1. ByeByeBerry's Avatar
    Introduction

    As you all know, BlackBerry 10 support ends on January 4th, 2022. For all of us still using a BlackBerry 10 device, migrating off these devices is absolutely necessary before this date to avoid data loss. As the official BlackBerry 10 backup tool, BlackBerry Link, will stop functioning on the same date, and all backups created with it are encrypted in a proprietary format, any data not exported via other means may be left locked inside an inaccessible data file forever, short of using forensic tools.

    I felt the need for a community-sourced master thread for crowdsourcing the best export options available by data type. I have joined CrackBerry exclusively to organize this effort, many thanks to Chris, a.k.a Bla1ze, for making this possible.

    Migrating to a BlackBerry device powered by Android

    Android-powered BlackBerry devices will continue to operate for now, and if you wish you switch to one, you can follow the official guide to migrate some of your data using the BlackBerry Content Transfer app. This thread does not cover this.

    About BlackBerry World

    Some types of data are easily exported without the use of any special tools. Others require that, at the very least, you have a functioning BlackBerry World on your device.

    If your BlackBerry World has stopped working with a "No Network Connection" error message, follow these official steps to get it back up and running. This will enable you to install free apps, as well as paid apps previously purchased, from the store.

    Unfortunately, paid apps not previously purchased can no longer be installed directly from BlackBerry World, as the payment service of the store isn't functional anymore. To install any paid app that is still supported by its vendor, you first need to purchase its .bar installer file directly from the vendor, and then follow these simple instructions to install it on your device.

    Privacy & security

    First, the disclaimer: this information is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this information.

    With that out of the way: despite best efforts by both BlackBerry and the community, some of the tools listed here may install malicious code, or connect to a server without your knowledge. In order to minimize any vulnerability to data theft, disconnect your device from the internet and your computer before using any apps with access to sensitive data, and uninstall the apps after use, before you re-enable your connections.

    About Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10

    The app Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 ($14.99) is one of the few paid, broad-scope backup apps still purchasable from the vendor directly. However, the app is not without severe data security risks. The vendor, Runisoft, issues a license per device serial number, and the app requires an internet connection on every launch to verify the existence of a license. This means that an app with such unusually broad access to one's most sensitive data cannot be used without an active internet connection, nothing stopping it from stealing your data.

    I confirmed this with Runisoft's support, and requested a refund which I have received, minus PayPal transaction costs. Therefore, I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of the software, and would caution everyone against using it. If you must rely on it, make sure to only grant it the permissions absolutely necessary for your use case. Runisoft support otherwise was fast, helpful, and courteous. According to conite, they are trusted members of the community.

    Contribution

    Your contribution of information to this post is highly appreciated.

    To keep this post focused, see the subsequent one for guidelines on how to contribute.



    Exporting BlackBerry 10 device data by data type

    šŸŸ¢ Contacts

    ContactsImEx (free) and Contact Pro (free), two completely identical apps in terms of output, export filenames, and even app store description in part, work fine for exporting contacts in both .csv and .vcf (vCard) formats, with the only caveat that they don't export BBM contacts. They handle special fields (e.g., company, email), and multiple phone numbers per contact. ContactsImEx appears to be the original software.

    BlackBerry Link also offers a contact backup option through an official integration with Windows Contacts or Microsoft Outlook. This option exports BBM contacts, but doesn't handle multiple phone numbers per contact, at least in the case of Windows Contacts.

    šŸŸ” Call logs | Can we find a better solution?

    Unfortunately, the only app I found that is still available and promises to export call logs is Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 ($14.99) ā€“ however, be sure to read the warnings in sections Privacy & security and About Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 first!

    šŸŸ¢ SMS/MMS messages

    SMS Backup (free, used to be paid) provides a seemingly reliable export of all SMS messages in .csv and .xml formats, and MMS media in logically organized folders. The software comes with an official information page, transparent permissions (see "Required permissions"), and an Android restore option, from a developer with public online presence. I haven't had success with opening the exported .xml file in a browser, but it appears complete and correct when inspected in a text editor. This is a mass export option, it doesn't maintain a conversation format.

    Exporter (free) is useful for exporting SMS messages in a conversation format, in separate .txt files per contact. The software used to also offer paid options for .csv and MMS exports, but in-app purchases are no longer functional. The order of exported messages is customizable ("Latest Message First" setting).

    šŸ”µ PIN messages | Can we test this?

    Exporter (free) offers an option to export PIN messages. I was unable to test this feature. PIN messages are exported individually, not maintaining a conversation format. The order of exported messages is customizable ("Latest Message First" setting).

