BlackBerry World was an application distribution service (

app marketplace An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not in ...

) by

BlackBerry Limited BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion (RIM), is a Canadian software company specializing in secure communications and the Internet of things, Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 1984, it developed the BlackBerry brand of Interactiv ...

. The service provided

BlackBerry BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

users with an environment to browse, download, and update

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...

s, including third-party applications. The service went live on , originally named BlackBerry App World. It worked with

BlackBerry 10 BlackBerry 10 (BB10) is a proprietary mobile operating system for the BlackBerry line of smartphones, both developed by BlackBerry Limited (formerly known as Research In Motion). Released in January 2013, BlackBerry 10 is a complete rework from t ...

devices, the

BlackBerry PlayBook The BlackBerry PlayBook is a mini tablet computer that was developed by BlackBerry. It was manufactured by Quanta Computer, an original design manufacturer (ODM).

, and a majority of

BlackBerry OS BlackBerry OS is a discontinued proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company Research In Motion (now BlackBerry Limited) for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking ...

devices. At one point in 2011, BlackBerry World had the largest revenue per app at $9,166.67, compared to its rivals ($6,562.50 by Nokia Ovi Store, $6,480.00 by

Apple App Store The App Store is an app marketplace developed and maintained by Apple, for mobile apps on its iOS and iPadOS operating systems. The store allows users to browse and download approved apps developed within Apple's iOS SDK. Apps can be download ...

and $1,200.00 by Google Android Market), although total revenue was lower than Apple App Store. BlackBerry devices after 2015 (with the release of the

BlackBerry Priv The BlackBerry Priv is a slider smartphone developed by BlackBerry Limited. Following a series of leaks, it was officially announced by BlackBerry CEO John Chen on September 25, 2015, and released on November 6, 2015. The Priv was the first Bla ...

) no longer use the BlackBerry 10

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ...

, but instead use the

Android operating system Android is an operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen-based mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android has historically been developed by ...

with the

Google Play store Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...

for app distribution instead. BlackBerry World servers alongside other BlackBerry services shut down in January 2022.

History

In 2003, Research In Motion (RIM) (now known as

) launched the ''Mobile Data Service'' to enable customers to access

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

-based third-party enterprise applications using the secure real-time

push Push may refer to: * A type of force applied to an object Music * Mike Dierickx (born 1973), a Belgian producer also known as Push Albums * ''Push'' (Bros album), 1988 * ''Push'' (Gruntruck album), 1992 * ''Push'' (Jacky Terrasson album), 201 ...

-based BlackBerry infrastructure. Later on 21 October 2008, RIM announced at the BlackBerry Developer Conference that the company would open an application store for their devices. It was also announced that the store was scheduled to be open in March 2009, and would work in conjunction with

PayPal PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support E-commerce payment system, online money transfers; it serves as an electronic alter ...

's services. On 19 January 2009, RIM began accepting submissions of applications from developers. On 4 March 2009, RIM officially named the store 'BlackBerry App World' (previously called the BlackBerry Application Storefront). It was also confirmed that the service would not initially be available for desktops, and only a web-based catalogue would be accessible from non-BlackBerry devices. On 1 April 2009, at the

Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association CTIA is a trade association representing the wireless communications industry in the United States. The association was established in 1984 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is a 501(c) organization#501.28c.29.286.29, 501(c)(6) nonpro ...

(CTIA) trade show, RIM announced that App World had gone live. At the BlackBerry-sponsored Wireless Symposium, it was announced that an average of one million apps were being downloaded each day. On 19 August 2010, BlackBerry App World 2.0 was released. This new version introduced BlackBerry ID; a single sign, account system that can be used on both the BlackBerry client, and the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront. In addition to BlackBerry ID, BlackBerry App World 2.0 also introduced direct credit card billing and carrier billing for

AT&T Wireless AT&T Mobility, LLC, also known as AT&T Wireless and marketed as simply AT&T, is an American telecommunications company. Formed in April 2000 as Cingular Wireless LLC, It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc. and provides wireless serv ...

subscribers. On 3 December 2010, Research in Motion announced that daily downloads were two million apps per day. On 2 February 2011, BlackBerry App World 2.1 was released. This version introduced in-app purchases of digital goods, allowing for add-ons to be purchased within applications. On 21 January 2013, BlackBerry announced that it rebranded the ''BlackBerry App World'' to simpler ''BlackBerry World'', as part of the release of the

operating system. On 18 June 2014, BlackBerry announced an official relationship with

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

, which includes access to

Amazon Appstore Amazon Appstore is an app store for Android-compatible platforms operated by Amazon.com Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. On August 20, 2025 the Amazon Appstore will be inaccessible on third party Android devices and apps bought from the Am ...

in BlackBerry 10.3. On 14 December 2017, BlackBerry announced that BlackBerry World would close at the end of 2019, however the store was not closed, and continued to function as of August 2020. On 1 April 2018, BlackBerry removed payment features from BlackBerry World. The store eventually closed in January 2022 with other BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry OS services.

