Another update for BBM app for Iphone and iOS on 2nd June 2014

BlackBerry announced new update for its BBM app for Iphone and other supported iOS device at 2nd June 2014 ago. The update consists the followings, according to BlackBerry:

BBM App version 2.2.0.19:

• Simple sign up for new BBM users
• New sign in screen for existing BBM users
• Improved experience for adding new BBM contacts by email
• Updates tab has been re-named ‘Feeds’
• 16 new emoticons
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

So for those of you who until now still use the old version of BBM app, why not update your BBM app to the latest one? It's FREE (of course) and worth upgrading.

Here is the download link on the App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/bbm/id690046600?mt=8

After upgrading to the latest one, one thing directly noticeable is the new full screen BBM logo when first time opening the BBM app (if you couldn't find it that means you have it opened on the background, try to close the BBM app from the task manager and reopen it).
This is the new full screen BBM logo that appears everytime the BBM app open for the first time:

Also for the first time after updating to this version, you will be prompted to personalize your profile, asking you to give photo to your profile.

And another thing noticeable is the 3rd tab which is now renamed to "Feeds" where previously it was named as "Updates".

However the contents of "Feeds" (formerly "Updates") are the same: All, Contacts and Channels.

And "Updates" on the left menu is also updated to "Feeds" as shown below.
 

About performance improvements, do you feel the BBM app performance getting better and faster?
To me, I feel more or less the same as the previous version and even this version is slower to get to contact and start chatting compared to previous version because of the new full screen BBM logo that appearing every time this BBM app is started for the first time.

And if you are actually checking your iPhone memory usage, after quite sometime, depends on how active you are using BBM app for chatting/voice call and depends on how many contacts you have in your BBM, BBM app can and will grow from 50+MB (original size when installed) to almost 1GB!
You may want to check your usage by going through iPhone Settings app > General > Usage and find BBM app. You may be surprise on your finding.
So few things/features that current version of BBM app is still lacking are:

• delete history, including chat, photo transfer
• delete cache. your contact photos and previous photos (if they changed their photos) are kept by the BBM apps somewhere in your iPhone

Hopefully they (BlackBerry) will incorporate these features in their next release.
But don't worry, until that happen, I already find a way to reduce your BBM app size. So stay tuned because I'm compiling everything and will post it on future post. Thanks!

BBM BlackBerry Messenger for iphone now supports stickers

As of 1st April 2014, I heard the news that BlackBerry (formerly RIM) has just update their messaging app, BBM, with supports of stickers (just like LINE Messaging App from Naver).

The stickers are also download-able, just like it's rival, LINE.

However as of now 11pm (GMT+8), I haven't found any updates yet for BBM in the AppStore. Perhaps they (BlackBerry) rolled it region by region and it has not reach US region (my Apple ID is US based Apple ID).

So stay tuned, I will certainly update the post once it comes out.

Hopefully it is not an April fool's joke.

Update: 

As on 2nd April 2014 8.00am (GMT+8), the application updates for BBM can be seen on Apple AppStore update page.

Here is the AppStore link for you to download:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bbm/id690046600?mt=8

Application version that has sticker updates on it is version 2.1.0.57

Device support

So, according to the information detail, it is still supporting iOS 6 devices, so:

iPhone 3GS and up are supported

iPad 2nd gen and up are supported

For those have iDevice with iOS 5 or below, you are out of luck currently. But who ever knows if BlackBerry will eventually release BBM app for these iDevices with iOS 5 and below just like what it did for android - releasing BBM App for gingerbread (old version of Android)

In-App purchases

If you notice, BlackBerry is now having In-App purchases for its BBM app.

These In-App purchases is currently used for selling the stickers

New Welcome Screen

When you successfully updated the BBM App, you will be shown a new cute welcome screen

Stickers

Don't worry be happy! Not all stickers is for sale. 

As for now, BlackBerry is giving 2 sets of stickers for free.

1. BBM Stickers

This is basically BBM emoticon being oversized.

2. WWE Superstars

This is the 2nd set of free stickers. Do you know these WWE Superstars?

These below are paid stickers

Currently there are only 3 paid stickers available for sale.

These characters are funny but not as funny as those coming from LINE messaging App (Brown and Cony if you know)

The price tag they put for the stickers is also the same as LINE sticker price tag, each a $1.99

1. CosCat

2. Gilbert's Tales

3. Bubble Bot

Hopefully and certainly BlackBerry will keep updating the stickers so it will be more fun to chat via BBM.

And hopefully this update - bringing stickers - is not slowing down the overall performance of the BBM App itself.

How to use the Stickers

To use the stickers, simply do the following:

1. pick one of your friend in the contact list

2. Click on the yellow emoticon button

3. Then you will see new menus with 3 buttons: trolley button, emoticon button and emoticon with dots all over it. 

4. Click the last one

5. If you haven't bought anything yet, it will redirect you to the BBM Shop where you can see all the available stickers

6. Download or buy one of them, then you are good to go

7. This is the screen showing how it looked like when the sticker is sent