The next BBM beta for BlackBerry, Android, iOS and Windows Phone is coming very, very soon and this time around, the core focus will be on enhanced privacy features. As highlighted in a new video, we'll soon have two brand new premium features added to BBM called 'Timed Messages' and 'Message Retraction'. Just by the names, you can probably guess what they were but thankfully, you don't have to. We've got the details on both below.

  • Timed Messages - By setting a timer you can control how long messages and pictures you share with contacts can be viewed within BBM. Setting the timer is super easy: Before you send your message or picture, you just tap on the timer icon next to the text bar and choose a length of time you want the recipient to be able to view that message. The message is hidden until the recipient touches and holds on the chat. Then, once the timer has expired (or if the recipient takes their finger off the screen), the message is no longer visible. What I love about the timer is that I can move seamlessly between timed messages and normal messages in a single chat depending on what I'm sending. Oh, and don't get any smart ideas about screen shots…if a screen shot is detected, the sender is notified.

  • Message Retraction - We've all been there, that time when you sent a message to the wrong person. Wouldn't it be great if you could recall that message before they see it? Or maybe you've sent a piece of sensitive info to a contact – like your credit card number so they can buy some concert tix for you – and you don't want that information to remain in the BBM chat it… Well, now you can retract your message to remove it from your BBM chat. Just touch and hold on the message you want to retract and choose 'retract message' from the menu. This one works with messages, not pictures, and is only available in one-to-one chats.

Awesome, right? I'm pretty sure these two features have been requested plenty over the past few years, especially timed messages with the rise of Snapchat and the like but now they'll be integrated right into BBM. Now all we have to do is wait for those new betas to roll out, which should be any moment now.

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