BlackBerry handsets will stop working TODAY – popular phone is now effectively dead

IT'S time to say goodbye to BlackBerry phones as the company has pulled the plug on its once extremely popular handsets.

The Canadian manufacturer said its phones "will no longer reliably function" from January 4.

The company hasn't made a new BlackBerry handset since 2016 but had continued to support old ones.

If you still use a BlackBerry you'll soon find you can't use it for calls or texts.

WhatsApp dropped its support for BlackBerry years ago.

BlackBerry is now a security software business.

It has been since 2016 but said it continued to provide support for its old phones as "an expression of thanks" to customers and partners.

BlackBerry phones will forever be known for their popular physical keyboard style, which made them stand out from Apple devices.

Kim Kardashian was a huge fan of BlackBerry phones and made a number of viral tweets about her beloved BlackBerry Bold dying back in 2016.

Many BlackBerry fans have taken to Twitter today to mourn the devices.

One said: "This sucks because I was just saying I wanted a blackberry. Ironic that they’re leaving at a time where we’re seeing an influx of entrepreneurs and business people. Not to mention BBM was lit!!"

Another joked: "RIP blackberry. You were my first true love".

And another added: "RIP Blackberry. You and your trusty sidekick, the plastic holster, will forever hold a place on my belt, with my thumbs, and in my memories, even if it has been years since we were last together..."

If you have a BlackBerry phone you may want to hang onto it for nostalgic purposes but it's pretty much pointless as a handset now.

In other news, a mother claims her daughter asked Amazon's Alexa for a "challenge" to complete and it gave her a potentially deadly suggestion.

You should quit Facebook Messenger and use two other apps instead, a cyber expert has warned.

And, here's five of the most anticipated WhatsApp features expected to drop in 2022.