an iCloud security document [1]. A", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Apple TV 4K"}, {"id": 799139521, "item_id": 49946220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49946220", "by": "dreamcompiler", "date": "2026-10-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "This is why as a Mac user I don't use those apps.", "excerpt": "> My notes in Apple Notes belong to Apple Notes, not my filesystem. My texts live in iMessage's database, not my Documents folder. This is why as a Mac user I don't use those apps. Nor do I use Photos or whatever iTunes is called now. I've been burned too many times by having my work locked away in some kind of proprietary Apple database. Yes, you can usually export stuff but that's not a solution. You export your li", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Make Tmux the OS"}, {"id": 792011520, "item_id": 49500720, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49500720", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "FWIW, iMessage is largely unencrypted already.", "excerpt": "FWIW, iMessage is largely unencrypted already. Yes, the messages themselves are E2E encrypted, but most people do not enable Advanced Data Protection, but do enable iCloud Backups, which causes messages only to be encrypted at-rest with keys that Apple holds [1]. And even if you enable ADP, most people that you communicate with didn't. A similar situation applies to WhatsApp. On iPhone, the messages are stored in iCl", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "European Commission Revives Push for Encryption Backdoors in ProtectEU Strategy"}, {"id": 770279152, "item_id": 48142447, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48142447", "by": "sneak", "date": "2026-05-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "unless BOTH sides are using it, your iMessage conversations are all readable by Apple", "excerpt": "Nobody has it on, and unless BOTH sides are using it, your iMessage conversations are all readable by Apple, because they are backed up twice - one for each end. This option is also disabled in the UK - an intentionally preserved backdoor for government access. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/122234", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Removing the Modem and GPS from My 2024 RAV4 Hybrid"}]}], "who": [{"by": "ryandrake", "context": "former Apple user moving to Linux", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49802426", "date": "2026-09-22"}, {"by": "alexpotato", "context": "Linux user on desktop, iPhone and MacBook", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49199018", "date": "2026-08-06"}, {"by": "jandrewrogers", "context": "has spent a lot of time overseas", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48889176", "date": "2026-07-13"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["messaging", "group chats", "messaging across apple devices", "group chats in the us", "messaging friends abroad", "texting with apple users"], "compared": [{"slug": "whatsapp", "name": "WhatsApp", "co": 11, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "signal", "name": "Signal", "co": 9, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "discord", "name": "Discord", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "ios", "name": "iOS", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "macos", "name": "macOS", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "telegram", "name": "Telegram", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "google-messages", "name": "Google Messages", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46837814", "title": "Apple Platform Security (Jan 2026) [pdf]", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267829", "title": "Launch HN: Chert (YC P26) \u2013 Twilio for iMessage", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47747017", "title": "Apple's accidental moat: How the \"AI Loser\" may end up winning", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46838635", "title": "US has investigated claims WhatsApp chats aren't private", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45974869", "title": "I just want working RCS messaging", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50250016", "title": "Somebody please stop the spam texts", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"compare": 2, "warn": 2, "neutral": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 2, "warn": 1}, "2026-01": {"warn": 4, "recommend": 1, "compare": 1, "neutral": 2}, "2026-02": {"neutral": 4, "warn": 1}, "2026-03": {"warn": 1}, "2026-04": {"neutral": 2, "warn": 1}, "2026-05": {"neutral": 4, "warn": 1}, "2026-06": {"neutral": 3}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1, "warn": 1}, "2026-09": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-10": {"warn": 2, "recommend": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 804016868, "item_id": 50251054, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50251054", "by": "nvme0n1p1", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The kids and young adults all moved to Telegram, Discord, Whatsapp, iMessage, etc.", "excerpt": "We did not solve email with legislation. CAN-SPAM is a joke, and you as an individual have no recourse when you get spammed: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/inbox/can-spam_and_consumer_lawsuits Email is tolerable because gmail and others implemented software spam filters. Gmail did so