BBM for Android, iPhone: how it will work

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) on Android and iPhone will require that users sign up for and log in with a BlackBerry ID, a spokesperson for BlackBerry South Africa has confirmed.

The BlackBerry ID username is an e-mail address of your choosing, and like most other online accounts is secured by a password.

When registering for a BlackBerry ID, BlackBerry also requires that you select a screen name.

According to BlackBerry, “this screen name is the name that appears when you submit app reviews in the BlackBerry World storefront.”

The BlackBerry PIN is therefore no longer the device-specific identifier to which your BBM profile is linked, but it does remain as a method to connect to other BBM users without sharing other contact information.

“One key focus for BBM from the very start eight years ago was privacy,” a BlackBerry spokesperson told MyBroadband. “The PIN infrastructure we use allows users to add contacts without sharing personal information.”

According to BlackBerry, every BBM user gets a unique PIN.

BlackBerry SA also confirmed that just like on BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10, BBM for Android and iPhone users will also be able to invite BBM contacts using SMS and e-mail.

“Please keep an eye on www.bbm.com for more details on how it will work,” BlackBerry SA said.

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