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BlackBerry says BBM messaging app for Android and iOS isn't coming this week

BlackBerry says BBM messaging app for Android and iOS isn't coming this week

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BBM for Android and iOS
BBM for Android and iOS

If you're waiting for BlackBerry's BBM messaging app to hit Google Play and the iOS App Store, you'll be waiting a while longer. Over the weekend more than 1 million people downloaded a leaked version of BBM for Android, causing BlackBerry to delay the launch of its app for both Google and Apple's mobile operating systems. On Monday, BBM head Andrew Bocking said in a blog post that "this will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week."

The leaked app's popularity is a problem Bocking explained that the leaked app is an older version that overloaded company servers with "volumes of data traffic orders of magnitude higher than normal for each active user." BlackBerry is now working to block users of the leaked app before releasing the proper Android and iOS software. As was the case on Saturday, no clear timetable is being offered as to when the cross-platform messaging app will be formally released. Back in May, BBM for Android and iOS were promised for a summer release. But summer is over, and what should have been an easy hit for BlackBerry has turned into yet another stumble along with substantial financial losses, major layoffs, a retreat from the consumer hardware market — and the looming possibility of a new ownership.