BlackBerry Messenger for Android has leaked online but you can’t actually use it yet.
Although there’s no official release date for the iPhone and Android version of BBM, the Android app has leaked online but doesn’t work.
The guys at CrackBerry have discovered you can download the seemingly official BBM app for Android and install it on your phone, but surprise surprise, you won’t be able to get it to work.
It seems BlackBerry has released the Android app only for those part of its beta program, meaning it won’t work on any old Android device.
“The excitement around the upcoming launch of BBM for Android and iPhone users is amazing,” reads an official BlackBerry statement.
The cross-platform BBM messaging app will enable those who left their BlackBerry smartphones behind long ago in favour of Android or iOS devices to utilise the service instead of alternatives like WhatsApp.
“The version we’ve seen on the web in the last couple of days can be downloaded, but will not work on devices that are not approved in the beta program.”
Tipped to launch this week on Friday, September 20, BBM for iPhone and Android was originally announced by BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins during the BlackBerry Live conference in Florida.
Marking the first time the BBM service will be available on non-BlackBerry devices, BlackBerry is hoping to expand the service and make it accessible to a greater audience.
“We will make BBM available as the premier multi-platform messaging solution around the world and even better, its free,” said Heins during the announcement. “At launch we will support iPhones running iOS 6 and Android devices on Ice Cream Sandwich and higher.”
Next, take a look at our pick of the best Android phones of 2013.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
