BlackBerry today announced some new privacy features for BBM on BlackBerry 10, Android, and iOS, as well as a UI refresh for Android.
First up, BlackBerry is adding a material design refresh for the Android app. The app fits in nicely with Lollipop and Google’s material design language, offering a flat look, slide-out navigation drawer, and a floating action button for things like starting a new chat.
Meanwhile, BlackBerry 10, Android, and iOS are getting a Privacy and Control Subscription for BBM. For $0.99 per month, you get Private Chat, a new feature that’ll let you chat without names and profile pictures, and your chat will automatically end after a brief period of time. Also included is the ability to edit a message that you’ve sent by retracting it, changing it, and sending it again.
The Privacy and Control Subscription replaces the Timed and Retracted Messages Subscription that debuted last year. No worries, though, because the new Privacy and Control Subscription also includes timed and retractable messages.
Also included in these BBM updates are a new method of organizing your stickers, a new Quote Message feature, and an iOS tweak that’ll make the BBM app’s font size match the system settings.
This material design update for BBM may have taken a while to hit Android, but the good news is that at least it’s an attractive look that shows that BlackBerry followed Google’s design guidelines. Meanwhile, the Privacy and Control Subscription is a new feature that could come in handy if you’re ever using BBM to chat about some sensitive material, or just something that you don’t want to come back and bite you in the rear.