Blackberry Limited and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates	3 Months Ended
	May 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates	1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES Basis of Presentation and Preparation These interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). They do not include all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of BlackBerry Limited (the “Company”) for the year ended February 29, 2020 (the “Annual Financial Statements”), which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included in these interim consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three months ended May 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending February 28, 2021. The consolidated balance sheet at February 29, 2020 was derived from the audited Annual Financial Statements but does not contain all of the footnote disclosures from the Annual Financial Statements. Certain of the comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The Company operates as a single reportable segment. For additional information concerning the Company’s segment reporting, see Note 11. Risks and Uncertainties In March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic and extraordinary actions have been taken by international, federal, state, provincial and local governmental authorities to contain and combat the spread of COVID-19 in regions throughout the world. The COVID-19 outbreak and related public health measures, including orders to shelter-in-place, travel restrictions and mandated business closures, have adversely affected workforces, organizations, consumers, economies, and financial markets globally, leading to an economic downturn and increased market volatility. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration of the outbreak, impact on the Company’s customers and its sales cycles, and impact on the Company’s employees. The economic downturn and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures undertaken to contain its spread have negatively affected the Company’s QNX automotive software business and has caused volatility in demand for the Company’s products and services, adversely affecting the ability of the Company’s sales and professional services teams to meet with customers and provide service, impacted spending from new customers and increased sales cycle times. The Company continues to evaluate the current and potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on its business, results of operations and consolidated financial statements, including the impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets and the collectability of receivables. During the three months ended May 31, 2020, this uncertainty resulted in significant judgment related to the Company’s estimates and assumptions concerning impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets and the collectability of receivables. As of the date of issuance of the financial statements, the Company is not aware of any additional events or circumstances which would require it to update its estimates, judgements, or revise the carrying value of its assets or liabilities, other than the COVID-19 pandemic as discussed above and below in Note 4. These estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and such changes will be recognized in the consolidated financial statements as soon as they become known. Actual results could differ from these estimates and any such differences may be material to the Company’s financial statements. Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates There have been no material changes to the Company’s accounting policies or critical accounting estimates from those described in the Annual Financial Statements, except as described below, which were adopted during fiscal 2021. Accounting Standards Adopted During Fiscal 2021 ASC 350, Goodwill and Other In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) released ASU 2017-04 on the topic of Intangibles— Goodwill and Other (ASC 350). ASU 2017-04 simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill, eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Previously, under Step 2, an entity had to perform procedures to determine the fair value at the impairment testing date of its assets and liabilities (including unrecognized assets and liabilities) following the procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Instead, under the amendments of ASU 2017-04, an entity performs its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. The Company will recognize an impairment charge for any amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The amendments in this update were effective for an entity’s annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted this standard on March 1, 2020. ASC 326, Credit Losses In June 2016, the FASB released ASU 2016-13 on the topic of Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (ASC 326). ASU 2016-13 replaces the previous incurred loss impairment methodology in U.S. GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses, requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates, and requires entities to estimate an expected lifetime credit loss on its financial assets. The guidance also amends the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities, requiring entities to determine whether all or a portion of the unrealized loss on such securities is a credit loss, and also eliminating the option for management to consider the length of time a security has been in an unrealized loss position as a factor in concluding whether or not a credit loss exists. The amended model states that an entity recognizes an allowance for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities, instead of a direct reduction of the amortized cost basis of the investment, as required under previous guidance. As a result, entities recognize improvements to estimated credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities immediately in earnings as opposed to in interest income over time. The guidance was effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 using the modified retrospective method. As a result of the adoption of the new standard on credit losses, the Company recorded a cumulative adjustment to the consolidated balance sheet increasing the allowance for credit losses and increasing deficit by approximately $4 million as at March 1, 2020. As a result, the allowance for credit losses was $13 million in the consolidated balance sheet as at March 1, 2020. The following policies have been updated to reflect the adoption of the new standard in accounting for credit losses on financial instruments and goodwill. