Beeper Messaging App Updated With On-Device Accounts, Support for End-to-End Encryption

Beeper has been relaunched, a year after parent company Automattic merged the messaging platform with competitor Texts.com. The app allows users to access their chats from various services including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Google Chat. Users can now opt for on-device connections to these services with support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE), instead of connecting to Beeper Cloud. The core functionality of the app remains free, but a new Beeper Plus subscription will add support for new features and customisation options.

Beeper to Eventually Drop Support for Beeper Cloud Accounts

The platform announced that it was introducing support for on-device accounts on Beeper across platforms. This means that users can access various chat services on their phone or computer using the Beeper app, but can choose to not store their information on Beeper Cloud servers. The company says it eventually plans to drop support for cloud-based messaging.

According to the company, the Beeper on-device accounts will need to be set up every time a user logs into the app on a new device. Unlike Beeper Cloud, users will benefit from E2EE on platforms that support the feature, when using on-device accounts.

Users can set up on-device accounts for WhatsApp (and WhatsApp Business), Instagram, Telegram, Google Chat, Messenger, Signal, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). The platform has yet to add support for on-device Discord and Slack accounts.

While the app's core functionality remains free, users can now select a Beeper Plus subscription that introduces new premium features. These include support for up to three accounts from the same network (up to 10 accounts total), message scheduling (send later), message reminders, custom app icons, voice message transcription, and an Incognito mode that allows users to preview chats without sending a read receipt.

Power users can also opt for a "Beeper Plus Plus" plan that enables support for "unlimited" accounts The Beeper Plus plan costs $9.99 (roughly Rs. 860) a month and Beeper Plus Plus is priced at $49.99/ month (roughly Rs. 4,300). However, existing Beeper users will get access to 12 accounts for free, and the company says "super early" backers get permanent access to Beeper Plus features at no cost.