Sunbird Brings iMessage to Android for Everyone, with a New Priority Inbox, Agentic AI to Follow

Now open to all on Google Play. Sunbird's new priority inbox keeps your most important chats up front today, with Sunbird Intelligence, AI that runs on your phone, arriving later this year.

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunbird Messaging, the app that brings iMessage to Android, is now available to everyone on the Google Play Store. More than 181,000 people signed up for early access. Sunbird has also introduced a new priority inbox, with Primary and Secondary tabs, live in the app today.

Sunbird users appear with full blue bubbles on iPhones and participate naturally in iMessage group chats, with the same experience iPhone users expect. Sunbird brings iMessage, Google Messages (RCS), and SMS/MMS together in a single Android app, making it the best default messenger on Android, with no Apple device, no Mac, and no extra hardware required.

A divide that RCS still has not closed

In 2024, Apple began supporting RCS on iPhones, which tried to improve basics like photo quality and typing indicators, but it did not make an Android user a full member of an iMessage group chat. Reactions, replies, and iMessage's group features still often fail when an Android phone is in the chat, and Android messages still arrive as green bubbles. A survey from All About Cookies found that 38% of Android users had missed or misunderstood messages because of the incompatibility, and 30% had considered switching to an iPhone over the pressure and mockery. Nearly a quarter of iPhone users (23%) said a green bubble would be a dating dealbreaker. That pressure runs deepest among teenagers, 88% of whom own iPhones, according to Piper Sandler's 2025 survey.

"Blue bubbles are just the surface," said Danny Mizrahi, CEO of Sunbird Messaging. "The real problem is that an Android user in a group chat still breaks it for everyone: reactions, replies, high quality video, and group management often just do not work. Sunbird fixes that, so the Android user becomes a full participant, and their iPhone friends get the experience they expect too. The response we are seeing tells us how much people want this solved."

A priority inbox, live today

The people and groups a user hears from most stay front and center in the Primary tab, while routine noise, such as verification codes and messages from unknown numbers, is filed into Secondary. Any conversation can be moved between the two at any time.

What is next: Sunbird Intelligence, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger

Later this year, Sunbird plans to introduce Sunbird Intelligence, AI features that run on the user's own phone. The first, Catch Me Up, will give users a single summary of everything they missed across their conversations. A built-in assistant will also take simple actions on request, such as drafting a reply or moving a chat to Primary. These features stay on the device, so messages are never sent elsewhere to be processed. Sunbird expects to begin rolling out Sunbird Intelligence in Q3 2026. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are coming to the same inbox: both are in late-stage development and expected in Q3 2026.

"Honestly, I can't wait for Catch Me Up myself," said Mizrahi. "I can't keep up with all my group chats and threads anymore, and I want a summary that tells me what I missed and where to look. We are building it carefully, and on the device, so a user's messages stay private."

Traction and pricing

Roughly 33% of installs start a free trial and about 8% convert to paying subscribers. That is roughly six to eight times the industry average for subscription apps, based on 2025 benchmarks from RevenueCat and UXCam, and it has held even after a price increase from $1.99 to $2.99 per month during early testing. Sunbird is $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year, a 30% saving, and every new user gets a 14-day free trial.

Getting set up

Because Sunbird is in open beta, getting connected can occasionally take a second try. To make that easier, the app now includes a built-in setup assistant, a chatbot that guides new users through connecting step by step, and helps again if a connection needs another attempt. The team is also available at [email protected].

A wider problem, and a bridge

Apple's iMessage exclusivity has drawn antitrust scrutiny, including a 2024 lawsuit by the US Department of Justice. Sunbird's position is that closing the gap helps everyone, including Apple. Many Sunbird users happily buy Apple products like Apple TV and simply prefer an Android phone, and Sunbird lets them stay part of iMessage rather than forcing a choice. It helps ease both the exclusion and the bullying the divide has long created.

Security and privacy

Sunbird is built to keep your conversations yours. Your messages are encrypted on your device and in transit, and Sunbird doesn't keep them, they pass through only long enough to be delivered. When you message an iPhone, Apple's own iMessage encryption carries that final step, exactly as it always has. The technology behind it is protected by two issued US patents, with more detail available on our website.

Availability

Sunbird is available now on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunbird.apps 

About Sunbird Messaging

Founded in 2022, Sunbird Messaging brings iMessage, Google Messages (RCS), and SMS/MMS together in a single Android app. It gives Android users blue bubbles in iMessage conversations, and a full seat in the group chat, without an iPhone, a Mac, or any extra hardware. Sunbird has added a new priority inbox with Primary and Secondary tabs, and is building AI features that run on the phone. Learn more at sunbirdapp.com.

Media Contact

Danny Mizrahi, CEO
Sunbird Messaging
[email protected]
(323) SUNBIRD / (323) 786-2473

SOURCE Sunbird Messaging