As previously reported, BlackBerry's dedicated messaging service will be gracing the Google Play Store and Apple App Store very soon. The company today announced that the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will no longer be exclusive to BlackBerry device users, and will be available as a free app for the iPhone and Android smartphones.

The service allows you to chat and share information with up to 30 users in a single conversation, and ensures your privacy with a unique PIN which you can use when deciding if you want to share your contact information with others.

With BlackBerry's move to the Android and iOS, one wonders if it's a little too late to compete with other popular messaging services like WhatsApp, Line and WeChat. BBM can be downloaded from September 21 and September 22 for Android smartphones and iPhones, respectively