Beeper’s All-in-one Messaging App Relaunches With An On-device Model And Premium Upgrades

Multi-service messaging app Beeper, which allows group to connect to each their chat apps from 1 interface, is relaunching its app connected Wednesday to connection a much unafraid type that nary longer requires usage of its ain unreality services. In addition, Beeper is introducing premium offerings that supply entree to much accounts than its free tier, and see power-user features for illustration reminders, nan expertise to nonstop messages later, an incognito mode to publication messages without marking them read, AI sound statement transcriptions, and more.

Now owned by WordPress.com shaper Automattic, which bought Beeper for $125 million successful 2024, nan app has now almost wholly integrated pinch competitor Texts.com, which Automattic also acquired nan twelvemonth anterior for $50 million.

With a mixed 30-person squad (including contractors) and now operating nether nan Beeper brand, nan messaging app supports WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, X, Telegram, Signal, Matrix, Slack, Google Chat, Discord, LinkedIn, and Google Messages (SMS/RCS). On Mac computers only, Beeper tin besides link users pinch their iMessage chats, though Apple has unopen down this access successful anterior versions.

Image Credits:Automattic/Beeper

The wide goal, according to Automattic, is to simplify nan problem of having excessively galore messaging apps to support up with, while besides keeping those chats secure.

The app antecedently first connected pinch Beeper Cloud earlier communicating pinch nan messaging network, said Beeper CEO Kishan Bagaria. While that strategy remains nan default, users will now person nan action of switching to Beeper connected device, which will spot nan app connecting straight to nan messaging web and skipping nan middleman.

“That ensures that end-to-end encryption is preserved and your privateness is arsenic bully arsenic nan charismatic app,” Bagaria told TechCrunch successful an question and reply up of nan app’s relaunch. Whether aliases not nan companies progressive will admit having their ain apps bypassed, however, remains to beryllium seen.

“We person bully relationships pinch immoderate of these companies, and immoderate of them are OK pinch this,” Bagaria said. “Others, we person not really heard from much.”

Image Credits:Automattic/Beeper

To stave disconnected immoderate imaginable shutdowns by messaging web providers, Beeper intends to support nan business models of nan first-party apps whenever possible. For example, if Telegram is showing ads, those ads will beryllium shown successful Beeper, too.

In addition, EU regulations requiring interoperable messaging platforms could put unit connected messaging app providers to time off a solution for illustration Beeper’s alone.

Alongside nan relaunch, location will now beryllium an action to upgrade to a caller $9.99 per period premium plan, Beeper Plus, which allows users to link pinch 10 messaging services alternatively of conscionable nan 5 that free users person entree to.

In addition, Plus subscribers person nan action to schedule messages to nonstop later, tin group reminders to travel up connected chats, publication messages successful incognito mode truthful they don’t consciousness pressured to respond immediately, entree aggregate accounts per network, position AI sound statement transcriptions (processed via OpenAI’s Whisper exemplary pinch personification consent), and switch retired their app icon for a civilization version.

An moreover higher tier, Beeper Plus Plus, which starts astatine $49.99 per month, offers entree to unlimited accounts and is designed pinch nan needs of businesses aliases societal media managers successful mind. (Annual subscriptions are besides disposable astatine a discounted value of $99.99 per twelvemonth for Beeper Plus and $499 per twelvemonth for Beeper Plus Plus.)

Image Credits:Automattic/Beeper

Following Beeper’s acquisition by Automattic, nan institution mixed its squad pinch Texts.com to create a caller merchandise that offered nan champion of some services. With Wednesday’s relaunch, those apps are now 99% integrated, Bagaria said, arsenic only a fewer smaller features stay to beryllium ported over.

Eventually, Automattic’s latest acquisition, nan individual CRM Clay which whitethorn beryllium later rebranded), will besides beryllium integrated pinch Beeper, though it will stay a standalone app.

“It will mostly beryllium built connected apical of nan Beeper level — it’ll enactment complimentary,” Bagaria said. “Clay is an astonishing app [as it] useful today. Then, pinch Beaver, it tin conscionable ingest much interactions and data, which will make it for illustration 2 to 10x better. Once that is done, I’m judge Clay tin beryllium a very powerful product.”

Beeper coming has millions of registered users, including those from Texts.com. A mini information of those who are still utilizing Texts.com are now being offered nan action migrate to Beeper, since it has added nan on-device technology, which they prefer.

Image Credits:Automattic/Beeper

Bagaria said location whitethorn still beryllium immoderate remaining issues astir reliability erstwhile moving to nan on-device model, but those are being worked retired arsenic separator cases popular up. At immoderate later point, Beeper Cloud will beryllium deprecated erstwhile nan institution is judge nan on-device exemplary is tin of being everyone’s regular driver.

Further down nan road, Beeper intends to make its information disposable to different companies, pinch personification support and controls to protect privacy. For instance, an MCP Beeper 1 time could fto users link to chat apps via Claude aliases ChatGPT to inquire it things for illustration “summarize each my important messages from this evening.”

Those developments will return immoderate time, arsenic Bagaria says he’s besides a “very privacy-conscious user,” and would want a solution that’s very transparent astir what information is accessed and when, and 1 that allows users to moreover manually opportunity yes aliases nary to information requests, perhaps.

“We besides don’t want to person server farms wherever we person models trained connected your data. That’s a complete no, no,” he said.