because they were in competition with other email providers and it was a way to get users. The incumbent phone carriers have no incent", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Somebody please stop the spam texts"}, {"id": 801249920, "item_id": 50078120, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50078120", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-10-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "most people fall for the E2E-encrypted iMessage story, while the Messages are only encrypted at rest", "excerpt": "Yet, most people fall for the E2E-encrypted iMessage story, while the Messages are only encrypted at rest when you have iCloud Backup enabled (I\u2019d guess most people) and ADP disabled (I\u2019d guess most people). The fact that I have ADP enabled doesn\u2019t matter because most people I communicate with don\u2019t have ADP enabled (or know what it is). This is all only mentioned in the footnote of an iCloud security document [1]. A", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Apple TV 4K"}, {"id": 799139521, "item_id": 49946220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49946220", "by": "dreamcompiler", "date": "2026-10-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "This is why as a Mac user I don't use those apps.", "excerpt": "> My notes in Apple Notes belong to Apple Notes, not my filesystem. My texts live in iMessage's database, not my Documents folder. This is why as a Mac user I don't use those apps. Nor do I use Photos or whatever iTunes is called now. I've been burned too many times by having my work locked away in some kind of proprietary Apple database. Yes, you can usually export stuff but that's not a solution. You export your li", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Make Tmux the OS"}, {"id": 796838816, "item_id": 49802426, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49802426", "by": "ryandrake", "date": "2026-09-22", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "The only thing in the Apple world I\u2019ve become hopelessly dependent on is iMessage.", "excerpt": "Same here, I\u2019ve gone from Apple fanboy to slowly dropping all of my Apple products as it becomes time for new purchases. They are just no longer looking at users like me. They keep focusing their efforts on things I don\u2019t care about, while locking me out of control over my system more and more each macOS release. That and the fact that Apple and their third party application ecosystem abandons computers when they bec", "context": "former Apple user moving to Linux", "use_case": "group chats", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy"}, {"id": 792011520, "item_id": 49500720, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49500720", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "FWIW, iMessage is largely unencrypted already.", "excerpt": "FWIW, iMessage is largely unencrypted already. Yes, the messages themselves are E2E encrypted, but most people do not enable Advanced Data Protection, but do enable iCloud Backups, which causes messages only to be encrypted at-rest with keys that Apple holds [1]. And even if you enable ADP, most people that you communicate with didn't. A similar situation applies to WhatsApp. On iPhone, the messages are stored in iCl", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "European Commission Revives Push for Encryption Backdoors in ProtectEU Strategy"}, {"id": 790731248, "item_id": 49420703, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49420703", "by": "lloeki", "date": "2026-08-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "My understanding is that iMessage implements PFS.", "excerpt": "CKV aims to cover that case: https://support.apple.com/en-us/118246 https://support.apple.com/en-us/118247 > An unrecognized new device was added to that person\u2019s Apple Account. This alert might mean that the person you are messaging has an issue with one of their devices, or that a sophisticated attacker might be attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation. My understanding is that iMessage implements PFS. To get ar", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Everything I own, owned"}, {"id": 787184288, "item_id": 49199018, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49199018", "by": "alexpotato", "date": "2026-08-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Photo sharing is a breeze and even integrated iMessage \"just works\".", "excerpt": "I've been using Linux as my daily driver on my main personal computers for years. You could say that I love Linux and it has treated me very well. That being said, I consciously chose an iPhone b/c I want my phone to \"just work\". I had a Blackberry Storm for a year and it was buggy, had to be restarted everyday just for it operate etc etc. The iPhone has always been great. It just does what I need it to do b/c clearl", "context": "Linux user on desktop, iPhone and MacBook", "use_case": "messaging across Apple devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}, {"id": 782226818, "item_id": 48889176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48889176", "by": "jandrewrogers", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps", "excerpt": "This is empirically false. I am on many groups that have (at least) several dozen people over SMS/RCS/iMessage. It isn\u2019t ideal but it definitely works adequately. I use Signal with some groups but that is a minority. I use