- Oct 21, 2013 4:36 PM EST
- 2 Comments
By Ryan Whitwam
It has taken much longer than many industry watchers predicted, but Blackberry has finally gotten around to releasing a BBM app for iPhone andAndroid. The company has had a tough time of it lately, but maybe software is the way to keep the lights on. The app is now live in the App Store and Google Play, but there a waiting list.
BBM leaked on Android a few weeks back when the company was preparing for launch. The influx of new users caused server issues for Blackberry and delayed the launch. This is the reason for the waiting list, which most users will be subjected to. Anyone who signed up ahead of time for the service on the BBM website can log right in, but otherwise you'll have to provide an email address and wait it out.
When you do get access, you'll make a Blackberry ID and add your personal information. If you've used BBM on a Blackberry in the past, your contacts will populate immediately. If not, you'll have to invite people. This process is different (and a bit counterintuitive) for first time users. BBM makes contact lists more secure, so you have to send the invite based on PIN, NFC pairing, or sending an email. You only get the contact added when the other party accepts the invitation.
BBM was the originator of the modern read receipt, and while that's been replicated in both iMessage and Hangouts, BBM still does it pretty well. You can also do group chats, share pictures, and send files. It basically does all the stuff the first-part messaging clients do, but it's running through Blackberry's servers. If you're worried about security, this should be on your radar.
The app is available for iPhone and Android phones. There isn't any tablet support at this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment