Nearly a year after RIM yanked it out of the BlackBerry App World, Kik Messenger is once again available to BlackBerry users. Instead of going through RIM, it’s opted for a direct-to-phone Java app that you download through your browser — the new app is evidently back to basics, with phones like the Pearl and Storm not supported, and there’s no video or picture messaging support.
Kik Messenger returns to BlackBerry, but not through App World
is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.
When the app was originally pulled, it was believed to be because of privacy issues — like Kik grabbing your phone’s contacts to promote downloads — and since the app still functions as it did before, RIM’s likely not happy to see Kik back. We’d feel more comfortable with the app if it had gone through the testing and verification process required to get into the App World, but given Kik’s popularity on other platforms and the fact that BlackBerry service has been far from reliable recently, it’s good to have options.
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