BlackBerry announced the BBM platform is growing handsomely thanks to its launch on iOS and Android. BBM has added 20 million active, new users since the multi-platform launch last week, bringing BBM's total number of active users across all platform up to 80 million. 

“It is great to see so many people downloading BBM, but the true measurement for us is engagement – the connections being made and the conversations in which our BBM community engages. The power of BBM has always been the active, real conversations and interaction that our customers enjoy,” said Andrew Bocking, executive vice president of BBM. “From here on out, we will focus on active users of BBM and will no longer focus on simple download numbers.”

The launch of BBM past BlackBerry OS was highly anticipated. So much that BBM was the top free overall app in 35 countries in Google Play and in 107 countries in the App Store during its first week. The virtual line-up was also just removed for both the iPhone and Android app over the weekend, which BlackBerry hopes will garner more users. 

We reviewed the BBM app for iPhone and found it to be little jarring in terms of design, but the app does what it says on the tin and does it effectively. It's very fast, but then BBM always has been.

Also revealed Tuesday is that BlackBerry has plans to bring advertising to the app. Speaking to Canada's The Morning Edition, Bocking said: "It’s definitely a free service. We have other ideas on how to monetize that service.”

How many of you are back on BBM or have never left?