If you’re already a fan of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), we’ve got some exciting news designed to make it easier for you to connect with your entire mobile social network. BlackBerry plans to make BBM, our wildly popular mobile messaging service, available for the first time to iOS® and Android™ users this summer, (subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store, as applicable). This means that, once available, you can welcome your friends and family using these other mobile platforms to connect over BBM and share in the Team BlackBerry love.

As we’ve chronicled on our Inside BlackBerry blog for some time now, BBM set the standard for mobile instant messaging with fast and reliable service and an added layer of engagement with delivered and read statuses. You’ve shared with us your stories about how BBM has kept you connected when it mattered most to you. Upon release of the multi-platform BBM service, you can broaden that real-time connection to friends and colleagues on other supported mobile platforms.

In the first version of multi-platform BBM, iOS and Android users are expected to be able to experience the following BBM features:

• The immediacy of BBM chats
• Multi-person chats
• Voice note sharing
• BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more

The team here at BlackBerry has definitely been working hard to bring the much-adored BBM experience to a wider group of mobile users. In a recent press release at BlackBerry Live 2013, Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry had this to say:

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.”

BBM Quick Facts:

• More than 60 million monthly active users
• More than 51 million daily active users who are connecting with friends or colleagues an average of one and a half hours every day.
• BBM users send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps
• Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are

Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple® App StoreSM and Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.

That’s some pretty big news, indeed. Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments below, who will be the first person from your extended network that you introduce to BBM?

If you’re anything like me, seeing that ‘R’ in a delivered BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) message is like colour to my eyes (see what I did there?). I am obsessed with knowing that my messages have been delivered, read and when they’re being responded to.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Today, BlackBerry takes BBM to the next level with BBM Channels
extending the BBM experience to brands, artists, businesses and communities, you will now be able to connect with individuals and groups in real time. Stay up to date on your favorite things. Receive timely updates and participate by commenting on, liking and sharing posts. Or choose to express yourself and create a channel of your own – and create, edit & publish in an instant.Starting today, BBM customers can connect and share the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team on their BBM Channels.

Top BBM Channels Features:

• Create a channel – Create, edit and publish in an instant, and there are no limits to the number of followers you can have in your channel. Securely manage your channel from either a BlackBerry smartphone or the web.
• Discover channels – BBM Channels includes a carousel that lets you discover new channels. You can share channel invites within a BBM chat, and people can be added or invited using the channel’s PIN or QR code.
• View – View profiles for each BBM Channel you choose to follow.
• Subscribe – Subscribing to a channel allows the channel owner to send you timely and relevant updates, giving the subscriber instant access to your news, deals, events or whatever you want to communicate. Subscribers can choose to receive notifications when new posts are available.
• Participate – Participate and engage in conversations with your favorite people or communities by “Commenting” and “Liking” posts from channels you subscribe to. Channel owners have the option to directly chat one-on-one with a subscriber.
• Monitor engagement – Easily use built-in measuring tools to assess and monitor follower engagement and interaction

Today, BlackBerry also announced plans to bring BBM to iOS® and Android™ users this summer. BlackBerry expects that iOS and Android users will also be able to experience BBM Channels later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

BBM with BBM Channels is now available in beta for BlackBerry 10 smartphones, as well as BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry 5 OS through 7.1. For BlackBerry OS customers*, BBM Channels is part of the new BBM version 8, which also offers enhanced navigation tools, with tabbed viewing for quick and easy access to contacts, chats, groups, recent updates and BBM Channels. Furthermore, it allows the option to share your enhanced profile information with BBM contacts or within invitations. The beta releases can be downloaded for free on BlackBerry Beta Zone**. Customers can sign up to BlackBerry Beta Zone for free at www.BlackBerry.com/betazone. For more information about BBM, please visit www.blackberry.com/bbm.

*BBM requires a BlackBerry service plan on BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS.
**BlackBerry Beta Zone is not available in all markets.