    šŸŸ” BBM chat logs | Can we find a better solution?

    To my knowledge, no app is available for exporting BBM chat logs, and chat history is limited to either a few months or a set number of messages even on the device. A somewhat limited, plain text export is available in the BBM app itself, from the context menu of each conversation via the Copy Chat or Email Chat options. The latter creates an email draft with the exportable chunk of the chat log attached as a .txt file. If your BBM chat logs are confidential, disconnect your device from the internet before you choose this option, as email drafts are automatically synced to remote IMAP email servers. Save the attachment in your file system, and delete the draft before you re-enable your internet connection.

    šŸŸ” Email | Can we find a better solution?

    If you have been using IMAP to sync your emails, they are still available on the email server; you don't have to export anything.

    If you have been using POP3 to sync your emails, they may no longer be available on the email server, and you may have to export them.

    Unfortunately, the only app I found that is still available and promises to export email is Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 ($14.99) ā€“ however, be sure to read the warnings in sections Privacy & security and About Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 first!

    Other workarounds may be available, but since I don't use POP3 email accounts myself, this problem is better solved by the community.

    šŸŸ” Calendar | Can we find a better solution?

    If you have been using remote calendars to store your events, they are still available on the calendar server; you don't have to export anything.

    If you have been using local calendars to store your events, unfortunately you only have a few options to export them, none of which are ideal.

    In case you only have a handful of entries to export, it's best to do so by adding a remote calendar account, and manually switching each individual entry to that remote calendar, which will then immediately be synced to your remote calendar.

    In case you're looking to export a large number of entries, and you still have Microsoft Outlook on your computer, you may still be able to use the official integration within BlackBerry Link to sync your events with your Outlook calendar.

    In case you're looking to export a large number of entries, and you don't have Microsoft Outlook on your computer, you have to rely on an app like Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 ($14.99) ā€“ however, be sure to read the warnings in sections Privacy & security and About Ultimate Backup for BlackBerry 10 first!

    šŸ”“ Bookmarks | Can we find a solution?

    There doesn't seem to be a way to export browser bookmarks in an automated way.

    šŸŸ¢ Notes

    Voice notes are stored in the file system ā€“ see Files and multimedia (voice folder).

    Photo and video notes are stored in the file system ā€“ see Files and multimedia (camera folder).

    All-Notes Backup (free) exports the text part of notes in two formats: its own proprietary markup format for later restoration in .txt; and a simple, human-readable list of all notes in .doc.

    šŸŸ¢ Files and multimedia

    Most files stored on your device are accessible directly when connecting the device to a computer via USB in mass storage mode. The folders accessible this way are: books, camera, documents, downloads, misc, music, photos, print, videos, voice. Simply copy these folders over to your computer to back up the data.

    šŸŸ¢ Books

    See Files and multimedia (books folder).

    šŸŸ¢ Documents

    See Files and multimedia (documents folder).

    šŸŸ¢ Downloads

    See Files and multimedia (downloads folder).

    šŸŸ¢ Music

    See Files and multimedia (music folder).

    šŸŸ¢ Photos

    See Files and multimedia (camera and photos folders).

    šŸŸ¢ Videos

    See Files and multimedia (camera and videos folders).

    šŸŸ¢ Voice notes

    See Files and multimedia (voice folder).

    šŸŸ¢ Android folders (Alarms, DCIM, Ringtones, etc.) ā€“ used by Android apps

    See Files and multimedia (misc/android folder).

    šŸ”“ App data | Can we find a solution?

    Some application data seems to be accessible in the file system of your device, see Files and multimedia (misc folder). However, there doesn't seem to be a way to access most application data. For example, if you have used an app like FastTube to save YouTube videos on your device, exporting these videos is probably not possible.

    šŸ”“ App installers | Can we find a solution?

    Exporting app installers would be critical for those intending to use their BlackBerry 10 devices after BlackBerry World goes offline. Unfortunately, so far I have found no indication that backing up app installers was possible. Some installers have been collected and generously provided by conite.
    Last edited by ByeByeBerry; 01-01-22 at 03:10 PM.
    Bla1ze, dpgo, brookie229 and 3 others like this.
    12-14-21 04:00 PM
  2. ByeByeBerry's Avatar
    Contribution

    This is a community effort. I will follow the discussion, and continually update the post with any eligible options recommended by you. Consider making your contributions using the following, simple template for easy processing and completeness of information:



    Data type: (e.g., contacts, BBM chat logs, videos)
    Export format: (e.g., .csv, .txt, original)
    Export instructions: (short instructions, if applicable)
    Notes: (anything you feel like pointing out)
    Tested: (whether you have tested and can vouch for the method yourself)
    Cost: (the price of the required tool, or "free")



    Please pay special attention to entries labeled with one of the following:
    • šŸ”“ Can we find a solution?
    • šŸŸ” Can we find a better solution?
    • šŸ”µ Can we test this?

