BBM voice and video calls arriving 'in the coming months' as app attracts 20m new users

The instant messaging app has always been a popular feature for BlackBerry phones, and the recent expansion to iOS and Android devices proves it's not dead yet

Although BlackBerry continues to struggle, the phone-manufacturer’s messaging app BBM is going from strength to strength.

Last week the firm announced that that the app had been downloaded 10 million times in 24 hours and the Canadian company now says that it has signed up more than 20 million users to its new iOS and Android apps.

In a statement announcing the new figures, Executive Vice President Andrew Bocking said: “It is great to see so many people downloading BBM, but the true measurement for us is engagement – the connections being made and the conversations in which our BBM community engages.”

BlackBerry’s BBM app has always enjoyed fairly consistent popularity (especially in the UK) and was one of the first well-known over-the-top messaging apps in the country: introducing customers to the idea that they could send messages for almost no cost using mobile data.

However, the app is now threatened by a host of rival services including the likes of WhatsApp, WeChat and Line. BlackBerry is clearly aiming to stay ahead of the competition, and promise that they will introduce voice and video calls to the app “in the coming months”.

The future of BlackBerry is still uncertain. Although it is currently set to go private in a a $4.7 billion (£2.91bn) sale to the Fairfax Financial holding company, the company remains open to offers until 4 November, with ex-Apple CEO John Sculley rumoured to be considering a bid.