Yes, Team BlackBerry, WhatsApp Messenger has arrived in the BlackBerry World storefront for BlackBerry 10 devices, and we couldn’t be more excited! WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, so there is no additional cost to message and stay in touch with your friends as long as you stay within your data limits!

WhatsApp provides a fantastic experience that leverages the true multi-tasking capabilities of BlackBerry 10. WhatsApp Messenger for BlackBerry 10 gives you an awesome messaging experience, and it looks and feels stunning. Here’s what you can expect from the app:

• Instant push notifications to alert you when you receive messages- even when the screen is locked.
• Full integration into BlackBerry Contacts, with automatic contact scanning to help you build out your contact list and get started right away.

When we launched BlackBerry 10 on January 30th, Martyn Mallick, VP Global Alliances and Business Development at BlackBerry confirmed onstage that WhatsApp was committed to the platform. Here’s what he had to say about the official launch of WhatsApp for BlackBerry 10

“BlackBerry has always been about bringing people together in a way that is fast, reliable and impactful. WhatsApp is a highly anticipated mobile messaging app that connects users to their contacts on several platforms, and we are pleased to work with WhatsApp to bring their service to our customers.”

WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton also had this to say about building for BlackBerry 10 and bringing WhatsApp into BlackBerry World today.

“BlackBerry has been a great platform for WhatsApp for many years. Delivering WhatsApp on BlackBerry 10 devices is in line with our goals of ensuring that our customers around the world can continue to communicate with the most important people in their lives.”

You can download WhatsApp Messenger in BlackBerry World starting today!

Have you been using WhatsApp for years, or are you a new customer? Either way try out the app and let us know your favorite features in the comments below.

WhatsApp Messenger is available for download in BlackBerry World — please note that it may take up to 24 hoursto appear in the BlackBerry World storefront.

Take the ability to set an alert letting you know when one of your friends comes online, for instance. If you need to chat with a friend , but you see she is offline, select the contact, and click on “Set Alert.” When your friend comes online, a notification pops up and you can start chatting.

Say you want to show her how much snow fell in the last couple of days. Fire up your  camera and take a picture. Once you have taken the picture, you can use your favourite IM application to send the picture right from the camera. Select your friend from the list of online contacts, and the picture is sent to her and shows up in her conversation window.

Now, if you’re like some of my more popular friends, you’ll have a long list of contacts in your IM application. You can easily find the friend you want to talk to by typing the first few letters of your friend’s name on the contact list screen. The application will display the matches at the top, under “Search”.  This is especially useful if your friends name starts with “Z” – you don’t have to scroll all the way down to start a conversation.

Want to add a friend to your IM contact list? When you’re in the contact list screen of your instant messaging application, you can add your friends to the BlackBerry Contacts. Select the friend and choose “Link to BlackBerry Contact” and the contact will be added. After you add your friend(s), you can see their presence and availability from the address book, and also call, email, SMS, MMS or IM your friend from anywhere on the device. If you’re in the message list, you can select your friend’s name in the email screen and choose “Instant Message”, it allows you to IM your friend in one or two clicks.

What is your favourite IM feature?