BlackBerry Messenger for iOS and Android supports VoIP after update

BlackBerry has updated its Messenger chat application for iOS and Android, allowing users to call each other. Voip works over WiFi and a mobile data connection, the company says.

The update should now be available for Android, iOS and BlackBerry’s own operating systems, the company writes. Voip works with all contacts who also have the update of the app. It has been known for some time that the feature was coming. A closed test version came out a month and a half ago.

In addition, the update has support for Channels, in which users who do not know each other can chat about common interests. Users can create Channels themselves, but companies can do that too, presumably for a fee. That feature has been in the version for BlackBerry 10 for a few months now.

BlackBerry released its Messenger, formerly known as ‘ping’, a few months ago for Android and iOS; previously, the chat application only ran on BlackBerry’s own platforms. Tens of millions of iOS and Android users tried the app; It is not known how many active users the service has.