WhatsApp daily but only people overseas use it. Many Americans have no idea what WhatsApp is. The practical reality is that iMessage is a legitimately superior experience to other messaging apps, a", "context": "has spent a lot of time overseas", "use_case": "group chats in the US", "switched_from": "", "story": "Death of the Status Update: Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting on Social Media"}, {"id": 779422624, "item_id": 48713914, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48713914", "by": "tekacs", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "it renders like this, which... I'm not sure is correct?", "excerpt": "\ufdfd <- the single codepoint the author is talking about. It's pretty great fun pasting it into various text entry fields to see how they behave. In standard-ish single-line-ish Apple text fields on my Mac (iMessage text entry field, Chrome Omnibox), it renders like this, which... I'm not sure is correct? https://cleanshot.com/share/0GkNJGQ7 On the other hand it renders akin to Chrome in TextEdit.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Deciphering Basmala"}, {"id": 777342690, "item_id": 48583918, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48583918", "by": "mort96", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Signal, Messenger, iMessage and Snapchat", "excerpt": "I don't use WhatsApp, I use Signal, Messenger, iMessage and Snapchat (yes I know but these things have inertia). I'm not exactly alone here. You'd need to write third-party clients for all those apps as well.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple boss Tim Cook says prices to rise due to memory chip costs"}, {"id": 774227474, "item_id": 48389217, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48389217", "by": "EmbarrassedHelp", "date": "2026-06-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "If you know anyone who uses WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage, and other encrypted apps", "excerpt": "If you know anyone who uses WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage, and other encrypted apps, tell them to speak up now. Otherwise tell them to be prepared to pay for a foreign VPN to continue using the service. They may also need to create a foreign IOS/Google account to redownload the apps. --- There's another SECU Committee meeting tomorrow, where the Liberals are hoping to send C-22 back to the House for a final vote: https:", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Analysis of Canadian Surveillance Law Expansion Under Bill C-22 \u2013 CitizenLab"}, {"id": 772320049, "item_id": 48270003, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48270003", "by": "morpheuskafka", "date": "2026-05-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "iMessage is intended for communicating with family and friends", "excerpt": "> iMessage is intended for communicating with family and friends, and is not for conducting commercial activities or disseminating unwanted messages. iMessage misuse may result in service limitations. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/messages/ Apparently, they are against ANY commercial messages. Even if I personally sent marketing messages and typed them myself. So of course they are not going to like you", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Launch HN: Chert (YC P26) \u2013 Twilio for iMessage"}, {"id": 772296256, "item_id": 48268516, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48268516", "by": "frumplestlatz", "date": "2026-05-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Seems pretty damn clear.", "excerpt": "> iMessage is intended for communicating with family and friends, and is not for conducting commercial activities or disseminating unwanted messages. iMessage misuse may result in service limitations. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/messages/ Seems pretty damn clear.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Launch HN: Chert (YC P26) \u2013 Twilio for iMessage"}, {"id": 771320851, "item_id": 48207553, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48207553", "by": "latexr", "date": "2026-05-20", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I can communicate via iMessage", "excerpt": "Social is where the people are. If you\u2019re using Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family, the only viable alternative is wherever your friends and family are. Chances are it\u2019s going to be impossible to switch everyone (or even most people) over, so you\u2019re stuck if you care about those connections. Or you can do what I did and simply say \u201cfuck it\u201d. Get rid of your account anyway and deal with the consequences", "context": "", "use_case": "Messaging friends abroad", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Arabia and the UAE"}, {"id": 770279152, "item_id": 48142447, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48142447", "by": "sneak", "date": "2026-05-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "unless BOTH sides are using it, your iMessage conversations are all readable by Apple", "excerpt": "Nobody has it on, and unless BOTH sides are using it, your iMessage conversations are all readable by Apple, because they are backed up twice - one for each end. This option is also disabled in the UK - an intentionally preserved backdoor for government access. