The all new BBM Channels seems to be BlackBerry’s take on Facebook brand hubs. Now companies and people can create pages on certain topics. What’s interesting about it is that the tool is slowly evolving from its role as a mere cross-platform messenger into a social network of sorts.
With the latest addition, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) will not just allow people to message each other, it will also let users build pages around things they like. So it goes beyond the plain old messaging functionality that others like WhatsApp offer, in a clear bid to separate itself from the crowd.
You don’t have to download any special software in order to access BBM Channels. This feature is simply hidden in the BBM menu. Upon launching it, you will find your screen populated with channels or posts which may interest you enough to get you to join the concerned page.
Once subscribed to the hub, notifications will flow in every time the channel owner or administrator has added a new post or when someone has replied to or ‘liked’ your comment/s. You can even chat with the page creator if he or she has enabled the option through settings.
But if you’d rather make a channel about something that you’re enthusiastic about, the YouTube video posted above will guide you through the process. The BBM app may be cross-platform, but Channels isn’t. Android and iPhone users will have to wait indefinitely for it.
Meanwhile, those with a BlackBerry 10 or BlackBerry OS smartphone can already access the feature.