BlackBerry’s BBM service was one of the earliest popular alternatives to text messaging, but it’s become less vital amidst competition from Apple’s iMessage and a variety of third-party apps. Today, BlackBerry has updated it with Channels, a quasi-social media platform. Any user can create a Channel, after which others can “follow” them to receive updates. It appears to be aimed at brands and celebrities: a public figure can send news or status updates to users, who can then like or comment on them. Traditional one-on-one communication is also possible, but only if the Channel owner initiates a chat.
BlackBerry announces BBM ‘Channels’ social platform for brands and celebrities
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
Unlike many new features, Channels isn’t limited to the latest software; it’s available in beta on everything from BlackBerry 5 to BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry has also just announced that it’s moving BBM onto Android and iOS, something that will vastly expand the reach of this new feature.
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