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BlackBerry Messenger or BBM app, is an Internet-based, instant messaging and videotelephony app that allows you to connect with your contacts, whether friends, family, or workmates.
This app works in a similar way to WhatsApp or WeChat and is available for download to users on Windows phone, iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.
Some of the tasks you can fulfill with BBM app include:
- Instant chatting with your contacts either individually, multiple people, or in groups. The app also allows you to broadcast messages at one go
- Picture or photo sharing
- Quickly share voice notes
- Sharing contacts and location/maps
- Update your status to let people know how you feel, or what you’re up to
Its functionalities are also similar to other popular instant messaging apps, such that you can see when your contacts are typing responses, have access to a variety of emoticons for every mood and emotion so you can express yourself.
You can also set timed messages, retract messages, choose how to share your information, and even control your privacy settings.
The app also has the BBM Channels feature, which lets you create your own channel where you can post messages, share pictures, initiate conversations, and communicate directly with brands and subscribers.
This article describes how you can download and install BBM on your Windows devices such as your Windows phone, or Windows PC.
How to install BBM app on Windows Phone
In order to install BBM on your Windows Phone, you can download it directly from the BlackBerry webstore.
Alternatively, you can download BBM for free from the Windows Store.
How do I install BBM on Windows PC?
There are three ways to install the BBM app on Windows PC:
- Install BBM directly to PC
- Install BBM using Bluestacks
- Install BBM using Genymotion
1. Install BBM app directly to Windows PC
If you’re using Windows 8, you’ll need an Android SDK bundle, and BBM apk so as to install BBM directly to Windows PC, then follow these steps to set BBM up on your PC.
- Go to the extracted Android SDK bundle folder
- Open SDK Manager.exe file
- Select Tools>Manage AVDs
- Create an Android Virtual Device (RAM of 512 MB or greater)
- Start the created Android Virtual Device
- Copy the BBM.apk file you downloaded so that it reads sdk/platform-tools/BBM.apk
- Go to the sdk/platform-tools folder using File Explorer
- Choose File>Open command prompt within platform-tools folder
If you’re using Windows 7, follow these steps to install BBM on your Windows PC:
- Press and hold down Shift key, then right-click on the platform-tools folder
- Click Open Command Window Here
- Enter the command adb install BBM.apk
- After a few minutes, BBM will be installed on your virtual device
- Open BBM app from App launcher, and use the app
2. Install BBM app using LDPlayer
LDPlayer is an Android emulator and is the recommended option if you want to download and install BBM on your Windows PC.
In order to do this, you’ll need to download the updated version of LDPlayer, and BBM apk from Google Play, then follow these steps to install:
- Download and install LDPlayer
- Open the BBM apk
- Install BBM apk in LDPlayer
- Open BBM from the emulator app launcher and start using it on your PC
3. Install BBM app using Genymotion
Genymotion is one of the top free Android emulators that is powerful, easy to use, and can emulate most Android phones.
It not only automatically detects your PC’s keyboard and mouse, but also allows geolocation enablement, and adjustment of the emulator window when you launch Android applications.
In order to install BBM using Genymotion, you’ll need to download the Genymotion Android Emulator for Windows, then follow these steps:
- After downloading Genymotion Emulator, open and sign in to Genymotion cloud
- Choose Galaxy S4 HTC One Xperia Z – 4.2.2 virtual device from the list (BBM works only with this)
- Download the virtual device
- Click Play to start the virtual device
- Click on Google Play store to download BBM
- Once download is complete, click on the BBM app
- Sign in to your BBM account and use it on your PC
Advantages of BBM app
- Can be installed on up to ten Windows 10 devices
- Can be used in the same way as other instant messaging apps
- Can be used on PC, and mobile devices
- Takes up little storage space (size 15.88 MB)
There you go, follow the steps listed above to install BBM on Windows.
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
The Beta for BlackBerry Messenger for Windows Phone offers much of the quintessential BBM experience for Windows Phone fans.
Associate Editor Nate Ralph is an aspiring wordsmith, covering mobile software and hardware for CNET Reviews. His hobbies include dismantling gadgets, waxing poetic about obscure ASCII games, and wandering through airports.
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BBM Beta for Windows Phone
The BlackBerry Messenger app for Windows Phone might be a beta, but it’s still a worthy complement to the Android and iOS versions. With it, you’ll be free to chat with BBM users across platforms, sharing photos, chatting with groups, and more.
2 of 5Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
Words with BBM friends
You’re limited to chatting with BBM friends, but the app behaves just like any other messaging app otherwise. This will make it hard to compete with entrenched players like WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, or Apple’s Messages app.
