14 DAY TRIAL // iMessage continues to be available exclusively in the Apple ecosystem, but this could all change very soon thanks to a third-party solution called Zen.
A company called Amnesia Software has developed a client and server product that will allow for iMessage to work on both Window and Linux, with long-term plans also including mobile versions.
Like similar projects that others developed in the past, Zen sues a relay that runs on a Mac, but the developing team says that you can use pretty much any old Apple computer that still powers on.
“The server, Zen Bridge, runs perfectly on old, outdated Apple laptops and Mac Minis collecting dust. For a more 'cloud' approach, we've also had success with visualized Macs running on genuine Apple servers (which would not break Apple's TOS, your iCloud will happily sign into it). Some VPS providers offer this for as low as $12 a month,” one of the developers explains on reddit.
First public version coming this month
While it’ll certainly be interesting to see how long it’ll take Apple to ban this service, the parent company has already prepared a subscription-based model that would require customers to pay between $3 and $5 every month to use Zen. At the same time, there’ll also be a one-time lifetime purchase offered for around $10 to $15.
Zen was developed from the very beginning to address some of the most common modern requirements these days, including privacy and customization. Zen only streams your iMessage activity and doesn’t track your conversation, with no logs created on the server, the parent company promises.
Furthermore, it boasts what it’s being described as a “hyper-customizable design,” so users can tweak the CSS to change themes, modify the UI and the layout, and build new animations.
Zen is projected to launch in February as an alpha version.
