BlackBerry World app store will no longer offer paid apps from April

BlackBerry has informed developers that paid apps will no longer be offered via the BlackBerry World app from April 1. Developers must make their app free or it will be removed on March 31.

The message to developers can be read on the Crackberry website. The BlackBerry team writes that the app store for BlackBerry OS will only offer free apps until the store finally closes at the end of 2019. Developers are still allowed to monetize their apps, but they must then implement a payment mechanism in the app themselves. Also, developers themselves have to provide support regarding payments and refunds.

Consumers who purchase or have purchased apps from the BlackBerry World app store can continue to use the apps they have already paid for after the changes. Furthermore, it is still possible until April 30 to request refunds via the app store.

At the end of last year, BlackBerry announced that support for BB10 will end at the end of 2019. Some services stop earlier. For example, Travel was discontinued this month and Playbook will be terminated in March. BlackBerry last released a smartphone with BlackBerry OS in 2015.

At the end of 2016, BlackBerry stopped making phones. Today, Android smartphones appear under the BlackBerry brand, which are made by other licensed manufacturers, such as TCL.