mSonar recently decided to make their BlackBerry app ‘Chat for Facebook’ a FREE App. This is something I have wanted BlackBerry to have for quite a while and am happy to see it become a free app. According to its page in BlackBerry App World any BlackBerry running OS 4.2.0 or higher in any country on any carrier can run this app. See below for the download link and QR code.

I myself have just downloaded and installed the app on my BlackBerry Torch 9800. Overall, it performs its stated function very well and I am happy to have it. It is a small 345KB download and is currently in Version 1.1.6 (released December 13, 2024). I do not know if mSonar is planning on refunding money to people who bought the app previously.

It took me a bunch of times to get it to connect and the first time I used it, I lost my connection after about 10 minutes. I don’t know if this is the network in my area or Faceook servers or BlackBerry/RIM’s servers. The second time I got it connected it has remained connected but still took a number of tries to get connected.

According to the App World description of the app it uses “the new XMPP protocol for Facebook Chat, which offers faster communications and smaller data requirements.” This means that aside from the obvious benefit of being able to use Facebook Chat on your BlackBerry it is actually, “faster than the chat on the Facebook website,” which is pretty cool. The app gives you a count of how much data (in Kb) it has used within the session on its main screen and that is a definite plus for some people I am sure.

Not all is perfect for the app though. As mentioned above, I had a difficult time getting it to connect and stay connected on my BlackBerry Torch 9800. As well, settings for the app’s customization are extremely limited. The app uses the blue LED as a notification along with a sound & vibration and in my quick glance around the app there doesn’t seem to be a way to change the LED color to the traditional red. As well, although you can change the volume of the notification from within the app there doesn’t seem to be a way to change the notification sound within the app or within my profile settings. In fact, in the BlackBerry profile settings the app simply doesn’t appear there - even after a hard reset (pulling out the battery and waiting 30 seconds before reinserting it).

Another couple of annoyances about the app is that it doesn’t show you the whole conversation when you are composing a reply…it takes you to a separate window. This means if your question is preemptively answered or what you were going to say becomes moot you have no way of knowing until you push ‘send’. On the App World page for the app mSonar says that, “Chat for Facebook offers a simplified interface, with no cumbersome menus…” This is true except I think they may have made the app a little TOO simple. What I am specifically referring to is that pushing the Enter button on your keyboard does not mean ‘send message’ and there doesn’t seem to be any way to give the Enter button that task. You have to push the BlackBerry Menu button and select ‘Send’ each and every time.

See above for the QR code to scan and download it or just click below for a link to Chat for Facebook’s App World page. (Clicking the link from your BlackBerry browser will open the download page within the App World app.)

For More Info:

mSonar Chat for Facebook in BlackBerry App World here