Still using BlackBerry OS? You may want to switch to another platform now

On January 4th, BlackBerry will end its support for BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry PlayBook OS. Devices using BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 will lose key functions.

On January 4th, BlackBerry OS devices will lose the ability to make calls, send SMS, and even dial 9-1-1. BlackBerry OS devices would likely also experience connectivity issues using Wi-Fi and mobile data. By discontinuing support for the BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry effectively kills these mobile devices that still run its own operating system.

Ending support of BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 will also affect the functionality of some applications. Some of the affected applications will be BlackBerry Link, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, BlackBerry World, BlackBerry Protect, BlackBerry Messenger, and BlackBerry Blend. The change will also affect BlackBerry's hosted email addresses, so customers using this service will need to move to a new email provider.

Ending support for BlackBerry PlayBook OS also means that if you are one of these people who are still using the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, you will also experience limited functionality, and your tablet will most likely become unusable.

There are attempts to get older BlackBerry phones to work without BlackBerry's support, but they don't work very well. Users were able to connect to the internet using Wi-Fi or mobile data, but many websites will refuse to connect with a device that doesn't have the latest security protocols. And even if you want to try this method, you will need a device running BlackBerry OS 7.1 because the BlackBerry 10 OS devices are just too dependable on BlackBerry's services.

If you are one of those people who still uses BlackBerry OS, you will probably want to check out BlackBerry's FAQ section on how to transfer your data to another platform.

BlackBerry stopped making phones and tablets with its own BlackBerry OS and, in 2015, began using Android as its mobile device operating system. In recent years BlackBerry has changed from a hardware to a software company. Nowadays, BlackBerry is more concentrated on providing security software and services to companies and governments.