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/122234", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Removing the Modem and GPS from My 2024 RAV4 Hybrid"}, {"id": 769558704, "item_id": 48097419, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48097419", "by": "tpmoney", "date": "2026-05-11", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "iMessage can do high quality video and images", "excerpt": "> I'm still angry about how I must use an iPhone if I want to be able to text high quality video to people I don't know very well You\u2019re mad at the wrong people in this case though. iMessage can do high quality video and images because it\u2019s a separate channel from the telecoms. RCS can now do high quality video and images too because it\u2019s a newer standard and was built for that (and iPhones do support RCS now). But f", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Killed by Apple"}, {"id": 766900352, "item_id": 47931272, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47931272", "by": "burnt-resistor", "date": "2026-04-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "When I turn my iPhone on and open iMessage, it will sit at a black screen and won't open for several minutes and usually crashes.", "excerpt": "AirPod Pro v1 seems to always work, but they favor connecting to Apple branded devices and move seamlessly between them. What doesn't work so well is that iPad Pro M4 doesn't play nice with Bose QC35 multi-point connections because it appears to \"play silence\" to the headphones even when there is no audio, preventing the other connected device from switching over to play audio. When I turn my iPhone on and open iMess", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tim Cook Is Leaving. Good"}, {"id": 764040496, "item_id": 47752531, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47752531", "by": "barbazoo", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I had a single person I used iMessage with no but we since switched to SMS.", "excerpt": "It depends on your social circle obviously. I had a single person I used iMessage with no but we since switched to SMS. Not many people where I live have iphones.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple's accidental moat: How the \"AI Loser\" may end up winning"}, {"id": 763976432, "item_id": 47748527, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47748527", "by": "presbyterian", "date": "2026-04-12", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Agreed, I\u2019ve been a loyal iPhone user for a long time, and very few people I know use iMessage. I use it with my parents because they don\u2019t have any other messenger, and they don\u2019t even really know it\u2019s iMessage, they just think of it as texting. Everyone I know is using something else for messages, whether it\u2019s Discord, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp, or occasionally Telegram or Snapchat.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple's accidental moat: How the \"AI Loser\" may end up winning"}, {"id": 760484080, "item_id": 47530255, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47530255", "by": "isodev", "date": "2026-03-26", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apple championed the idea with iMessage scanning", "excerpt": "Of course, remember Apple championed the idea with iMessage scanning which at the time produced A LOT of discussion e.g. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/2021-we-told-apple-dont-scan-our-phones", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "European Parliament decided that Chat Control 1.0 must stop"}, {"id": 754482400, "item_id": 47155150, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47155150", "by": "wgm", "date": "2026-02-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "When I use em-dashes in my /family iMessage thread/", "excerpt": "I totally agree. When I use em-dashes in my /family iMessage thread/ I get accused of having used ChatGPT to write my reply\u2014my one-sentence reply about dinner plans. Dear Lord.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "New accounts on HN 10x more likely to use EM-dashes"}, {"id": 752612528, "item_id": 47038283, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47038283", "by": "SoftTalker", "date": "2026-02-16", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use what it came with: phone calls, imessage, maps, browser.", "excerpt": "That's kind of me. I have never purchased an app for my phone. I use what it came with: phone calls, imessage, maps, browser. That's all I need.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Sideprocalypse"}, {"id": 752434432, "item_id": 47027152, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47027152", "by": "flopsamjetsam", "date": "2026-02-15", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "being an iMessage and WhatsApp user, I'd just stuck with those mostly", "excerpt": "Such a great article. I love a good postmortem. I also had no idea of the chequered history of Google's messaging apps. I'd heard some of the names before, but being an iMessage and WhatsApp user, I'd just stuck with those mostly.", "context": "", "use_case": "Messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "OpenAI Should Build Slack"}, {"id": 752061648, "item_id": 47003853, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47003853", "by": "TheDong", "date": "2026-02-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "and half the features go away", "excerpt": "In most countries, the most used messenger