X

BlackBerry Messenger arrives on iOS and Android (pictures)

You can finally get BBMs without a BlackBerry phone, but the experience is unimpressive.

Sarah Mitroff
Sarah Mitroff is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our health, fitness and wellness section. Throughout her career, she's written about mobile tech, consumer tech, business and startups for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat.
Sarah Mitroff
BBM_iOS_Chats_list.png
1 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

BlackBerry Messenger

Seven years after its debut, BlackBerry Messenger leaves its walled garden and heads to iPhones and Android devices. The app, which is free to download in the Google Play store and App Store, offers the typical BBM experience with photo sharing, group chats, and those handy little icons that tell you when your friend received and read your message.

After you sign up for an account (or log in to an existing one), you'll get to the main screen of the app, which shows your most recent chats.

BBM_Android_Invite.png
2 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Invite to chat

Adding contacts to BBM is a tedious process. You need to invite your friends to chat with you by sending your unique PIN by e-mail, text message, or BBM message. Once they accept the invitation, you can start chatting. You get a PIN when you sign up for an account.

BBM_Android_Contacts_SS.png
3 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Contacts

As soon as you start inviting people to chat with you, your contact page will start to fill up. You can view your contacts on a grid with their full-size photo, or as a list.

BBM_iOS_Photos_SS.png
4 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Sending messages

Chatting in BBM is simple: just type your message and hit send. You can add emoticons, photos, and voice messages to your conversation.

BBM_Android_GroupChat_Ping_SS.png
5 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Group chats

You can either start a group chat from the right-side menu in the app or add extra people to an existing one-on-one conversation.

BBM_iOS_Ping_Voice_SS.png
6 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Ping!

One feature from the original BBM is Ping. If your friend isn't replying fast enough, or you just want to get his attention, you can ping him, which vibrates his phone and plays a special tone.

BBM_iOS_SendPhoto_SS.png
7 of 7 Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Sending photos

You can snap a photo and share it in a conversation, or send an existing photo. However, you cannot share photos in a group chat.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos