BBM for Android beta gets Material Design update

Last week BlackBerry teased something new was coming and while there was much speculation over what it would be, we can now put it to rest. As noted on the Inside BlackBerry blog, a new beta is filtering through the Beta Zone for those making use of an Android device and beta testing BBM that finally brings Android Material Design to the app, something BlackBerry committed to bringing several months ago.

Here's what's new:

Android Material Design has arrived!

Material design is a set of design guidelines developed by Google. Inspired by paper and ink, it's full of large images, bright colors and most importantly, a consistent interface. If you're using Android 5.0 Lollipop, you've already seen material design in action. This means a more colorful, more eye-popping, and easier-to-use BBM experience that's brand-new, yet very familiar. Check back to the blog later, to learn more about how BBM uses material design, and the inspiration for our new look and feel.

  • Private Chats: In a private chat, your contact's name is hidden, and new message notifications are turned off. Your chat is automatically deleted after a short time, or when you end the private chat.

  • Edit Message - The perfect complement to message retraction, Replace provides you with the power to edit a sent message.

  • Publish in Feed: Share status updates faster, right from your BBM feed.

Remember – this is just a beta, and things might still change. If you're interested in getting early access to the newest version of BBM, sign up for the beta and tell us what you think. What do you like? What don't you like? With your feedback, you'll be part of creating the world's best cross-platform messenger.

Again, this is only a beta release and not a Google play release, so unless you have access to the BlackBerry Beta Zone you'll still have to wait a bit for the full release but at least it's well on its way now.

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