The modern BlackBerry device user is faced with a very difficult decision: selecting the perfect photo to become their BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) avatar. Sure, it seems easy. The Time Shift Camera on the BlackBerry Z10 is perfect for grabbing that perfect new selfie. For those of you who aren’t shutterbugs, there’s always that family member who constantly sends you awkward photos from the last get-together, and the Facebook app is your gateway to even more options. With all these options, why is choosing one photo so hard?

I toyed with the idea of uploading a photo of myself for quite some time. On the one hand, it would allow my friends to feel like they could really connect with me, since they would see my face as they typed. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if a solo shot looked self-aggrandizing. So, I scanned through my contact list to see what avatars my friends, family and colleagues chose. The results were fairly consistent – roughly the same number of professional headshots, fun party photos, images of children and loved ones, and cool products/gadgets that people wanted to buy.

But what is the message you want to convey with your avatar? Of course, it’s not just an image you’re uploading; it’s a way to set the stage for your conversations. Team BlackBerry, tell us: how did you choose your BBM Avatar?

* Image has been altered to remove BBM screen names

One of the best things about my job at BlackBerry is that I get to learn about the tremendous impact our products have on the lives of consumers and developers all over the world. From Saratoga Springs, USA to Phalaborwa, South Africa, BlackBerry devices have found their way to the farthest reaches of our great planet.

Africa is such a fascinating region for us. As an emerging market, you might be interested to know that mobile adoption in Africa is projected to reach 85 percent, or 950 million subscribers, in the next three years. To put that into perspective, that’s more than three times the entire U.S. population!

What’s really cool is that in South Africa, BlackBerry devices maintain a 70 percent market share. According to researchers at Ovum, this is largely the result of high-quality apps – like BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), a favorite in the region – and app stores like the BlackBerry App World storefront.

There are so many ways to engage with markets around the globe. A great place to get started is by following the BlackBerry Europe & Africa communities on Facebook or YouTube.

Is there an emerging global market that interests you? Let us know in the comments below.

NOTE: Please be aware that it may take up to 24 hours for the app to be available in the BlackBerry App World storefront.

Showing is better than telling, so we made a video of the first official BBM Voice call on Inside BlackBerry. Check it out:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

BBM 7 gives you the freedom to choose how you connect with your BBM contacts. It is designed so you can seamlessly switch from a BBM message to a BBM Voice call for free over Wi-Fi.

Here are some other great features you’ll love in BBM 7:

• BBM upgrade notifications – BBM will notify you when there are updates to download straight from within the app
• BBID Synchronization – your BBM profile, Groups and Contacts are linked to your BlackBerry ID
• 16 Additional emoticons – even more choice for those times when words just aren’t enough. Can you spot the new ones? *Drool*

For more information on BBM Voice as well as what else BBM 7 has to offer, check out this How-To video. We can’t wait to hear what you think. Be sure to leave us a comment here or tweet to @BlackBerry using #BBMVoice.

With the holiday season just around the corner, be sure to update your BBM application to BBM 7 so that you can stay connected. As mentioned above it may take up to 24 hours for the app to appear in BlackBerry App World.

How will you be keeping in touch with your friends and family over the holidays?

Fewer smartphone users are relying on their mobile devices to make calls. According to a study by O2, the most popular smartphone activities are mobile browsing, social networking, and playing games. Turns out, making or receiving phone calls came in fourth on the list, followed by texting and emails.

Earlier this fall, we asked fans if they prefer BlackBerry Messenger (BBM ) or texting to stay connected to friends and family. Can you guess which service won out? Read our previous “Be Bold and Vote” post to find out. Now, we want to know what you most often use your BlackBerry smartphone for. Take the poll below, and tell us more by sharing your thoughts in the comments below!

