The world of messaging apps is almost as big as the world of smartphones. But Samsung, Google, and Apple don't compete here. There are only two competitors left: WhatsApp and BlackBerry, with BBMThe service of the Canadians has already reached 80 million monthly active users, being the only rival of WhatsApp.
The world's most famous messaging app continues its reign, surpassing 300 million active users, a figure that is well above that of BBMThe service, which has now reached the rest of the mobile platforms, currently has 80 million active users, a very notable growth since it has arrived on Android and iOS, where it has managed to recruit others 20 million in just a few weeksThis means that approximately 60 million active users are using BlackBerry smartphones. Obviously, this number will decrease as BlackBerry phones are replaced by those from other companies, and the Canadians' goal is to ensure that these new users of other operating systems continue to choose the BlackBerry messaging app. BBM.
It will not be the only expectation of the company, which will have to expand the number of users If it wants to truly compete with WhatsApp. Considering that the latter app has around 300 million active users, BBM would still have to quadruple its current user base. In what timeframe? Time isn't really important. What is important is that it exists. sustained growth, and not a stagnation. If the number of users grows steadily, even if only in small amounts, the advertising and revenue that they will be able to enter will be really important for the future of the application. If instead, there is no growth, but a decrease, then we will be talking about yet another application that has suffered the almost monopolistic dominance of WhatsApp, which has a brutal power about other apps.
What a "monthly active user" actually measures on BBM
Monthly active user A user is someone who sends or receives messages at least once in the last 30 days. This definition is key to separating the noise of downloads from actual usage. BBM recorded 10 million downloads in its first 24 hours on Android and iOS and managed to add 20 million active users in just one week After opening up to these platforms, increasing its active base to about 80 million. It even reached the Top 5 downloads in over 100 countries, which validated the multi-platform strategy. In addition, BlackBerry eliminated the waiting list initial to activate the app and facilitated immediate access from Google Play and the App Store.
Market growth and competitive context
To put the pace of BBM into perspective, it's worth some context: services like Path It took them more than a year to add 10 million users, Viber It took almost two years to reach 50 million and Reservation celebrated 40 million in about a year. BBM, by opening up to Android and iOS, climbed in days What took others months. Even so, the benchmark in the sector remains WhatsApp, which has successively reported figures higher than 300 million, after 350 million and later on 700 million monthly active users, with approximately 30.000 billion messages dailyThis highlights the gap BBM must close: there is growth, but competition operates on a massive scale.
Cross-platform, desktop, and pre-installation agreements
For years, BBM was exclusive to BlackBerry devices. With its openness, it reached Android e iOS, and the company confirmed its arrival on Windows Phone to strengthen its presence in the corporate segment. Along the same lines, it signed agreements for the app came pre-installed in the range Nokia X and in various models Lumia, multiplying the platform's reach. In parallel, BlackBerry announced the development of a desktop version from BBM in order to integrate into professional workflows and extend usage sessions beyond mobile.
Security, communities and monetization
One of the great differentials of BBM is its focus on security. Allows you to add contacts by PIN o unit’s QR code, hiding sensitive personal information by default. This philosophy, combined with its infrastructure, made it a common tool in corporate and government environments. In terms of product, the platform incorporated video calls y BBM Channels, a channel-like system for brands and creators that boosts community and reach.
To sustain the project beyond growth, BlackBerry activated avenues for monetization and BBM Shop (with packages of stickers) and the business suite eBBM with premium monthly payment services. Adoption was reflected in milestones such as more than a billion stickers sent y 100 million downloads on Android. Still, the
The world of messaging apps is almost as big as the world of smartphones. But Samsung, Google, and Apple don't compete here. Only two competitors remain: WhatsApp and . The Canadian service has already reached 80 million monthly active users, being the only rival of WhatsApp.
The world's most famous messaging app continues its reign, surpassing 300 million active users, a figure that is well above that of BBMThe service, which has now reached the rest of the mobile platforms, currently has 80 million active users, a very notable growth since it has arrived on Android and iOS, where it has managed to recruit others 20 million in just a few weeksThis means that approximately 60 million active users are using BlackBerry smartphones. Obviously, this number will decrease as BlackBerry phones are replaced by those from other companies, and the Canadians' goal is to ensure that these new users of other operating systems continue to choose the BlackBerry messaging app. BBM.
It will not be the only expectation of the company, which will have to expand the number of users If it wants to truly compete with WhatsApp. Considering that the latter app has around 300 million active users, BBM would still have to quadruple its current user base. In what timeframe? Time isn't really important. What is important is that it exists. sustained growth, and not a stagnation. If the number of users grows steadily, even if only in small amounts, the number of new users will be truly important for the future of the app. If, on the other hand, there is no growth, but rather a decrease, then we're talking about yet another app that has suffered the near-monopoly dominance of WhatsApp, which has a brutal power about other apps.
What a "monthly active user" actually measures on BBM
Monthly active user A user is someone who sends or receives messages at least once in the last 30 days. This definition is key to separating the noise of downloads from actual usage. BBM recorded in its first 24 hours on Android and iOS and managed to add 20 million active users in just one week After opening up to these platforms, increasing its active base to about 80 million. It even reached the Top 5 downloads in over 100 countries, which validated the multi-platform strategy. In addition, BlackBerry eliminated the waiting list initial to activate the app and facilitated immediate access from Google Play and the App Store.
Market growth and competitive context
To put the pace of BBM into perspective, it's worth some context: services like Path It took them more than a year to add 10 million users, Viber It took almost two years to reach 50 million and Reservation celebrated 40 million in about a year. BBM, by opening up to Android and iOS, took others months. Still, the industry benchmark remains WhatsApp, which has successively reported figures exceeding 300 million, after 350 million and later on 700 million monthly active users, with approximately 30.000 billion messages dailyThis highlights the gap BBM must close: there is growth, but competition operates on a massive scale.
Cross-platform, desktop, and pre-installation agreements
For years, BBM was exclusive to BlackBerry devices. With its openness, it reached Android e iOS, and the company confirmed its arrival on Windows Phone to strengthen its presence in the corporate segment. Along the same lines, it signed agreements to include the app in the range Nokia X and in various models Lumia, multiplying the platform's reach. In parallel, BlackBerry announced the development of a desktop version from BBM in order to integrate into professional workflows and extend usage sessions beyond mobile.
Security, communities and monetization
One of the great differentials of BBM is its focus on security. Allows you to add contacts by PIN o unit’s QR code, hiding sensitive personal information by default. This philosophy, combined with its infrastructure, made it a common tool in corporate and government environments. In terms of product, the platform incorporated video calls y BBM Channels, a channel-like system for brands and creators that boosts community and reach.
To sustain the project beyond growth, BlackBerry activated avenues for monetization and BBM Shop (with packages of stickers) and the business suite eBBM with premium monthly payment services. Adoption was reflected in milestones such as more than a billion stickers sent y 100 million downloads on Android. Even so, the company has insisted on differentiating downloads de active use: Success is dictated by returning users, not install clicks. Even the separation of the business was considered under one entity «BBM Inc.» to accelerate innovation.
However, the challenge for BBM remains to maintain a constant growth of active users, expand its multiplatform presence and capitalize on its differential to maximise security and your enjoyment. and tools for businesses. The figures for 80 million of assets and subsequent communications regarding 85 million They're showing traction; the goal is to sustain it against platforms with hundreds of millions of shares and maintain the value proposition that made it relevant in mobility and productivity.
