BBM for Android and iPhone is here for free

[rick@garage16.ca]

http://global.blackberry.com/bbm.html

[Slade]

Bah its not compatible with my Transformer...

Guess now I am safe to move from my Blackberry to iPhone, then i can msg almost everyone without a txt plan (work phone, no txting..)

[eqlso]

Boo...in queue...

[Hyperion]

74139ee3
Add me and I'll add you to tm3 group. Wish I could figure out how to post a link to a group

[dentinger]

Blackberry must be so far in the shitter, that they need to expand their messaging app to Iphone and Android lol

[r4mi5awi]

This has been long in development just like the rest of BlackBerry products. Too late to cause a stir.

[zoomister]

Blackberry has no advantage in hardware now that millions of similiar smartphones are mass produced in Asia. And then there is the BYOD trends where people can use their own preferred smartphone. So Blackberry must adapt to the BYOD world by making their respected servers more available.

[Aitch]

Blackberry must be so far in the shitter, that they need to expand their messaging app to Iphone and Android lol

They should have done it 2-3 years ago before WhatsApp took hold. I've downloaded it but considering my wife (BBM user) also has WhatsApp I'm not sure what the point is.

Perhaps the TM3 group will change my mind (already added you Josh).

[S.F.W.]

signed up 7576177D

[rick@garage16.ca]

guess im only one waiting 24 hours for a pin

[distr0]

guess im only one waiting 24 hours for a pin

Try just putting in your email address again. It should bring you to the signup page

[jab]

guess im only one waiting 24 hours for a pin

24 hours where did you hear that from? There is over millions over users in line waiting for a pin and what not. Its guna takes days or even weeks until you can actually get one from what I have heard.

[Hyperion]

I put my email in, waited 4 hours, did it again and insta in

[Thrizzl3]

Only works on data. Sucks. I have to wait

[rick@garage16.ca]

GOT IT TO WORK!!!

So i found a way to get BBM past waiting...
All you need is a friend who did the preregistration of email... ask them for their adress
Type it in. Click next. Click register

Now you can enter your own email andcreate an account... the initial email is only to do with the waiting, not the account

[Aitch]

I put my email in, waited 4 hours, did it again and insta in

Same last night. Although today there seems to be a backlog again.

[asyed]

am i the only one here who sees nothing special in this BBM thing? Id rather just stick to one social network/IM client...

[The Wolf]

am i the only one here who sees nothing special in this BBM thing? Id rather just stick to one social network/IM client...

I tried kik and whatsapp. Didn't like em. Bbm sends to integrate with my Android much better. For me anyway.

[Shinglez]

Meh, I've moved on from BBM. I only use it for my hockey team's group but it's (still) nothing special and kills battery life like it's no one's business

[greardon]

If someone needs to be white listed for the app just message my inbox with your email :) glad to help, besides bashers :). Both myself and a lot friends have been affected with latest decisions majority of us on this site are Canadian no need for crap comments :)

[Aitch]

I tried kik and whatsapp. Didn't like em. Bbm sends to integrate with my Android much better. For me anyway.

Interesting. I've been using Whatsapp for a couple of years now so I'm totally used to it, no problems integrating. Only thing that bothered me was before last year group chats were limited to 10 people and I was trying to use it for my Rotary club. They seem to have solved whatever notification issues they were having (sometimes things said delivered but they weren't). Been rock solid lately.

[Dynames]

How long does this waiting in queue take? Its been over 24 hours for me lol

[Tozer]

click the 'received email' button then go back in an hour later and it should work. 2/2 for doing it on my coworkers phones who were in queue

[CloudPump]

I downloaded the app, signed up by email... then actually took a look at the application and how it's made.

I deleted it before I got to the top of the queue.

-Geoff

[shift8]

Here are my thoughts on why they did this...

The way I see the BBM on Android/iPhone position is that BBM is that big flagship product for BlackBerry users. As more and more people move away from BB, the BBM client becomes mostly useless, because that causes those users to either install a third-party app (annoying), or basically watch their BBM list dwindle to a fraction of what it once was, and to rely on SMS messaging.

So with the release of BBM for other products, it's not intended to win back any Android/iPhone users. I suspect BB has mostly given up on those users. Instead, they need something that allows those who have *yet* to switch away from a BlackBerry to have justification for staying with BB. One way to do that, which is simple on the part of BB, is to open up the messaging application that BB users love, and to re-populate and energize their BBM lists. By doing that, it gives those on the fence a fairly strong reason to stay with BB, and to not switch away to something else.

That seems like a valid justification for opening up their BBM application, but as has been stated, they took way too long to come to the realization. There was talk of opening up BBM to other applications at least 2-3 years ago, and they should have done it then. At this point, the only people on my BBM list are non-BB people :)

[Aitch]

Exactly. This should have been done at least a year ago, maybe more. The writing was on the wall as Whatsapp took off, and especially when it made its way to Blackberry. I agree with your interpretations but I think it is also a way for them to increase (or at least retain) value in their brand while trying to find purchasers.

Having said that I came to the realization today that the Groups feature of BBM may be more useful than Whatsapp so I might stick around with it for a bit.

[Sivart444]

I cancelled my iPhone about a year ago when i got a company Blackberry - glad that i can communicate securely with others now as opposed to clear text messaging

[tweak_s]

Exactly. This should have been done at least a year ago, maybe more. The writing was on the wall as Whatsapp took off, and especially when it made its way to Blackberry. I agree with your interpretations but I think it is also a way for them to increase (or at least retain) value in their brand while trying to find purchasers.

Having said that I came to the realization today that the Groups feature of BBM may be more useful than Whatsapp so I might stick around with it for a bit.

I feel the same way Aitch, but I'm wondering, what particularly do you find more useful?

