BlackBerry is preparing to bring its one true "killer app," BlackBerry Messenger, to Android and iOS in the coming weeks. Before it can do that, though, the company needs to introduce those users to the world of BBM. Newly uncovered user manuals for both platforms suggest that BlackBerry is already trialling Messenger with a group of beta testers. The how-to guides may seem stale and obvious to people who've been carrying around BlackBerry devices for years, but that's not who they're aimed at. Instead, they seek to explain key features of the app to an audience that isn't familiar with BlackBerry IDs or BBM PINs. And they're nothing if not thorough, providing step-by-step tutorials on message composition, photo sharing, setting up group chats, and other aspects of the Messenger service.

Sadly you won't find any screenshots of BlackBerry Messenger for either OS in the manuals; you'll only get a preview of the icons used throughout the app. They're identical on both iOS and Android, suggesting that BlackBerry is aiming for a uniform visual experience (and feature set) across mobile platforms. Still, if you've never so much as signed into BBM, they're a good starting point to learn more. BlackBerry Messenger is still slated hit the App Store and Google Play sometime this summer, so we should be learning much more before long. Faced with no shortage of competition, BlackBerry would do well to release BBM sooner than later if it hopes to gain a foothold in a crowded messaging market.