I don’t think I’ve ever downloaded an app that comes with an instruction manual, but it seems BlackBerry felt the need to create one for its upcoming BBM releases for Android and iOS. We’re expecting the apps themselves to arrive any day now, but the user guides have been leaked and they are already available for reading online.

Neither manual contains screenshots of the app, unfortunately, so we’ll have to carry on waiting to see what BBM on Android and iOS is going to look like. But they do provide an in-depth guide to getting set up, navigating the app, and using its features — most of which will already be familiar to existing or previous BBM users.

Features like BBM Groups, profiles, emoticons, and contact blocking are all available, but you won’t find BBM screen sharing, video calling, or the new BBM Channels feature. Hopefully, BlackBerry will add these in future updates later on, but we’d imagine that some features will always remain exclusive to its own platform.

If you already have a BlackBerry ID, getting started with BBM on Android and iOS will take you just a few minutes; simply sign in and any saved BBM data associated with your account — such as your contacts list — will appear.

BlackBerry still hasn’t given us a release date for BBM, but it has started rolling out beta releases and promised that the app will be available by September. We shouldn’t have to wait too much longer now, then — but with BlackBerry, you never can be sure.

In the meantime, you can flick through the user guides below.

• SourceN4BB