BlackBerry has confirmed it will wind down support for its older operating system and the services that go with it. Devices that run the legacy BlackBerry OS will lose functionality or stop working entirely in many cases. Android-based BlackBerry phones are unaffected. The shift closes another chapter on a brand that once dominated business email and messaging.
Quick take
- BlackBerry has announced it will discontinue support for its legacy operating system.
- Older BlackBerry devices are expected to stop working or lose key features.
- BlackBerry phones running Android will continue to function.
- Research in Motion shipped its first device, the 850, in 1999.
- The brand held about 20 percent of the smartphone market in 2009.
How BlackBerry rose and slipped away
Research in Motion released the 850 pager in 1999 and launched the first BlackBerry smartphone in 2002. By 2009, the brand commanded roughly 20 percent of the global smartphone market, serving executives, governments, and security-conscious professionals who prized its keyboard and encrypted messaging.
The arrival of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy line steadily eroded that dominance. By 2013, the company was exploring a sale. Corporate restructurings kept the brand alive as a niche option for keyboard loyalists, until the support cut-off announced in early January 2022.
The name BlackBerry was coined by the brand consultancy Lexicon Branding, chosen because the keyboard buttons resembled the drupes that make up the actual fruit.
Our analysis
When legacy support ends, phones stop receiving push email, messaging, and server-dependent apps once the backend infrastructure goes dark. For BlackBerry, the practical impact is limited—most users migrated years ago. The symbolic impact is larger: the final holdouts lose their last reason to keep the device charged.
The security implications deserve attention. A device cut off from its home servers becomes unpredictable. Treat any legacy BlackBerry as a collectible or offline storage device. Remove the SIM, disconnect from Wi-Fi where feasible, and stop relying on it for two-factor authentication or work email. This principle applies to any device officially declared end-of-life.
The broader pattern matters. The telegraph saved the British Empire during the 1857 uprising, enabling rapid communication across India. Yet the last telegram in the world was sent in India on July 14, 2013. The electric telegraph that "saved India" died quietly, commemorated only by a granite bell in Delhi. BlackBerry's exit follows the same trajectory: a product woven into critical infrastructure eventually fades, remembered more for what it represented than what it currently does.
Who should care
- Security professionals:** Legacy BlackBerry devices no longer receive patches. Treat them as offline-only hardware or decommission them entirely.
- Nostalgists and collectors:** The devices retain historical value. Back up any data before the transition completes, then display or store as desired.
- Businesses with legacy integrations:** Audit any internal systems still routing through BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Migrate workflows before support ends.
- Everyone else:** The lesson is timeless. Devices tied to single-vendor infrastructure become paperweights when that vendor exits. Choose tools with open standards and multiple support pathways.
What to watch next
Watch for gradual feature stripping in the weeks ahead—updates may disable functions incrementally rather than all at once. Watch also for resellers clearing remaining stock; used BlackBerry pricing typically flattens or declines after end-of-life announcements.
Bottom line
The end of legacy BlackBerry support is more obituary than emergency. A few stubborn users will lose a daily driver. The rest of us will lose a brand that defined a particular kind of mobile work—and another artifact in the growing graveyard of technologies we once could not live without.
Key takeaways
- Backup any data on legacy BlackBerry devices now.
- Android-based BlackBerry phones are not affected.
- Treat any end-of-life phone as offline-only hardware.
- Audit any business systems still relying on legacy BlackBerry infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
Will my old BlackBerry stop working completely?
Not necessarily, but it will lose key services like push email and BlackBerry Messenger as the supporting servers go dark.
Are BlackBerry phones running Android affected?
No. Only devices on the legacy BlackBerry OS are affected. Android-based BlackBerry phones continue to work.
When will the changes take effect?
BlackBerry has announced the wind-down. The exact timing varies by model and service.
Can I still use a legacy BlackBerry for calls and texts?
Basic calling may still work on some carriers for a while, but data-dependent features will degrade.
What should I do with a legacy BlackBerry now?
Back up any data you want to keep, then treat the device as offline storage or a collectible rather than a functional phone.