BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will arrive for free on Android and iOS in the coming days.
BBM is one of the more popular aspect of BlackBerry’s ailing platform, used by 60 million people each month, the company said.
The Android version will arrive on 21 September, but only works on handsets running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.
iPhone users will have to wait a day longer, with the download arriving 22 September. It will work on iOS 6 and iOS 7.
Both versions will be available for free.
BlackBerry suggested the move was designed to help BBM take over mobile messages on all platforms. “With more than a billion Android, iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones in the market, and no dominant mobile messaging platform, this is absolutely the right time to bring BBM to Android and iPhone customers,” said vice president for BBM, Android Blocking.
Troubled times
The release comes as BlackBerry is set to be sold off – and possibly broken into different units first. The company also faces staff cuts of up to 40%.
However, the company said it’s only halfway through its reorganisation, and yesterday announced a surprise new smartphone, the 5in BlackBerry Z30, which will run an updated version of its OS.
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