BlackBerry Messenger is closing down for consumers at the end of May

Having once dominated instant messaging conversations across the planet, BlackBerry Messenger or BBM is closing down its consumer operations on May 31.

"The technology industry... is very fluid, and in spite of our substantial efforts, users have moved on to other platforms, while new users proved difficult to sign on," explains current developer Emtek in a blog post.

If you're still using BBM, you'll need to download any your photos, videos and other files you've shared before the service shuts down for good.

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After May 31, the apps will no longer work and you won't be able to access your conversation histories. If you've got questions, Emtek has put up a FAQ.

Fond memories

"We are grateful for your support and wish to thank everyone, especially our users, partners, and employees, for being part of the BBM consumer service journey," says Emtek.

"We hope you will cherish many fond memories of BBM consumer service that helped shape messenger platforms to become what they are today."

And that's no exaggeration – BBM first appeared in 2005, way before any of the modern alternatives like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger had been invented. In the end though, the competition was too great.

If you still need a BBM fix, BlackBerry Limited (which retained the rights to the business version of BBM) has said that BBM Enterprise will be made available on iOS and Android for free for a year, with a $2.49-per-year subscription fee after that.