While we are all in agreement that BlackBerry Messenger is our preferred, if not THE, messaging application, there are those who may still utilize other applications for communicating with friends and family on other platforms. Hike Messenger has been available on legacy devices but only a short time ago released a version for BlackBerry 10 handsets, albeit an Android port.

Similar to WhatsApp, and of course BBM, Hike is a cross-platform messaging app that allows users to not only broadcast messages using their data plan to other users but also connect via SMS. However, the number of SMS you can send/receive is limited. Users may earn more by inviting friends and sending messages but be warned they do expire. For those living in India, there is free hike2sms.

As with BBM it employs the ability to see when a message is delivered and read with the option to choose who on your list sees when the message was last-seen by being able to control the time stamp. It also allows for transfer of media but only up to 3MB in size and offers a variety of stickers and two-way background themes. For these chat themes, by changing it on your screen it will also change the background on that chat on your friend's device as well.

The interface is easy to use and in terms of functionality is the same as its counterparts on other platforms. Overall, it offers a clean and good user experience, though being a port it sometimes takes a bit to load depending on the strength of your connection.

As of now, the only issue I see is the number of people currently using Hike. Speaking for myself most of my contacts utilize BBM. However, there is nothing wrong with having another alternative enter the fold as it also supports Android, iOS, Windows, and Symbian. You can find Hike at the links below for most BBOS devices and all BlackBerry 10 handsets.

More information/Download Hike Messenger for BlackBerry 10
More information/Download Hike Messenger for BBOS

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