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BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 Features – Why You Should Upgrade!

by Ronen Halevy on Oct 8th, 2009 at 11:14 am EST
41 Comments »
 

bbm5_release2 BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 was officially released last night prompting practically everybody who found out to upgrade. It was first only found in the App World but shortly thereafter we found the direct download link at www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger. While many people may be happy with their current version of BlackBerry Messenger I thought I would highlight a few reasons why you should upgrade. The upgrade is a whopping 2.8 megabytes but it is well worth it. Sadly some of the coolest features are for OS 5.0+ only but hopefully we will all get that upgrade soon! The software also requires OS 4.5+ according to RIM so you need to upgrade if you are running anything older.

NOTE: PLEASE backup your phone using Desktop Manager before you upgrade! We have been hearing a few reports about people’s devices not upgrading correctly and would hate for you to lose your information.

bbm5_release Enhanced Group and group chat

  • I am not sure if this is a replacement for the BlackBerry Groups app that has yet to be replaced but it is awesome! Groups is really a collaborative chat room for you and your BlackBerry buddies. You can view group members, share pictures with included voice notes, share task lists, and even have a group calendar. It works quite well but I have been hearing some reports that it might be a battery drain… Let us know!

Enhanced threaded SMS

  • This cool new feature requires OS 5.0 but lets you have threaded chat like SMS conversations. There are quite a few restrictions on this that I am not too happy about but it is still really cool. As RIM details in this article: “SMS messages will only appear in BlackBerry Messenger if the user added to BlackBerry Messenger and the SMS conversation is started in BlackBerry Messenger”

Contact Backup and Restore

  • This feature was a long time coming from RIM and did not work well on the leaked beta in my experience. It looks like RIM has truly revamped it allowing you to do both remote and local backups of your contact lists. The remote backup associates your contact list with your email address and stores it on RIM’s servers. The local backup stores it to local memory such as the SD card. No longer will we have to lose our contact lists!

Avatars & enhanced contact display

  • With BBM 5.0 RIM has placed a focus on your identity. You will now be able to set an avatar and allow BBM to show your contacts Avatars and associate them with your phone book. This is a really cool way to get picture ID in your phone book. The Avatars are actually pretty high quality and you can zoom in on them.

Large Media File Transfer

  • This is the other OS 5.0+ required feature that lets you send up to 6 megabytes of pictures, files, and audio at a time. Maybe we can turn BBM into a BlackBerry file sharing app… You can always send you favorite song for a friend to check out.

There are quite a few more hidden options like adding users via Barcode or even joining a group via barcode. You can add me to your BBM using the barcode below to get an idea of how it works:

ronens-barcode

So what is your favorite feature?

Please Share With A Friend!

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 and is filed under News.
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41 Comments to “BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 Features – Why You Should Upgrade!”

  1. Posted by: automan69
    October 8, 2009 at 11:46 am EST

    My favorite feature is? Everything! Wtg RIM! :)

    Reply
  2. Posted by: tfrankson
    October 8, 2009 at 11:48 am EST

    I’m really feeling this upgrade.

    Reply
  3. Posted by: 8330 Addiction
    October 8, 2009 at 12:59 pm EST

    the website is http:www.blackberry.com/messenger

    Reply
  4. Posted by: DavidB
    October 8, 2009 at 1:33 pm EST

    Installed via App World.
    My 9530 with 4.7.0.167 is fine.
    My 9630 with 4.7.1.40 blew up and failed to boot.

    Reply
    • Posted by: randmthought
      October 8, 2009 at 3:26 pm EST

      I’m having the same issue with my 9630. I am able to get it to reload the software and 3rd party apps but somewhere in there is something that still is causing the download of the new messenger to brick my phone. If it fails again I’m wiping it and starting from scratch with no 3rd party apps.

      Reply
      • Posted by: DavidB
        October 8, 2009 at 4:24 pm EST

        I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I went ahead and took this opportunity to wipe my Tour and install 4.7.1.53. After doing so, and restoring my 3rd party apps, I did the install via the blackberry.com link above (rather than App World) and so far it is working fine as far as I can tell.

        Using BBSAK 1.5, even though my 9630 was “bricked” and wouldn’t boot, I was still able to connect to the device and backup all my 3rd party apps. Then I used BBSAK to wipe the device and install the new OS. The I used Desktop Manager to reinstall my 3rd party apps.

        I just got a replacement 9530 from Verizon today (my 6th, phone button jest “fell off” my 5th), so I’ll be trying the upgrade once more once #6 is activated.

