BlackBerry introduces anonymous chat in BBM

BBM users are given the option to chat completely anonymously. In that case, no names or profile pictures can be seen in a conversation. This should prevent interlocutors from secretly taking screenshots of sensitive conversations.

On its blog, BlackBerry explains that the new feature will be called Private Chat and will be part of a subscription service for BBM. For 87 cents per month, users get access to this feature. According to BlackBerry, Private Chat was introduced to chat without fear of the interlocutor taking a screenshot of the posted messages. There are no personally identifiable information in the chat, so making a screenshot is useless.

The new private chat is part of the arsenal of privacy features that BBM already has. This includes the option to withdraw messages and photos, or to make them disappear again within a preset time. Incidentally, these functions must also be paid for via the subscription service.

Smartphone owners with the BlackBerry OS, iOS or Android can use the new privacy features. BlackBerry has also given its BBM app for Android a new interface. It is now inspired by the Material Design that Google has introduced for its operating system.