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the acquisition price in a business combination over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is allocated at the date of the business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually on December 31 or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset may be impaired. These events and circumstances may include a significant change in legal factors or in the business climate, a significant decline in the Company’s share price, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, a loss of key personnel, significant disposal activity and the testing of recoverability for a significant asset group. The Company’s impairment test is carried out in one step. The carrying amount of the reporting unit, including goodwill, was compared with its fair value. The estimated fair value was determined utilizing multiple approaches based on the nature of the reporting units being valued. In its analysis, the Company utilized multiple valuation techniques, including the income approach, discounted future cash flows, the market-based approach, and the asset value approach. The analysis requires significant judgment, including estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of revenue growth for our reporting units, estimation of the useful life over which cash flows will occur, terminal growth rate, profitability measures, and determination of the discount rates for the reporting units. The carrying amount of the Company’s assets was assigned to reporting units using reasonable methodologies based on the asset type. When the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered to be impaired and written down to its fair value. Different judgments could yield different results. Events and circumstances resulted in a goodwill impairment test being conducted as at May 31, 2020; see Note 4. Accounts receivable, net The accounts receivable balance reflects invoiced and accrued revenue and is presented net of an allowance for credit losses. The Company expects the majority of its accounts receivable balances to continue to come from large customers as it sells the majority of its software products and services through resellers and network carriers rather than directly. The Company establishes current expected credit losses (“CECL”) for pools of assets with similar risk characteristics by evaluating historical levels of credit losses, current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay, and creditworthiness of significant customers. When specific customers are identified as no longer sharing the same risk profile as their current pool, they are removed from the pool and evaluated separately. The Company, in the normal course of business, monitors the financial condition of its customers and reviews the credit history of each new customer. When the Company becomes aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations to the Company (such as in the case of bankruptcy filings or material deterioration in the customer’s operating results or financial position, and payment experiences), the Company records a specific credit loss provision to reduce the customer’s related accounts receivable to its estimated net realizable value. If circumstances related to specific customers change, the Company’s estimates of the recoverability of accounts receivable balances could be further adjusted. Investments The Company’s cash equivalents and investments, other than publicly issued equity securities and private equity investments without readily determinable fair value, consist of money market and other debt securities, which are classified as available-for-sale for accounting purposes and are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of related income taxes, are recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (“AOCL”) until such investments mature or are sold. The Company uses the specific identification method of determining the cost basis in computing realized gains or losses on available-for-sale investments, which are recorded in investment income. The Company does not exercise significant influence with respect to any of these investments. Publicly issued equity securities are recorded at fair value and revalued at each reporting period with changes in fair value recorded through investment income. The Company elects to record private equity investments without readily determinable fair value at cost minus impairment, as adjusted for any changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. The Company reassesses each reporting period that its private equity investments without readily determinable fair value continue to qualify for this treatment. Investments with maturities at the time of purchase of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. Investments with maturities of one year or less (but which are not cash equivalents), public equity investments and any investments that the Company intends to hold for less than one year are classified as short-term investments. Investments with maturities in excess of one year or investments that the Company does not intend to sell are classified as long-term investments. Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-sales Debt Securities The Company accounts for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities in accordance with ASC 326. The Company adopted ASC 326 on March 1, 2020, on a modified retrospective basis. Under ASC 326, at each reporting period, the Company evaluates its available-for-sale debt securities at the individual security level to determine whether there is a decline in the fair value below its amortized cost basis (an impairment). In circumstances where the Company intends to sell, or is more likely than not required to sell, the security before it recovers its amortized cost basis, the difference between fair value and amortized cost is recognized as a loss in the consolidated statement of operations, with a corresponding write-down of the security’s amortized cost. In circumstances where neither condition exists, the Company then evaluates whether a decline is due to credit-related factors. The factors considered in determining whether a credit loss exists can include the extent to which fair value is less than the amortized cost basis, changes in the credit quality of the underlying issuer, credit ratings actions, as well as other factors. To determine the portion of a decline in fair value that is credit-related, the Company compares the present value of the expected cash flows of the security discounted at the security’s effective interest rate to the amortized cost basis of the security. A credit-related impairment is limited to the difference between fair value and amortized cost, and recognized as an allowance for credit loss on the consolidated balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment to net income. Any remaining decline in fair value that is non-credit related is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. Improvements in expected cash flows due to improvements in credit are recognized through reversal of the credit loss and corresponding reduction in the allowance for credit loss. Government Subsidies The Company recognizes government subsidies as a reduction to operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations when there is reasonable assurance the Company will receive the amount and has complied with the conditions, if any, attached to the government subsidies.