        Reply
  5. Posted by: webchetan
    October 8, 2009 at 2:54 pm EST

    The BBM 5.0 rocks! I just had one question. I had a shortcut set for BBM with QuickLaunch (The awesome app everyone must have!!!) Some how when I select BBM from the Quick Launch Menu…it opens up the messenger successfully, but I am not able to chat/change options or do anything!!!! Vice-Versa when I just use the App Switcher to select BBM which is always running in background…it works fine…

    But interesting thing to note here qith QuickLaunch shortcut is that after I had Selected BBM from QuickLaunch shortcut menu and if I go back and select the BBM from the AppSwitcher…it fails to let me chat or change anything and BBM screen becomes Washed out white….

    ANy one facing that issue?? All works ok with BBM 5 if I don’t start BBM via QucikLaunch at all.

    Weird…may be QL needs a version update…like BerryBuzz just recently updated to .35 version to support OS 5.0 and BBM 5.0

    Any inputs thoughts? Please help!

    Thanks

    Reply
  6. Posted by: FOSSroxTHX
    October 8, 2009 at 2:58 pm EST

    I reaaly like the upgrade and several new features are nice.
    My favorite new feature is the extended set of emoticons.
    Still hoping for custom emoticons in the future.
    Also, while the custom status feature is great it would be helpful for each one to have a unique status message. Also, some manner of automated status change would be swift.

    Still, loving the new messenger!

    Reply
  7. Posted by: Pete
    October 8, 2009 at 3:21 pm EST

    I love many new features on BBM5 but there is also a drawback on sending/receiving Voice Note.

    Voice Note feature become more complicated to use,
    When I press “Send Voice Note” it prompt me again to “Start” or “Cancel”.
    What are they thinking???

    And I need also need to “Accept” Voice Note from others before playback !!!
    Why someone sending you a Voice Note and I don’t want to hear their voice note?

    They should add auto-accept feature onto the software.

    Reply
  8. Posted by: Josh Schairbaum
    October 8, 2009 at 3:22 pm EST

    Do not install this. It will possibly brick your phone. Even with a backup, you will still spend hours trying to reimage/wipe the device to even begin to get it functioning again. It’s junk.

    Reply
  9. Posted by: Lindy
    October 8, 2009 at 5:10 pm EST

    Before I download this to my Tour 9630/4.7.1.40 (since it seems other Tour users are among those ending up with “bricked” phones) did those of you that have it working fine download it from the blackberry site and those with issues get it via App World, or vice versa? ( i.e. is there a common thread?)

    Reply
    • Posted by: DavidB
      October 8, 2009 at 11:24 pm EST

      I can only speak from my personal experience, but:
      9630 running 4.7.1.40 Verizon official, I installed BBM5 via App World. I received 1 prompt to replace existing with new version, which I accepted. On reboot after installing my phone was bricked.
      9630 running 4.7.1.53 leak, I installed BBM5 via direct download from blackberry.com. I received the same prompt to replace existing with new, however additionally during the download I was also prompted twice that new modules were downloading and was required to approve them to replace existing modules.

      I did >NOTNOT< receive those module replacement prompts on my Storm running 4.7.0.167 downloading via App World, though that install was successful.

      Reply
      • Posted by: DavidB
        October 17, 2009 at 11:06 am EST

        I have upgraded my 9630 Tour(carrier=Verizon) from 4.7.1.53 to 4.7.1.57. I upgraded OS via the Loader.exe method. BBM5 survived through the upgrade process and is still working flawlessly.

        Reply
  10. Posted by: don goose
    October 8, 2009 at 5:53 pm EST

    The only thing I dislike on the BBM 5.0 is that when you send an image you can not view it, you have to download it.
    Other than that BBM 5.0 is awesome!

    Reply
    • Posted by: mikee707
      October 17, 2009 at 11:17 pm EST

      Yeah I feel the same about this. I don’t like that I have to save it to my phone to view it. The old way was much better, since you could pick and choose which sent images you wanted to save.

      Reply
  11. Posted by: automan69
    October 8, 2009 at 8:53 pm EST

    I have maybe spoke to soon. I have notice my browser not working right on my 9630 Tour. What is weird if you try to goto m.google.com on my Tour it doesn’t show google app search. Has any having the same problem. Because before the upgrade google release the new version for the tour. So now I’m unistalling DM 5.0 and installing it again. Then backup my phone and do a wipe. Then installed my os and the new bbm. Hoping everything will go back to norm.

    Reply
    • Posted by: DavidB
      October 8, 2009 at 9:22 pm EST

      Hey automan, m.google.com working perfectly fine on my Tour. I did just do a full wipe and install of 4.7.1.53 before installing BBM 5.0.

