BlackBerry has just released a new BBM Beta update. In this update, BlackBerry has given a preview of what to expect with the next revision of BBM, that includes many privacy-related features. This includes timed-messages and message retraction (recall).

Timed Messages

By setting a timer you can control how long messages and pictures you share with contacts can be viewed within BBM. Setting the timer is super easy: Before you send your message or picture, you just tap on the timer icon next to the text bar and choose a length of time you want the recipient to be able to view that message. The message is hidden until the recipient touches and holds on the chat. Then, once the timer has expired (or if the recipient takes their finger off the screen), the message is no longer visible. What I love about the timer is that I can move seamlessly between timed messages and normal messages in a single chat depending on what I’m sending. Oh, and don’t get any smart ideas about screen shots…if a screen shot is detected, the sender is notified.

Message Retraction

We’ve all been there, that time when you sent a message to the wrong person. Wouldn’t it be great if you could recall that message before they see it? Or maybe you’ve sent a piece of sensitive info to a contact – like your credit card number so they can buy some concert tix for you – and you don’t want that information to remain in the BBM chat it… Well, now you can retract your message to remove it from your BBM chat. Just touch and hold on the message you want to retract and choose ‘retract message’ from the menu. This one works with messages, not pictures, and is only available in one-to-one chats.

Check out these new features in the demo video below!

Right now, BlackBerry is testing these in a limited beta for users on Android and BlackBerry 10. Timer and Retract will be available in the 2.5 release of BBM for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry 10 which is coming very, very soon.

Via InsideBlackBerry