    Help on these entries is strongly needed.

    I will do my best to include quality contributions in the main post, and credit the contributor.

    Thank you for your help!
    Bla1ze likes this.
    12-14-21 04:07 PM
  3. conite's Avatar
    No worries with Ultimate Backup. They have been staunch, trusted members of the BlackBerry community for a long time. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE.

    Here is my list of all of the bar files we have collected so far:

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...htmlview#gid=0

    Instructions for sideloading are included - along with links to the sideloading software.
    dpgo, Runisoft, dmlis and 3 others like this.
    12-14-21 04:19 PM
  4. ByeByeBerry's Avatar
    Thank you, conite, greatly appreciated, and will update the post accordingly.

    Are you able to share your method of exporting .bar files?

    Also, do you know if they are signed with personally identifying information, or there is no difference between, say, your Reddit in Motion .bar file and mine? I would be happy to contribute my apps to the collection if they can be shared anonymously.
    12-14-21 04:59 PM
  5. Ben xfg's Avatar
    Thank you, conite, greatly appreciated, and will update the post accordingly.

    Are you able to share your method of exporting .bar files?

    Also, do you know if they are signed with personally identifying information, or there is no difference between, say, your Reddit in Motion .bar file and mine? I would be happy to contribute my apps to the collection if they can be shared anonymously.
    Bar files can't be extracted from devices, hence why we're stuck with what the developers choose to release.

    Also, BBW will likely be shut down in a few weeks from now, so unfortunately many of the links might die at that point.
    12-14-21 10:08 PM
  6. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    Bar files can't be extracted from devices, hence why we're stuck with what the developers choose to release.

    Also, BBW will likely be shut down in a few weeks from now, so unfortunately many of the links might die at that point.
    Which is why everyone should look at this NOW.
    12-15-21 07:05 AM
  7. m3ach's Avatar
    If you have a working link which talks nicely with outlook on a PC you can also use this to transfer contacts if you donā€™t have them in the cloud already.
    ByeByeBerry likes this.
    12-15-21 03:05 PM
  8. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    If you have a working link which talks nicely with outlook on a PC you can also use this to transfer contacts if you donā€™t have them in the cloud already.
    Didn't LINK stop working with desktop outlook with Office 2016?
    12-15-21 03:29 PM
  9. m3ach's Avatar
    Didn't LINK stop working with desktop outlook with Office 2016?
    Still works for me on a Windows 10 machine with Office 2016.

    You may need to turn SMBv1 on to make it play nice though.
    12-15-21 05:37 PM
  10. Q10Bold's Avatar
    Thank you all!!!!!
    ByeByeBerry likes this.
    12-20-21 07:16 PM
  11. Techluddite99's Avatar
    Hi,

    i am being told off outside of this thread for asking very specific questiosn about migrating data off to Andriod, i am not asking about Andriod as was claimed, just about getting the data to a safe place where i can load up . As this thread is specifically about data transfer and after reading it i am still stuck i will put my question here.

    'The link says i need a Blackberry world account for exporting texts but that i cannot install external apps through it any more.
    1.When it says they will not be in 'conversation format' does that mean it will just be a bunch of text not even sorted by person?
    2. if it is still sorted by person would i be able to install SMS backup on my PC and get the textx if i can get Blackberry link up rather than loading the app onto my phone?
    12-21-21 05:53 PM
  12. howarmat's Avatar
    Hi,

    i am being told off outside of this thread for asking very specific questiosn about migrating data off to Andriod, i am not asking about Andriod as was claimed, just about getting the data to a safe place where i can load up . As this thread is specifically about data transfer and after reading it i am still stuck i will put my question here.

    'The link says i need a Blackberry world account for exporting texts but that i cannot install external apps through it any more.
    1.When it says they will not be in 'conversation format' does that mean it will just be a bunch of text not even sorted by person?
    2. if it is still sorted by person would i be able to install SMS backup on my PC and get the textx if i can get Blackberry link up rather than loading the app onto my phone?
    SMS backup is the app for your phone. It just exports the data to an excel based file that you can do whatever you please with. You dont need link for that. You can load those to an android/iphone or just have the file as a backup.
    Laura Knotek likes this.
    12-21-21 07:56 PM
  13. ByeByeBerry's Avatar
    The link says i need a Blackberry world account for exporting texts but that i cannot install external apps through it any more.
    You can install apps through BlackBerry World, just not paid ones.

