BlackBerry Adds BBM iPad Support In New Update

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is now available on the iPad after the Canadian manufacturer rolled out an update to the iOS and Android versions of the cross-platform instant messaging service.

iPad and iPod Touch devices running iOS 6 or iOS 7 can now use BBM, with the new versions also introducing a range of updates to both platforms, including new sharing options for a user’s BBM PIN barcode and the ability to find friends using BBM on other social networks.

The iOS version adds better support for right-to-left language support and an issue which saw some contact names disappearing, while the Android app adds support for contact categories, improved group list sorting and filtering features and fixes a bug which was affecting battery life.

BBM iPad

BBM was previously restricted to BlackBerry smartphones, and a cross platform version was initially scheduled for a September release. Complications caused by the leak of an unreleased Android version delayed the launch by a month.

When it was finally released last month, the new version proved immensely popular among mobile users, with more than 20 million Android and iOS users downloading the application, bringing the total number of BBM users to 80 million.

The successful launch has been a rare piece of recent good news for BlackBerry, which recently abandoned plans to sell the company in favour of a $1 billion financing deal with a number of predominantly Canadian investors.

Former CEO Thorsten Heins was ousted as part of the deal in favour of John Chen, who will serve as interim chief executive until Heins’ replacement is found.

BlackBerry has had a bumpy year! Try our 2013 BlackBerry quiz!