app is Whatsapp or Wechat or LINE or KakaoTalk or whatever. In the USA, the most common messenger is iMessage. Unfortunately, unlike all the other apps I named, there's no Android app for it. Instead, if you try to iMessage an android recipient, suddenly iMessage turns into your phone's SMS app (not really sure why, feels like that should be a separate app), and half the fea", "context": "", "use_case": "Texting with Apple users", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple, fix my keyboard before the timer ends or I'm leaving iPhone"}, {"id": 751127664, "item_id": 46945479, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46945479", "by": "shagie", "date": "2026-02-09", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "", "excerpt": "The relevant xkcd is Chat Systems https://xkcd.com/1810/", "context": "", "use_case": "Messaging US family and friends", "switched_from": "", "story": "Matrix messaging gaining ground in government IT"}, {"id": 749441360, "item_id": 46840085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46840085", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-01-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "To my knowledge, there's nothing in the security model to prevent this.", "excerpt": "This shadow device would have it's own keys to read messages sent to your iCloud account. To my knowledge, there's nothing in the security model to prevent this. Matthew Green has some great posts about iMessage security. This one describes the key lookup issue: https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2015/09/09/lets-talk-about-imessage-again/ Looking at the linked Apple Platform Security, it seems like the Apple Id", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple Platform Security (Jan 2026) [pdf]"}, {"id": 749425712, "item_id": 46839107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46839107", "by": "jtbayly", "date": "2026-01-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apple defaults only to e2ee of messages, leaving a massive backdoor.", "excerpt": "modeless linked to this article earlier today: https://james.darpinian.com/blog/apple-imessage-encryption/ My current understanding of the facts: 1. Google defaults to encrypted backups of messages, as well as e2e encryption of messages. 2. Apple defaults only to e2ee of messages, leaving a massive backdoor. 3. Closing that backdoor is possible for the consumer, by enabling ADP (advanced data protection) on your devi", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple Platform Security (Jan 2026) [pdf]"}, {"id": 749411024, "item_id": 46838189, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46838189", "by": "Flere-Imsaho", "date": "2026-01-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "In fact on this page they still claim iMessage is end-to-end encrypted.", "excerpt": "And it's worse if you live in the UK: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122234 In fact on this page they still claim iMessage is end-to-end encrypted.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "US has investigated claims WhatsApp chats aren't private"}, {"id": 749407712, "item_id": 46837982, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46837982", "by": "modeless", "date": "2026-01-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apple has always been able to read encrypted iMessage messages", "excerpt": "Meanwhile Apple has always been able to read encrypted iMessage messages and everyone decided to ignore that fact. https://james.darpinian.com/blog/apple-imessage-encryption", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "US has investigated claims WhatsApp chats aren't private"}, {"id": 749419648, "item_id": 46838728, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46838728", "by": "modeless", "date": "2026-01-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "upload your iMessages to their own servers in a form that they can read, breaking their own E2EE", "excerpt": "Then they turn around and upload your iMessages to their own servers in a form that they can read, breaking their own E2EE. Google Messages fixed this issue a long time ago. Why hasn't Apple? https://james.darpinian.com/blog/apple-imessage-encryption", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple Platform Security (Jan 2026) [pdf]"}, {"id": 749306193, "item_id": 46831637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46831637", "by": "aezart", "date": "2026-01-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Teams messages expire in 30 days at my job, we use email for anything that needs a paper trail", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Email experiments: filtering out external images"}, {"id": 747994642, "item_id": 46749665, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46749665", "by": "xvedejas", "date": "2026-01-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I think my parents and their generation use iMessage", "excerpt": "It all depends on age group in my experience. My friends all a bit older than me prefer Messenger for everything. My friends all younger than me prefer Discord. I think my parents and their generation use iMessage, but I use WhatsApp with them. My generation used to use snapchat a lot, I think, but I never got on that boat.