BBM Android app adds new features, back in beta

BBM for Android is back in beta testing. Yes, the BBM Android app that was supposed to be released two weeks ago.

CrackBerry reports that BlackBerry has added new features to the erstwhile Android app and released it to a selected few beta testers to download and install BBM ahead of the public release date.

The app has been polished and given a new welcome screen that explains notifications, as well as making the BBM icon in the status bar optional.

No release date has been announced for either the Android or iOS app. 

BBM apps for Android and iOS were scheduled to appear over the same weekend a fortnight ago but missed the announced release time by a couple of hours, only for BlackBerry to change its mind and announce neither app would launch after all -- even though the iOS app had launched in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, India, and UAE. All in all, it was one of the more spectacular disasters of recent tech history.

The Canadian company blamed the plethora of fake apps proliferating on Google Play and duping impatient phone fans with spam or malware. Quite why that would delay the iOS app isn't clear.   

BlackBerry just can't seem to get anything right in recent times, announcing an eye-watering £600m loss and sadly cutting 4,000 jobs.

Are you eagerly awaiting BBM? Or do other apps like WhatsApp or iMessage do the same thing better? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.