BlackBerry has officially detailed BBM for Android release plans this morning. Aside from the availability of the app, this puts the seemingly never-ending series of rumors and leaks to rest. Basically, if you are an Android user and have been waiting for BBM — now is the time to download, install and begin chatting.
Well, the begin chatting portion will only come after you set up your account, which as we learned earlier, means getting your unique BBM PIN. And given the amount of fake BBM app still listed in the Google Play Store, we suggest making double sure you have the correct app before you begin turning over any personal details. With that in mind, a good place to start will be the official site from BlackBerry; at www.bbm.com.
Grab your handset, fire up your browser and navigate to BBM.com. From that point you will be able to download the app. After the app is downloaded and installed you will enter your email address to “hold your spot in line.” After that point, you may have a bit of wait. Details coming from BlackBerry touch on the roll-out as follows;
“If you are among the millions that took the time to sign up at BBM.com, you can start using BBM immediately without waiting in line. If you didn’t sign up in advance, don’t worry – we are focused on moving millions of customers through the line as fast as possible.”
Basically, it looks like BlackBerry is going with a controlled roll-out to avoid any issues. Otherwise, as for that PIN, that is required as that is how BlackBerry keeps your personal details private. BBM users are able to share their unique PIN as opposed to sharing other items such as an email address or phone number. BBM for Android will bring person-to-person chats, group chatting with up to 30 people and the ability to share files (such as images and voice notes) from your device.
While the core features of BBM will be available for Android users at launch, there are still several expected to arrive in the future. BlackBerry had said they would be adding BBM Channels “later this year” and that BBM Video and BBM Voice calling are also planned to arrive “in a future version.” Of course, for today the key is the Android availability and for that, the BBM for Android app can be found by navigating to BBM.com.
SOURCE: BlackBerry