So you’re using a feature phone as your daily wireless device. It’s familiar, comfortable, it works for you. Sure, you use it to make a call here and there, or to send the odd SMS (text) message. But when do you decide it’s time to make the most of your mobile life by switching to a BlackBerry ® smartphone?

The benefits of a smartphone far exceed that of a feature phone. A smartphone is a mini computer – a portable office that keeps you organized and always connected. BlackBerry smartphones with QWERTY keyboards offer a quicker way to communicate by text message, email and chat via BlackBerry Messenger® (BBM™). Smartphones also have the ability to transfer larger volumes of data than a regular cell phone, ensuring that you are never out of touch. Many smartphones also offer high-resolution touch screen displays to make navigating a smartphone simple.

A smartphone does much more than messaging. You can surf the web, engage in social media and play games on your BlackBerry smartphone. You can even head over to the BlackBerry App World™ storefront to find new BlackBerry apps in order to get the full smartphone experience.

Have you recently transitioned from a feature phone to a smartphone? Share your experience in the comments below.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

The inclusion reflects the extraordinary global popularity of BBM. From its humble origins as a business messaging tool, BBM now has over 56 million users worldwide, with 70% of #TeamBlackBerry using it on a daily basis to communicate with friends, family and colleagues.

The addition of BBM to the Collins English dictionary recognizes its status as one of the world’s most popular mobile social networks. In recent years, the term ‘BBM’ has transcended its technological origins to become a part of the everyday language of millions. It’s an honor that a word used by millions of our customers has now been officially welcomed into the English language.

Do you use BBM in your everyday vocabulary? If so, be sure to tell us your favorite BBM stories in the comments below, and swing by our recent poll to cast your vote for BBM as your top communication tool.

Two campaigns are in full swing. Babies are kissed, hands are shaken, and it’s come down to a face-off. There can be only one winner. Who will emerge victorious, and who will not? It’s not about politics; it’s an official Inside BlackBerry® Blog Poll!

It’s time to vote for which technology you use the most to connect with friends and family: BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) or the BlackBerry® smartphone’s text messaging application? Do you live for the BBM check-marked “R” or are you a text-a-holic? Do you use both equally? Cast your vote and let us know!

If you have any additional thoughts behind your vote, feel free to share them in the comments below!

Regardless of who you are or where you live, the odds are good that you will find yourself pressed for time, grabbing your BlackBerry® device and trying to squeeze in some extra productivity. To BlackBerry users, productivity is the name of the game. While it would be great if we could slow down the pace of our lives, the reality is that we have to become more efficient instead. There are many simple shortcuts built into the BlackBerry® smartphone OS. Here are a few of my favorite shortcuts to help make your life a bit easier.

Let’s Rock n’ Scroll This!

Most of us have a ton of messages in our unified Inbox, and scrolling back to the top after reading through a hundred or so messages can be a huge investment (or waste) of time. If you need to scroll to the very top or very bottom of your Inbox, you simply tap the letter “t” for the top or the letter “b” for the bottom. This works in individual emails, as well, which comes in handy for those long email exchanges.

Mind your R’s and F’s

Responding to an email or need to forward an email to a friend? Typing the letter “r” for reply or “f” for forward on your QWERTY keyboard quickly produces the desired management of the email. Remember that to delete an email, use the DEL key!

Help! You Know I Need Somebody…

Holding down the ALT key plus the letter “h” brings up the Help screen in OS6 and older. Typing the word “help” from the home screen in OS 7 brings up the Help icon to launch the app. Singing Beatles songs, while enjoyable, unfortunately does not bring up the Help menu.

Bonus: Everyone needs a little space

Here’s a tip for those BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) addicts out there: To quickly jump between your Chats, Contacts and BBM Groups simply tap the “space” key. This will save you from having to scroll through all your open conversations, to access your countless BBM Contacts, you popular person, you.

There are a ton of other great keyboard shortcuts available to BlackBerry users and many that could help your fellow BlackBerry user, so don’t be shy — share your favorites in the comments below!