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp"}, {"id": 747788176, "item_id": 46736761, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46736761", "by": "modeless", "date": "2026-01-23", "stance": "compare", "quote": "They don't do that for iMessage though", "excerpt": "They don't do that for iMessage though... https://james.darpinian.com/blog/apple-imessage-encryption", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft gave FBI set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects' laptops"}, {"id": 745083122, "item_id": 46567695, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46567695", "by": "k2enemy", "date": "2026-01-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I like having access to iMessages from the desktop.", "excerpt": "MacOS seems to be going the way of Windows, with unnecessary and distracting notifications for things users don't care about. Then on top of that, the whole liquid glass redesign that hurts usability and information density. Definitely moving in the direction of \"what is good for a particular PM\" and not \"what is good for the user.\" I would have switched to linux years ago if it were not for the great hardware and I ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft May Have Created the Slowest Windows in 25 Years with Windows 11"}, {"id": 743948528, "item_id": 46496783, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46496783", "by": "mmoustafa", "date": "2026-01-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "but Apple runs on-device content detection that pings their servers, which you can't possibly even think of disabling.", "excerpt": "> All encryption is end-to-end, if you\u2019re not picky about the ends. This reminds of how Apple iMessage is E2E encrypted, but Apple runs on-device content detection that pings their servers, which you can't possibly even think of disabling. [1][2] [1] https://sneak.berlin/20230115/macos-scans-your-local-files-now/ [2] Investigation in Beeper/PyPush discord for iMessage spam blocking", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Decorative Cryptography"}, {"id": 741070640, "item_id": 46316915, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46316915", "by": "westondeboer", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "seems to be a few apps that can do this, but you need a mac to do it", "excerpt": "seems to be a few apps that can do this, but you need a mac to do it https://github.com/linjunpop/imessage https://github.com/danikhan632/iMessage-API", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Those making $500/month on side projects in 2025 \u2013 Show and tell"}, {"id": 740245936, "item_id": 46265371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46265371", "by": "bigyabai", "date": "2025-12-14", "stance": "warn", "quote": "which is concerning when you consider how much iMessage relies on it", "excerpt": "Refuses is not the right word, there is no way to audit Apple's refusal or hold them accountable here. US Senator Ron Wyden whistleblew how iOS Push Notifications are collected by US intelligence, which is concerning when you consider how much iMessage relies on it: https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/06/apple-governments-surveil-push-notifications/ https://daringfireball.net/2025/12/imessage_push_notifications_hard_to", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Europeans' health data sold to US firm run by ex-Israeli spies"}, {"id": 739838565, "item_id": 46239910, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46239910", "by": "jaredklewis", "date": "2025-12-11", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "TypeScript, Rust, JetBrains IDEs, Firefox, Slack, iTerm2, Sublime Text, Apple iMessages.", "excerpt": "I feel like most things I use existed 5 years ago, but now they are just better versions of what they were 5 years ago. TypeScript, Rust, JetBrains IDEs, Firefox, Slack, iTerm2, Sublime Text, Apple iMessages.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "My productivity app is a never-ending .txt file (2020)"}, {"id": 737901088, "item_id": 46118818, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46118818", "by": "fragmede", "date": "2025-12-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the iMessage integration between devices is also great", "excerpt": "I have the opposite problem. Apple's respect for user privacy is great and the iMessage integration between devices is also great, so when I change device mid-conversation, the recipient now has messages coming from two places. My phone number, and my icloud email address. Thankfully the icloud email address I used has my name in it, so people don't totally get confused when that happens, but figuring that out was de", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Last Week on My Mac: Losing confidence"}, {"id": 737040752, "item_id": 46065047, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46065047", "by": "notepad0x90", "date": "2025-11-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend it over Signal.", "excerpt": "Apple is already dethroned, the only market they're doing well at is the US. And even then Android phones are still the majority, apple just tends to make a lot more money in the US. I can't think of a single product where apple is the leader of the market share, but by all means correct me if I'm wrong. Whatsapp, Signal, Viber, etc.. they're all threats to iMessage. These apps even make themselves the default SMS ha", "context": "", "use_case": "Messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "The EU made Apple adopt new Wi-Fi standards, and now Android can support AirDrop"}]}