BlackBerry releases betas for Android version of BBM and the BlackBerry Privacy Shade

Today, BlackBerry has started offering a new beta version of the Android flavored BBM messaging app. Among the new additions are animated stickers. Stickers have come a long way since BBM announced that it would be offering them back in February 2014. You can preview and share animated stickers. There are more than 1,000 packs to choose from, divided into different categories.

With the update, you can now choose a custom BBM PIN for free, and there is "richer video sharing and editing options," You can create and manage discussion groups, and there is a new user-friendly chatting interface that BlackBerry says is fun.

Besides the new BBM for Android beta, BlackBerry today unveiled a new beta of the the BlackBerry Privacy Shade app. This is the security feature that covers up a certain percentage of your screen with a dark black "shade" so that no one can read sensitive information from your display. You get to control how much of the screen is covered. The beta version adds the following new features:

• You can now toggle the finder outline on or off
• You can now enable/disable the filter from covering the virtual keyboard

Remember, the changes to both BBM for Android and the BlackBerry Privacy Shade are in the beta versions of the respective apps. While waiting for the beta versions to go live, you can install the current versions of BBM and the BlackBerry Privacy Shade by clicking on the appropriate links below.

Install BBM (BB10|iOS|Android); Install the BlackBerry Privacy Shade (Android)

source: Crackberry (1), (2)