It seems that BlackBerry’s BBM messaging platform has been placing a lot of emphasis on privacy. According to the latest BBM Beta for iOS, it looks like the company has added a new feature in the form of Private Chat. As the name implies, this allows users to create a private chat where contact information is hidden and where message notifications are delivered discreetly.
Messages will also be erased upon when the chat becomes inactive or when the chat is closed. However it has been noted that Private Chat will only be available for users who have subscribed to the Timed Message and Retraction bundle and can be found under “Privacy and Control”.
For those who are unfamiliar with the subscription, basically Timed Message and Retract are features that BlackBerry introduced to BBM last year. However this year BlackBerry decided to put them into a bundle and sell them at a subscription at $0.99 a month. This doesn’t mean that the features are off-limits to non-subscribers, it’s just that these users will only be limited to three timed messages and three retractions, versus subscribers who get unlimited access.
Unsurprisingly not many were pleased by BlackBerry’s decision especially given that there are messaging platforms out there who are much more popular, but if you value your privacy and these features, perhaps this bundle might be worth subscribing to.
Filed in . Read more about Apps, BBM, BlackBerry, iOS and Privacy.