BBM for iOS, Android Racks Up 10M Downloads in 24 Hours

BlackBerry racked up more than 10 million downloads of its BBM app for iOS and Android in just 24 hours, the Canadian phone maker announced.

"I've seen reports of apps that launched with one million downloads in a day, but over 10 million? Amazing," Andrew Bocking, executive vice president of BBM at BlackBerry, wrote in a blog post Tuesday.

Released on Monday after a month-long delay, the app shot up in the Apple App Store's free app rankings, taking the No. 1 slot in more than 75 countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Indonesia, and most of the Middle East, Bocking said. "We have also seen overwhelmingly positive reviews on Google Play and the App Store," he added. "In fact, BBM has earned 60,000 five-star reviews on Google Play from about 87,000 reviews."

BlackBerry originally planned to launch BBM for iOS and Android on Sept. 21 but delayed the release after a fake version hit the Web and overwhelmed the company's network. Prior to the app's release, about 6 million people signed up for information about BBM on the company's website.

When it resumed the rollout of BBM, BlackBerry updated the iOS and Android versions of the app. The iPhone version has been optimized for iOS 7, and the Android version got a new BBM chat widget, which lets users keep track of chats without having to open the app.

Users should stay tuned for even more features to make their way to the app in the "near future," Bocking said. The BBM team is currently working to bring BlackBerry 10-excusive features like video, voice, and channels to the iOS and Android versions of BBM.

Whether or not the new BBM apps are enough to save BlackBerry remains to be seen. The firm has failed to gain significant market share with its BB10 smartphones, and is currently considering a sale that would take it private.

BBM is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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