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A bit more than just text
All of your active conversations sit on the chats pane, where you’ll see messages from individuals and groups. When you’re chatting with friends, you can attach images, audio clips, and contact information to messages.
4 of 5Screenshots by Nate Ralph/CNET
Invite your buddies with ease
Anyone you want to chat with will need a BlackBerry account and PIN number. If they already have a PIN, you can just enter it in via the app’s contacts pane to get started. BBM will also create a QR code with your PIN details, which should make sharing your info that much easier.
5 of 5BlackBerry
Keeping tabs on friends
The feeds pane keeps you updated on what your contacts and groups are up to — you’ll find status updates, and any changes to their profile pictures here. The Android and iOS versions of BBM also offer Channels, which are a public groups centered around topics of interest, but that feature hasn’t made it to this version of the Beta.
More Galleries
Have a Windows Phone and crave access to BlackBerry’s famed messaging app? Today’s your lucky day. Announced in a video posted today, BBM is now exiting beta to become available for download in the Windows Phone store. The company said it spent considerable time tweaking the app’s interface to fit with Microsoft’s mobile OS, and the result is a clean UI that looks considerably different than the versions you’ll see on iOS and Android (not to mention BlackBerry OS 10). BBM for Windows consists of three main screens — chats, feeds and contacts — and you’ll have the ability to pin a chat right to your phone’s start screen. Windows Phone users who are new to BBM can pick up a few tips on getting started via the video (posted below). As of this posting, the app wasn’t yet live in the Windows Phone store, but the rollout should begin shortly.
source: SARAH SILBERT/Engadget
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BlackBerry released its BlackBerry Messenger app in open beta for Windows Phone on Thursday, taking it out of the private beta stage.
Users can now download the BBM Beta app from the Windows Phone store. It’s not a universal app, however, so it will work only with Windows Phone—either Windows Phone 8 or the new Windows Phone 8.1.
BBM, long limited to BlackBerry devices alone, was downloaded more than 10 million times in the first 24 hours it was available for Android and iOS, in October 2013. BlackBerry released the app in private beta in June, saying it would be available in July.
The app does what you’d expect, allowing users to shoot messages, files, and pictures back and forth, complete with indicators when an message has been read or is in the process of being responded to.
The BBM for Windows Phone interface focuses on three key areas core to the BBM experience: Contacts, Chats and Feeds, which can be accessed by swiping left and right to access all three screens. The Contacts function is self-explanatory, while Chats is reserved for electronic back-and-forth with your friends. On Feeds, you can see when a contact has updated his or her status or photo.
“We’ll be working to quickly add more features to BBM for Windows Phone such as stickers, BBM Voice, BBM Channels and location sharing powered by Glympse in the months ahead,” BlackBerry said in early July. Those features will apparently be wrapped up into the version 2 of the app, which BlackBerry makes reference to in its product description.
For now, there are perhaps dozens of ways to communicate via instant messenger on smartphones, but far fewer on Windows Phone. With BlackBerry continuing to freefall, and Windows Phone also stuck in a niche behind the dominance of Android, companies appear to be migrating their key services back and forth.
Additional reporting by Brad Chacos.
Компания BlackBerry официально объявила о запуске фирменного мессенджера BlackBerry Messenger для операционной системы Windows Phone, и теперь новинка доступна в качестве бета-версии на мобильной платформе от Microsoft. Установить мессенджер можно посредством магазина приложений Windows Phone Store — он будет работать как на Windows Phone 8, так и на Windows Phone 8.1.
Мессенджер BBM позволит вам общаться с друзьями и своей семьёй с помощью мгновенных чатов, а также обмениваться различными файлами: изображениями, голосовыми заметками, видеороликами и многим другим. Скачать официальную версию BBM для Windows Phone можно уже сейчас — тогда вы и сможете начать общение с другими пользователями приложения, которые работают с ним на Android, iOS и BlackBerry OS.
Как сообщает производитель, приложение BBM для Windows Phone фокусируется на скорости, конфиденциальности и безопасности данных — полюбившихся миллионами людей функциях во всём мире. Кроме того, канадский производитель сообщил, что в настоящее время уже работает над версией 2, где будут внедрены дополнительные функции для мобильного детища софтверного гиганта Microsoft.
Вы можете скачать бета-версию мессенджера BlackBerry Messenger для Windows Phone прямо сейчас, нажав модную кнопку для перенаправления в магазин приложений для соответствующей операционной системы. Более подробную информацию также можно узнать в официальном блоге BlackBerry.