Milestones

At the beginning of 2011, 16,000 apps were available on BlackBerry App World. A year later, the app store passed 60,000 apps (January 2012), and a month later 70,000 apps (February 2012). At BlackBerry Jam in September 2012, RIM announced that App World had more than 105,000 apps. In May 2013, at the Blackberry Live Conference, BlackBerry announced that over 120,000 apps for BlackBerry 10 were available to download from BlackBerry World. Application verification was done for BlackBerry World apps about content and quality before is agreed to launch. About 85 percent of the verification was done in

Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, ''Dénpasar'') is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after ...

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Pricing and availability

Research In Motion (RIM) announced that the store would initially be available in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. As of March 2013, BlackBerry World was available in 170 markets, and supporteds 23 currencies and 33 languages. Over 6 million applications were downloaded daily, with an aggregate of over 4 billion downloads to-date. As of August 2020, BlackBerry World was available in 171 countries and territories. Applications were both free and paid; from $0.99, to $599.99 USD in the U.S. The store was available for the following BlackBerry devices that are updated to

version 4.5.0 or higher: *

BlackBerry Leap The BlackBerry Leap is a discontinued smartphone developed by BlackBerry Limited. Announced on March 3, 2015, at the Mobile World Congress with initial availability in April 2015, the Leap was a follow-on to the affordable Z3 model with a number ...

*BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 * BlackBerry Classic * BlackBerry Passport *

BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 The BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 is a high-end smartphone by BlackBerry and Porsche Design. Released in December 2013, it is based upon the BlackBerry Z10, having exactly the same internal hardware specifications except for an increase of int ...

BlackBerry Q5 The BlackBerry Q5 is the third BlackBerry 10 smartphone, unveiled at the BlackBerry Live 2013 Keynote on May 14, 2013. BlackBerry 10 is gesture based. The Q5 is targeted largely at emerging markets because of its lower end specifications. It is ...

BlackBerry Q10 The BlackBerry Q10 is a touchscreen-based QWERTY smartphone developed by BlackBerry, previously known as RIM (Research In Motion). The BlackBerry Q10 is the second of two BlackBerry smartphones unveiled at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, ...

BlackBerry Z3 The BlackBerry Z3 is a smartphone developed by BlackBerry (company), BlackBerry. Announced in February 2014, it was the first BlackBerry phone produced in partnership with Foxconn. Adopting a similar appearance and dimensions as BlackBerry Z30, Z ...

BlackBerry Z10 The BlackBerry Z10 was an LTE touchscreen-based smartphone developed by BlackBerry, previously known as RIM. The BlackBerry Z10 was the first of two new BlackBerry phones presented at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, 2013. The BlackBerry Z ...

BlackBerry Z30 The BlackBerry Z30 is a high-end 4G touchscreen smartphone developed by BlackBerry. Announced on September 18, 2013, it succeeds the Z10 as the second totally touchscreen device to run the BlackBerry 10 operating system (and the first with vers ...

BlackBerry Bold The BlackBerry Bold was a line of mid-range and high-end smartphones developed by BlackBerry Limited. The lineup was launched in 2008 with the BlackBerry Bold 9000. In 2009 the Form factor (mobile phones), form factor was shrunk with the 9700 and ...

9900/9000/9700/9780/9650/9790 *BlackBerry 9720 *

BlackBerry PlayBook The BlackBerry PlayBook is a mini tablet computer that was developed by BlackBerry. It was manufactured by Quanta Computer, an original design manufacturer (ODM).

BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 The BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 is a bar-style smartphone developed by Research In Motion and Porsche Design, announced together on October 27, 2011 in Dubai. It was a variant of the latest model of the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Bold 9900, ...

9981 *

BlackBerry Torch BlackBerry Torch is a series of smartphones manufactured by BlackBerry Ltd. The lineup consists of the following: * BlackBerry Torch 9800, the first phone in the series, powered by BlackBerry OS 6. * BlackBerry Torch 9810, which physically mimi ...

9800/9810 - Preloaded * BlackBerry Style 9670 - Preloaded *

BlackBerry Storm The BlackBerry Storm is a touchscreen smartphone developed by Research In Motion. A part of the BlackBerry 9500 series of phones, it was RIM's first touchscreen device, and its first without a physical keyboard. It featured a touchscreen that res ...

and

2 9500/9520/9530/9550 *

BlackBerry Tour The BlackBerry Tour is a consumer smartphone developed by BlackBerry Limited (known at the time as Research In Motion) and is part of the 9600 device series. This high-end messaging phone combines the multimedia features of the Curve with the glo ...

