If you live in Africa for example, and tried since yesterday to get yourself BlackBerry’s BBM messaging app, you hit a wall. BlackBerry and Samsung have a deal to have BBM available only to Samsung owners for a week before everyone else. But if you are Android user, here’s a step by step to get it immediately and starting using it today:
1. Download the Android APK file from here:
2. If you didn’t use your Android device to download the file, transfer it to anywhere that you can find it later on your device.
3. Find the file on your phone and tap on it to install it. Make sure you have enabled “Allow installation of apps from unknown sources” under Settings -> Security. If not you will be prompted to do so.
4. Once installed, open the application and enter the email addresses you used to sign up for BBM waitlist on the Blackberry site. If you didn’t sign up on such a wait-list here’s a work around suggested by CNet: Open the app, enter your e-mail address, click Next, and then force-close it. On Android, enter the multitasking menu and swipe the app away, or go to Settings, Apps, BBM, and click Force Close. After relaunching the app you should have the power to create an account, which will assign you a unique PIN, and to begin inviting friends.
5. If you succeed getting in, you will be met with the screen below. Just click on “Next”
6. You will be asked to create a BlackBerry ID if you don’t already have one. Click on “Create a BlackBerry ID”, otherwise just “Sign in”
7. Creating a BlackBerry ID is a process of you entering your details; Name, birth date, password, etc… When you’re done, you’ll be presented with your new BBM Pin as shown below. CLick the “Continue” button.
8. You will then be taken to the home screen of your BBM. From there, you can add new contacts, start conversations and other things BB. Here’s a screenshot from my first BBM conversation!
16 comments
i already have BBM on my iPhone and im in SA
does it work in Zimbabwe ?
yesssss
So what’s the big idea and the hype about BBM? Why would I want to use it given the already flooded market with Apps like Whatsapp, Hangouts (soon to incorporate SMS), iMessage, WeChat.
I also find it ironic that on Android the service is being pushed via the Samsung Apps Hub, whereas Samsung already has ChatOn….
Probably because chat on is useless. Had it on a Samsung wave 1 running bada and have it on the s3 as well.its useless
Dear Limbikani: don’t blur sensitive information in your images; color over it! http://dheera.net/projects/blur.php
Additionally, you really did a half-hearted job of blurring, I can easily tell your BBM username (Limbikani Makani), your BBM PIN (7B***A4A), your contact’s name (William) – just with my God given eyes, without having to bust out the sharpen mask.
(Mods: please edit my comment if it reveals too much personal info)
lol dude. thanks. nothing too sensitive.
No prob ;-). My comment was more of an ‘FYI’ for the next time that you need to redact information that is sensitive.
thanks dude… new knowledge indeed that will help.
BBM is useless now, RIM lost the plot long tym ago
It is available to iPhones even in Zim, there’s a work around it even if you don’t have samsung device, will post the link to the workaround here in a bit. But major limitation is that it does not support tablet devices, so it conveniently leaves out the galaxy tabs and iPads etc, unless they’ll include these later on
i have tried every method on the internet and my bbm still wont setup on my samsung s3 i have been waiting for 19 hours, how long do i have to wait on the waiting list????????
Have downloaded the app and set up , the challenge contacts who are on Blackberry. I have read somewhere of Blackberry Groups, any Zimbabwean issues groups available or any other interesting local groups
Being a Zimbo I’m concerned about data consumption .do I have any idea how much it eats up since its always on? If its a fat hungry kid won’t we just delete afta the excitement dies down and go back to app. We don’t unlimited data plans here.
hahah bbm now running thanx for your apk. using it ryt now and is working nycly no hiccups hope they dont block the service in zim havo
[…] had their South African relatives speak highly about BlackBerry and its services. And we rushed to install it too and added a number of friends, all the while expecting this to take over messaging from WhatsApp […]