Nothing has removed its new messaging app, Nothing Chats, from the Google Play Store. The app brought iMessage compatibility, complete with blue bubbles for Android users. It promised to bridge the gap between Android and iOS users by offering blue bubbles for everyone.
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However, the messaging app soon faced backlash over privacy concerns as users raised concerns about its security. Nothing has now pulled the app from the Play Store, citing “several bugs”.
Nothing Chats Removed Pulled From Google Play Store Over Privacy Issues
In a post on X (Formerly Twitter), Nothing said it is removing the Chats app from the Play Store and “delaying the launch until further notice”. Nothing developed the Nothing Chats app in collaboration with Sunbird.
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It cited the removal to fix “several bugs”, although it did not address the privacy issues or concerns raised by users. The Nothing Chats app came under scrutiny and criticism after it was found the app does not have end-to-end encryption.
Nothing Chats Does Not Have End-to-End Encryption
This means Nothing and Sunbird can access all messages, texts, photos, videos, and media sent over the app. The Chats app transmits data using traditional HTTP instead of the more secure HTTPS. Moreover, all documents you send through the app are public, meaning anyone can see them.
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Moreover, the app requires users to log in to an iCloud account in a remote Mac Mini on a server farm, raising concerns about its security. All messages sent through this remote Mac Mini appear as a blue bubble instead of a green one.
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Users have called the app “extremely insecure” by users as there is no support for end-to-end encryption, and all media sent through it is public. This is because all the data goes via sentry and can be accessed by anyone with Firebase access.
Although Sunbird claims that despite using the HTTP protocol, all data remains encrypted on its server. The company says it only uses HTTP as a part of a “one-off” initial request, and all “sensitive data such as Apple ID credentials and messages” remain encrypted.
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It also denied the claims that the company used BlueBubbles for transmitting messages and said Sunbird has its proprietary technology.
With users’ privacy at stake, the Nothing and Sunbird collaboration seems to have hit a roadblock even before it saw its release. Apple has already announced support for RCS, likely reducing people’s interest in using the Chats app.
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