BBM, BlackBerry’s popular messaging service, will soon be available on Android phones and the Apple iPhone, as you are probably aware. According to our sources, BlackBerry is already beta testing a BBM update to fix the bug that caused the botched launch in September. But, while you wait, you might want to learn more about BBM (formerly known as BlackBerry Messenger).
Although many people think of BlackBerry Messenger as just a text messaging service, it’s vital to remember that it can be much more than that. Video, photographs, voice notes, and much more can be shared. All of these functions might not be available on all platforms, and even if they are, they might be limited by hardware.
It’s also worth noting that BBM will only work with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Android 4.x (Jelly Bean), and subsequent versions of Android. BBM will be compatible with iOS 6, iOS 7, and beyond (like the iPhone 7).
Send and Receive Messages
This is the bare minimum of what BBM will include. You can send and receive messages in real time (a.k.a. chat) and be notified when the recipient reads your message. You can exchange movies, photographs, recorded voice notes, and the names of music you’re listening to while chatting on BBM.
You can transmit up to 2000 characters of text and 6MB of files.
For security reasons, each BBM user will be given a BlackBerry PIN.
BBM Video Chat
Video chat will not be available for Android and iPhone at first, according to BlackBerry, but will be introduced in the future. Even if it becomes accessible, this is one function that may not be available to everyone because it requires a front-facing camera, video calling capabilities, and a fast internet connection on the smart phone. In truth, BBM video conversations are not available on all BlackBerry phones today.
With BBM Video Chat, you can seamlessly transition a conversation from text to video with just a single tap.
BBM Voice Chat
This is yet another feature that will not be available for Android or iPhone right now. BBM Voice allows you to make free voice calls over Wi-Fi to your BBM contacts. BBM 7 is compatible with any BlackBerry phones running BB 5 OS or newer.
Screen Share
It’s unclear whether BBM for Android and iPhone will have a screen share function that allows users to show their BBM contacts what’s on their screens. You can display your chat-mate your browser window, an open document, or menu items for technical support with Screen Share.
BlackBerry is rumored to be beta-testing BBM for Android and iPhone and will release it soon. To be notified when BlackBerry Messenger is ready for prime time, sign up on the BlackBerry website.