    If BlackBerry World isn't working for you, have a look at the About BlackBerry World section to see if it solves your problem.

    1.When it says they will not be in 'conversation format' does that mean it will just be a bunch of text not even sorted by person?
    Yes, exactly. The export is a single .xml file with text messages arbitrarily sorted, with all relevant data (phone number, sent/received, read/unread, etc.) included. It is up to you to do whatever you wish with this open format. You may sort and transform it yourself with a little scripting experience in virtually any programming language, or you can rely on a tool that already handles it for you, like the officially recommended Android restore option for SMS Backup.

    2. if it is still sorted by person would i be able to install SMS backup on my PC and get the textx if i can get Blackberry link up rather than loading the app onto my phone?
    SMS Backup is a BlackBerry 10 app, it only works on your BlackBerry 10 device.
    Last edited by ByeByeBerry; 12-22-21 at 08:33 AM.
    Laura Knotek likes this.
    12-22-21 06:47 AM
  14. m3ach's Avatar
    Hi,

    i am being told off outside of this thread for asking very specific questiosn about migrating data off to Andriod, i am not asking about Andriod as was claimed, just about getting the data to a safe place where i can load up . As this thread is specifically about data transfer and after reading it i am still stuck i will put my question here.

    'The link says i need a Blackberry world account for exporting texts but that i cannot install external apps through it any more.
    1.When it says they will not be in 'conversation format' does that mean it will just be a bunch of text not even sorted by person?
    2. if it is still sorted by person would i be able to install SMS backup on my PC and get the textx if i can get Blackberry link up rather than loading the app onto my phone?
    You can use SMS Backup to export your texts to an Android phone as the app is available for Android also and will read the BB10 file produced when you make the backup on your BB10 phone.

    As far as Iā€™m aware there is no app for a PC which makes them readable in the same format as on your phone.
    12-22-21 08:04 AM
  15. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    You can use SMS Backup to export your texts to an Android phone as the app is available for Android also and will read the BB10 file produced when you make the backup on your BB10 phone.

    As far as Iā€™m aware there is no app for a PC which makes them readable in the same format as on your phone.
    Ultimate Backup did allow saving SMS in multiple formats... like HTML which could be viewed in a web browser on your desktop machine. But for transferring to another device, needed to use the default formats.

    Yeah $15 is expensive.... yeah some of us got the app back when it was free, yeah it use to only be $5 in BBW, yeah it was only $10 back when they first offered it outside of BBW, and yeah $15 bucks is a bargain if you value all your data.

    I can't fault Runisoft for making the last few bucks they can off BB10 users, better than all the developers that walked away and didn't give us any access to their great apps once BBW stopped paid apps.
    Laura Knotek and Runisoft like this.
    12-22-21 08:54 AM
  16. m3ach's Avatar
    Ultimate Backup did allow saving SMS in multiple formats... like HTML which could be viewed in a web browser on your desktop machine. But for transferring to another device, needed to use the default formats.

    Yeah $15 is expensive.... yeah some of us got the app back when it was free, yeah it use to only be $5 in BBW, yeah it was only $10 back when they first offered it outside of BBW, and yeah $15 bucks is a bargain if you value all your data.

    I can't fault Runisoft for making the last few bucks they can off BB10 users, better than all the developers that walked away and didn't give us any access to their great apps once BBW stopped paid apps.
    Yep all of what you say is true about Ultimate Backup which I got way back when but I always preferred SMS Backup for texts, it just worked so well and the added advantage of the seamless compatibility with Android was a no brainer for me.

    I used it to facilitate the transfer of my messages to an iPhone which was a bit of a nightmare but this managed to do the job with Android in the middle.
    Runisoft likes this.
    12-22-21 11:29 AM
  17. spARTacus's Avatar
    Hi,

    i am being told off outside of this thread for asking very specific questiosn about migrating data off to Andriod...
    You mean here in CB in other threads? I'd hope that is not actually the case if you were asking honest questions.
    12-22-21 01:23 PM
  18. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    You mean here in CB in other threads? I'd hope that is not actually the case if you were asking honest questions.
    Pretty sure he means me...https://forums.crackberry.com/showth...1#post13611224
    12-22-21 02:22 PM
  19. spARTacus's Avatar
    I see.

