BlackBerry takes a mulligan, re-releases BBM on Android and iPhone

By Konrad Krawczyk October 21, 2013

as bbm offers details on future update — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Get ready BBM die-hards! After a failed attempt at releasing BBM for Android and iOS last month, BlackBerry announced in an official blog post that it will take a second crack at it today.

BlackBerry’s Andrew Bocking revealed that the embattled Ontario-based firm will be launching BBM for Android and iPhone “over the next few hours,” noting that the app should begin to show up in the Google Play Store, iPhone App Store and “select” Samsung app stores throughout the day. In the announcement post, BlackBerry attempted to put a positive spin on BBM’s first failed launch by noting that “in just seven hours, about one million Android users were using the unreleased version of BBM for Android.” Bocking went on to say that “more than one million people have found creative ways to ‘side load’ BBM on their iPhone.”

How To Download BBM For Android, iPhone

BlackBerry provided instructions for how to download BBM. They’re pretty straightforward, though a little unconventional. BBM fans, you can head over to the official BBM site using your device’s browser to download the app. Once installed and opened, sign up using your email address. From here, you’ll be put on a waiting list. When you get to the top of the list, you’ll receive an email informing you that you can start using the app.

For what it’s worth, when we searched for the BBM app in the Google Play Store on our phone, we couldn’t find it. However, heading over to BBM.com indeed did the trick, immediately prompting us to open Google Play and download it. Strange, but at this point, whatever works.

Between BlackBerry’s flailing mobile hardware business and last month’s BBM release miscue, the firm and its devotees are in dire need of some positive news. Whether they actually deliver this time or not remains to be seen.

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Konrad Krawczyk

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…

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