9630 *

BlackBerry Pearl The BlackBerry Pearl is a smartphone developed by BlackBerry Limited, Research In Motion (RIM). The Pearl (8100) was launched on September 12, 2006, marking the first BlackBerry device Camera phone, with a camera, media player and other multimedi ...

3G 9100/9105 *

8100/8110/8120/8130 *

Flip 8220/8230 *

BlackBerry Curve The BlackBerry Curve was a brand of entry-level and mid-range enterprise smartphones that were manufactured by BlackBerry Limited from 2007 until 2013. Early series Original series (8300) The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced on May 3, 20 ...

3G 9300/9330 *

BlackBerry Curve 8900 The BlackBerry Curve was a brand of entry-level and mid-range enterprise smartphones that were manufactured by BlackBerry Limited from 2007 until 2013. Early series Original series (8300) The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced on May 3, 20 ...

* BlackBerry Curve 8520/8530/9320 * BlackBerry Curve 8300 8300/8310/8320/8330 *BlackBerry 8800 *BlackBerry PlayBook

Storage

Users were initially allowed to archive their apps on a

MicroSD Secure Digital (SD) is a proprietary hardware, proprietary, non-volatile memory, non-volatile, flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA). Owing to their compact size, SD cards have been widely adopted in a variety of port ...

, or on

eMMC MultiMediaCard, officially abbreviated as MMC, is a memory card standard used for solid-state storage. Unveiled in 1997 by SanDisk and Siemens, MMC is based on a surface-contact low-pin-count serial interface using a single memory stack subst ...

storage of certain BlackBerry smartphone models. The archive to external memory card function was later removed with the release of App World 3.0.

Developer

In 2010, Research In Motion (RIM) announced several new tools to make it easier for BlackBerry applications developers to build, simulate, deploy, and monetise feature-rich applications on the BlackBerry platform; including the BlackBerry Enterprise Application Development Platform, the next generation BlackBerry Web Application Platform,

BlackBerry WebWorks The BlackBerry PlayBook is a Tablet computer#Mini tablet, mini tablet computer that was developed by BlackBerry (company), BlackBerry. It was manufactured by Quanta Computer, an original design manufacturer (ODM).Lua Lua is a lightweight, high-level, multi-paradigm programming language designed mainly for embedded use in applications. Lua is cross-platform software, since the interpreter of compiled bytecode is written in ANSI C, and Lua has a relatively ...

OpenAL OpenAL (Open Audio Library) is a cross-platform audio application programming interface (API). It is designed for efficient rendering of multichannel three-dimensional positional audio. Its API style and conventions deliberately resemble those o ...

, cocos2d-x, and

Box2D Box2D is a free software, free Open-source software, open source Dimension, 2-dimensional Physics engine, physics simulator game engine, engine written in C (programming language), C by Erin Catto and published under the MIT license. It has been ...

, and has an open source repository that can be accessed at GitHub.com/blackberry. This open ecosystem helps developers target multiple platforms through partnerships with

Appcelerator Appcelerator is a privately held mobile technology company based in San Jose, California. Its main products are Titanium, an open-source software development kit for cross-platform mobile development, and the Appcelerator Platform. Founded in 2 ...

Apache Cordova Apache Cordova (formerly PhoneGap) is a mobile application development framework created by Nitobi. Adobe Systems purchased Nitobi in 2011, rebranded it as PhoneGap, and later released an open-source version of the software called Apache Cordova. ...

, dojo,

jQuery Mobile jQuery Mobile is a Touchscreen, touch-optimized Web application framework, web framework (also known as a mobile framework), specifically a JavaScript library, developed by the jQuery project team. The development focuses on creating a framework ...

, Marmalade, NME, Qt, and Sencha Touch. BlackBerry has changed its whole direction of development tools, mainly embracing their C++ / Cascades as the 'native' road to develop

s for their

platform.

HTML5 HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5) is a markup language used for structuring and presenting hypertext documents on the World Wide Web. It was the fifth and final major HTML version that is now a retired World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommend ...

is considered the almost-native second path for development. In April 2014, BlackBerry has announced to stop the support of

Adobe Air Adobe AIR (also known as Adobe Integrated Runtime and codenamed Apollo) is a cross-platform runtime system currently developed by Harman International, in collaboration with Adobe Inc., for building desktop applications and mobile application ...

with the release of BlackBerry 10.3.1 to be released later 2014. From the time of the release of BlackBerry 10.3.1, it will not be possible to upload new

-based apps to BlackBerry World.

References

External links

AppWorld.BlackBerry.com
— official website {{DEFAULTSORT:BlackBerry App World Mobile software distribution platforms