    Seems like a case of information available but maybe not found, or not looked for, or not understood.
    12-22-21 02:26 PM
  20. JECE's Avatar
    Unfortunately, paid apps can no longer be installed directly from BlackBerry World, as the payment service of the store isn't functional anymore. To install any paid app that is still supported by its vendor, you first need to purchase its .bar installer file directly from the vendor, and then follow these simple instructions to install it on your device.
    Thanks so much for putting this together! I have one important suggestion, though. You really should clarify here that it is absolutely still possible to install paid apps directly from BlackBerry World! If you already own an app, you can redownload it for free. I picked up Ultimate Backup for free at some point and could reinstall it if I wanted to do so. I could even reinstall another app that I picked up for free, "Backup Pro ā€“ XBac", by the developer X-Reve, even though the app is now hidden in BlackBerry World. To reinstall paid apps that you already own, you just need to navigate to My World on BlackBerry World, either on the app or on the website.

    SMS Backup (free, used to be paid) provides a seemingly reliable export of all SMS messages in .csv and .xml formats, and MMS media in logically organized folders. The software comes with an official information page, transparent permissions (see "Required permissions"), and an Android restore option, from a developer with public online presence. I haven't had success with opening the exported .xml file in a browser, but it appears complete and correct when inspected in a text editor. This is a mass export option, it doesn't maintain a conversation format.
    I keep getting a permission error every time that I open this app, which I already had installed. Reinstalling it didn't help. Any ideas? I really want to get my old SMS and MMS off my Passport and onto my KEY2.
    ByeByeBerry likes this.
    01-01-22 01:22 PM
  21. Ragbert's Avatar
    The BlackBerry Content Transfer app can be installed on your BB10 device for free from BBW, and is probably already installed on your Key2. You can run it on your Passport and export any or all of a list of data types it can back up. Backup location can be a cloud service or your SD card.

    The only limit it gave me was for SMS - it would only export up to 3500 msgs. So you might want to use SMS Backup for that.

    It's slow but reliable.

    Thanks so much for putting this together! I have one important suggestion, though. You really should clarify here that it is absolutely still possible to install paid apps directly from BlackBerry World! If you already own an app, you can redownload it for free. I picked up Ultimate Backup for free at some point and could reinstall it if I wanted to do so. I could even reinstall another app that I picked up for free, "Backup Pro ā€“ XBac", by the developer X-Reve, even though the app is now hidden in BlackBerry World. To reinstall paid apps that you already own, you just need to navigate to My World on BlackBerry World, either on the app or on the website.



    I keep getting a permission error every time that I open this app, which I already had installed. Reinstalling it didn't help. Any ideas? I really want to get my old SMS and MMS off my Passport and onto my KEY2.
    01-01-22 02:02 PM
  22. Ragbert's Avatar
    Has anyone found a way to back up entries from the Remember app? I used to use it constantly to save recipes, directions, and other bits of info I picked up here and there. Once Evernote stopped integrating with it, I lost the ability to save all that remotely.
    01-01-22 02:05 PM
  23. JECE's Avatar
    The BlackBerry Content Transfer app can be installed on your BB10 device for free from BBW, and is probably already installed on your Key2. You can run it on your Passport and export any or all of a list of data types it can back up. Backup location can be a cloud service or your SD card.

    The only limit it gave me was for SMS - it would only export up to 3500 msgs. So you might want to use SMS Backup for that.

    It's slow but reliable.
    Yeah, I know about BlackBerry Content Transfer, but I want to export way more than the limit.

    As I said, I wish that SMS Backup would work for me, but I keep getting a permission error every time that I launch the app. No matter how many times that I check that I have all the permissions for SMS Backup switched on, the app won't let me interact with it. It always just tells me that a restart of the application is required.
    01-01-22 02:26 PM
  24. Ragbert's Avatar
    Have you tried completely uninstalling and re-installing SMS Backup?
    Yeah, I know about BlackBerry Content Transfer, but I want to export way more than the limit.

    As I said, I wish that SMS Backup would work for me, but I keep getting a permission error every time that I launch the app. No matter how many times that I check that I have all the permissions for SMS Backup switched on, the app won't let me interact with it. It always just tells me that a restart of the application is required.
    01-01-22 02:52 PM
  25. ByeByeBerry's Avatar
    I have one important suggestion, though. You really should clarify here that it is absolutely still possible to install paid apps directly from BlackBerry World!
    Good point, thank you. I have made adjustments to that section.

    I keep getting a permission error every time that I open this app, which I already had installed. Reinstalling it didn't help. Any ideas?
    Sadly not. The app worked flawlessly on my Z10.

    I recommend you try contacting the developer. With a "time-sensitive" label in the subject line and any luck, he may be able to help you before the end date.

    Has anyone found a way to back up entries from the Remember app?
    See the Notes section.
    01-01-22 03:32 PM
52 123

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