The new app version allows users to easily share their location

Feb 13, 2014 14:40 GMT  ·  By

Today, Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has officially announced the availability of a new version of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for the owners of Android and iOS devices, namely BBM 2.0.

The new app iteration will provide users with a great deal of new features, such as the previously rumored BBM Voice and BBM Channels, along with many other enhancements. One of the things we’re most excited about is bringing BBM Voice to iPhone and Android users.

With the new flavor of the app, users will be able to easily make free calls to their BBM contacts, either over a data connection of over Wi-Fi.

“When a BBM contact is available for a BBM Voice call you’ll see a green icon in the top right hand corner of your chat. To call them, simply touch the green icon and your call will be connected,” a post on Inside BlackBerry explains.

With BBM Channels, users will be able to get in touch with other users on topics that interest them, such as products, hobbies and sports, entertainment, fashion, cars, and more.

These channels can be created by brands and businesses, but also by BBM users themselves, so that people can easily communicate directly and immediately with other users on common interests.

At the same time, BBM 2.0 comes with support for location sharing, powered by Glympse. Users will be able to set the app to show their location only for a specific amount of time, after which it becomes private.

Additionally, the new version of the application comes with support for easily sharing photos, voice notes, or other files, including calendar events and contacts. Moreover, it comes with Dropbox integration.

“With Dropbox built in to BBM, you can send a file from your personal cloud directly to a BBM contact. On the receiving end, save the file directly to your smartphone or add it to your Dropbox account,” the aforementioned blog post explains.

At the same time, BBM 2.0 for iOS and Android comes with 100 great new emoticons, so that users can make their chats even more fun. Larger BBM Groups was also included in the app.

Additional info on the new BBM flavor can be found in the video embedded below. BBM 2.0 hasn’t landed in the Android and iOS application portals as of now, but it should be there in the not too distant future, so stay tuned.

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