      Reply
      • Posted by: automan69
        October 9, 2009 at 12:19 am EST

        Thanks davidB I did what I posted above and all is working fine for me too. I love the way BBM restores your contacts from RIM site. That’s COOL. It was a long time doing this steps, but I,m glad I did it.

        Reply
  12. Posted by: Rob
    October 9, 2009 at 1:47 am EST

    On my Tour have the official OS .140 and the install worked well. Hit download in app world, and just sat the phone down. About 5 people at work did the same, no issues. Maybe a common third paty app is causing the crash. I have about 15 installed, and I had the leaked version.

    Now I do want to put OS 5.0.0.230 on my tour. Is the new BBM working with it?

    Reply
  13. Posted by: cloudberry
    October 9, 2009 at 11:48 am EST

    want to download but scare to death…couple months ago bbm went missing after sucessfully download the leaked version…i’m curve 8320 user version 4.5.0.162, i know RIM said user with v.4.5.0 above can download, but any successful people that download with the same spex? thanks

    Reply
    • Posted by: Nikolaus Walch
      October 9, 2009 at 11:51 am EST

      I installed it onto my wife’s 8320 last night with OS 4.5. No problem. I have found from myself (8900) and from reading other’s posts is that if you use the direct URL you should be ok. People downloading via App World are the ones having the issues.

      Reply
  14. Posted by: Randy
    October 12, 2009 at 6:53 pm EST

    i downloaded it. had no problems. now i can no longer find my bbm ap on my phone. i went back to app world and they gave me the option to “Run” the app and i click on it and it locks the phone up… anyone no what to do? i have the 8900….. please help

    Reply
  15. Posted by: DavidB
    October 12, 2009 at 8:37 pm EST

    @Randy, I would uninstall it (either with App World or on device itself) and try installing from the blackberry.com link above.

    You could also try restoring theme defaults and the icon might reappear, but if its locking up your device the install failed somehow.

    Reply
  16. Posted by: Phreqd
    October 12, 2009 at 9:00 pm EST

    Works great on my Bold and on my wife’s 8800. It looks slicker and love the avatar ability.

    Reply
  17. Posted by: Sunil Sambtani
    October 13, 2009 at 7:08 am EST

    One problem which i am facing in the new messenger is that when someone sends me an image, I accept and the transfer bar comes, but thereafter the transfer gets stuck or is very slow…is anyone have same problems or does someone have a fix for this…please reply, thanks.

    Reply
    • Posted by: Denise
      October 14, 2009 at 4:07 pm EST

      OMG! I am having the same issue with the 5.0 upgrade, but my pictures dont save or upload at all and leave and empty space in my picture folder. I have a couple of my contacts say the same when I send them pictures thru messngr. I have the Curve…can anyone help????

      Reply
      • Posted by: Bel_t
        October 17, 2009 at 10:49 am EST

        Hi, I have the same problem with my bold….Can anyone help.
        I can’t receive any photos.

        Thanks

        Reply
        • Posted by: DavidB
          October 18, 2009 at 12:09 am EST

          I wonder if there’s something in common you folks having picture problems? Like carrier, or GSM, or install method, or ???

          I’m able to send and receive pictures with both my Tour and my Storm and to/from BBM5 and folks with BBM4 still.

          Reply
          • Posted by: Aaron
            October 19, 2009 at 8:38 am EST

            I am having the same issue with the pictures.

            What angers me more is that the pics are sent at full resolution and therefore chewing up more of my data plan. I liked the basic image that was quick and easy.

            I like the 5.0 but is it easy to uninstall?

            I like the picture messaging at a low and fast resolution without having to go into my camera and change the setting back and forth.

            Help?

        • Posted by: Art
          November 16, 2009 at 8:02 am EST

          Same problem with my 8900. I can no longer send pictures. They get stuck. I could send before, but now I don’t know why they are unable to send.

          Reply
  18. Posted by: Natalia C
    October 14, 2009 at 1:38 pm EST

    I like the extended emoctions feature but I don’t like the look of them.

    Reply
  19. Posted by: inx
    October 21, 2009 at 10:55 am EST

    i encounter problem to receive image. when receive image, we have to accept and download. its annoying compare to the old version

    Reply
  20. Posted by: egoiste
    October 29, 2009 at 1:08 am EST

    @bbm5: we are enjoying group chat but having a small problem. the digital time display on the chat panel stopped, or running but wrong time. we try so many ways to overcome this but failed. anyone having similar problem? knows how to fix it?
    thanks all ..

    Reply

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