At first I thought it was that we can store pictures and whatnot but I realized it was the same on Whatsapp heh. Still sticking to Berry for a while and in the end I have to admit i would rather have my messages go through BlackBerry's servers than Whatsapp's.

[CloudPump]

<SNIP>
Still sticking to Berry for a while and in the end I have to admit i would rather have my messages go through BlackBerry's servers than Whatsapp's.

Why is that?

-Geoff

[Aitch]

I feel the same way Aitch, but I'm wondering, what particularly do you find more useful?

At first I thought it was that we can store pictures and whatnot but I realized it was the same on Whatsapp heh. Still sticking to Berry for a while and in the end I have to admit i would rather have my messages go through BlackBerry's servers than Whatsapp's.

Actually it's the combination of events and multiple chats that interest me. I'm looking at it in the context of group messaging for my Rotary club, we sometimes use WhatsApp now but BBM might be more useful. Having a general chat, plus others for more specific subjects, plus discussion of upcoming events. Right now events go into our Google calendar and are on Facebook, and those won't change, but there's no harm in seeing if BBM is more useful for some people.

[tweak_s]

Why is that?

-Geoff

Well, in the scheme of things you're probably right it doesn't matter as the government continues to expand its grasp on information. But working in IT, I've come to value security and I guess I grab on to any bit I can. BlackBerry/RIM/BBM etc, has always been about security. That was their success. That was their down fall, their try to move mainstream with corporate technology. It would never have been more valuable to the John Smiths than media, apps and camera. And they tried and failed at that.

I still use WhatsApp, don't get me wrong but if I had to choose I have to look at the facts: I don't know who owns Whatsapp on top of my head. I don't know where their servers are, the level of encryption of their servers and how serious they take their security in actuality (every application company says your privacy is important...).


Actually it's the combination of events and multiple chats that interest me. I'm looking at it in the context of group messaging for my Rotary club, we sometimes use WhatsApp now but BBM might be more useful. Having a general chat, plus others for more specific subjects, plus discussion of upcoming events. Right now events go into our Google calendar and are on Facebook, and those won't change, but there's no harm in seeing if BBM is more useful for some people.

Definitely good points, thanks Aitch. I actually didn't know you could have multiple chats within a group. That would be very helpful.

Since I don't use them yet maybe you can answer me then... what if you had two chat's in one group that had "unread" messages do they both appear in the list? Any way to basically make them both "read" at once? Don't think it would be possible as they'd be separate chats but thought I'd ask.

[Aitch]

I'm still learning but I think they would appear as separate Updates within the app, and different notifications in the Android notifications bar. Probably have to be cleared separately.

[rajin929]

i was on google play and tried to download, but an error message came up saying that my motorola defy phone was not a supported device.
not sure if it is the phone, or because I am running an older version of android or both.
but i think i'll just stick to whatsapp - just seems like there are too many ways/apps/websites to do the same thing.

[tweak_s]

i was on google play and tried to download, but an error message came up saying that my motorola defy phone was not a supported device.
not sure if it is the phone, or because I am running an older version of android or both.
but i think i'll just stick to whatsapp - just seems like there are too many ways/apps/websites to do the same thing.

BBM requires Android 4.0 and up. So ICS and up.

Thats true, gotta find the one that works for you!

[rajin929]

BBM requires Android 4.0 and up. So ICS and up.

Thats true, gotta find the one that works for you!

ahh i see! thanks man!

(i'm smartphone stupid. lol)

[peterm15]

Ill hop on the bandwagon. Why not??

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/25/asejevun.jpg

[peterm15]

74139ee3
Add me and I'll add you to tm3 group. Wish I could figure out how to post a link to a group



Added. I think.


Post a pic of the groups barcode. Wont help everyone but will help most.

[Hyperion]

Good idea
http://www.imgur.com/cob1tvl.png
Anyone can invite people in

[RTEnthusiast]

I might be confused, but scanning that code did nothing for me. I added you though, Hyperion.

[Hyperion]

Works for me on my gf's phone

[FD22]

Finally hopped on the wagon, somewhat by force. Not really a fan of it, and never saw why people liked it sooooooo much better than just normal texting. But, I guess it's quite useful for group chats. And since WhatsApp seems to be giving me issues as of late, I'm going to give BBM a shot. Let's see if I can figure out how to get myself onto our TM3 BBM group here..

[RTEnthusiast]

edit: oops my bad

[asyed]

I might just join in for the TM3 group... that said im still not a fan of it... but I feel like im missing out on this "tm3 chatter" :P

[soccerboy1491]

my work phoen is a bb so i joined the tm3 group with it lol.

[The Wolf]

Someone please add me to the tm3 group
Pin: 758A8A05

[mazdaskit]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/25/nyre5a8a.jpg

[geobur]

could someone also add me to the TM3 group
bbm pin: 7575CFB0

[Hyperion]

You can add me and I'll add you to the group

[FD22]

You can add me and I'll add you to the group

I'm just gonna do this; tried scanning the group's barcode yesterday but doesn't seem like that's worked. Just tried it one more time in case it works.

[trulankan]

my PIN: 75F81BEC

[Hyperion]

Also if you add me, tell me who you are lol

[aris]

75b0672c

[Wylie]

just tried to join the group if someone's wondering who, I just scanned it so it didn't let me add a message

[maxewell12]

my pin: 76869c61

[Mazdy]

75ED4B89

[boosted_out]

Took it off as it was draining my battery

[switzah]

Add meee! 764c2c7d

[paulabreu]

Might as well put mine here
762c5843
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/23/epamurum.jpg

[SKyactivmanny]

Never got into the whole bbm thing, not even when i had a blackberry. Whats all the hype about?