[imann101]

Alright, I consolidated the previous OFFICIALY Tips/Tricks thread posted by turtzilla.

I did't go through them or correct their grammar so don't worry about that. Nor did I include any of the answered questions, just the straight out tips/tricks


RULES
PLEASE keep this a tips/tricks ONLY thread. If you need help or don't understand something, make a new one. If I duplicated one, PM me -- don't say it in the thread.

Again, PLEASE keep this strictly to tips and tricks.

Without further ado--


-hammerfan-11/22
if you are in email, and you hold your finger on the screen on a particular email ( not pressing the screen just touching it) it brings up all the emails you have had with the reciepent!

-turtzilla-11/22
U can number lock by holding the key down....

-pastorhudson-11/22
When your in "Lock" mode hold down the mute key to toggle to vibrate profile and back.

Holding down the Blackberry Menu button brings up the app switcher.

when the keyboard is up swipe your finger down across the keyboard to make it disappear, repeat opposite to make it appear.

Just noticed that if I touch(not click) a message and hold my finger there it will do a search for messages with the same subject. An interesting way to filter your message list.

-lotusberry-11/22
1. Touch the sentence you want to change and hold your finger there (don't click!).
2. The cursor will turn from a solid blue to just an outline of a rectangle.
3. Then just slide your finger in either direction and you can place the cursor exactly where you want it.
-nick125-11/22
I fond this neat thing while viewing a message. If you swipe to the right while viewing a message, it will take you back to the message list.

-mimspkt-11/22
Double click the menu button and it will either open, reply or send a message.

-joshtbuff-11/22
Clicking the menu button brings up the menu screen and pressing again
Chooses. I wish you could hit the menu button to save changes.


Also swiping left or right while viewing messa
ges goes to previous or next.

-dmglakewood-11/22
If you don't like viewing websites in the mobile versions then do the steps below. This will ensure you that you will never see the mobile version of a website.

Go to
Browser>Menu Key>Options>Browser Configuration>Browser Identification>

Set this to either Firefox or Internet Explorer. Now every website will think you're a pc rather then a phone. This trick is also good for online banking that requires a certain browser etc.


I have the left side button set to display my text messages which saves a lot of time when you're using another application and you get a text. Just click that button and there it is. Here is how you do it

Easy way to transfer Audio/Video files

Okay I found this to be the easiest way to transfer media onto the storm

Windows Xp
1. Make sure you have installed the Blackberry User Tools disc
2. Double click on My Computer
3. Double click on BlackBerry 9530
4. Double click on Media Card
5. You can either drag all your media into this folder or create a new folder for your media. I created two folders one for music and one for movies.

Windows Vista
1. Make sure you have installed the Blackberry User Tools disc
2. Double click on Computer
3. Double click on BlackBerry 9530
4. Double click on Media Card
5. You can either drag all your media into this folder or create a new folder for your media. I created two folders one for music and one for movies.

Once the copying is complete just click on Media on your phone and it should all be there.

Options>Screen/Keyboard>LEft Side Convenience Key Opens:

Set this option to SMS And MMS

Okay another new one...while playing an mp3 you can use the volume on the side to control volume but if you hold it down it will switch songa.

-hal1-11/22
Once somethiong is hightlighted you can often you can often press anywhere on teh screen to click.

return button acts as an enter button in many applications/screens

-sooks-11/22
if you want to delete all sms then click the top one with one finger hold down .. not click and then click the end of the list of sms and then menu delete.

-c0mf0rt-11/22
Just realized if you turn it to the landscape menu and hit the blackberry key twice it will let you change the placement of the icons.

-mickyb23uk-11/22
When using the Camera, slide you finger from bottom > top to zoom IN and from top > bottom to zoom out

-bigvdawgy-11/22
To get the Event Log (when you want to do some memory clean up) you do the similar ALT LGLG command from the keyboard bb's but it ends up being:
!?123 "
!?123 /
!?123 "
!?123 /

Also, technique I learned to improve typing accuracy and speed, when using the QWERTY keyboard with two hands, you need to be sure to restrict the left thumb for the left side of the keyboard and the right thumb for the right side of the keyboard. If you try to hit a button on the right side of the keyboard with the left thumb you will make a mistake almost every time.

-kholdstare-11/22
Well, when i was playing with the Demo unit and if you PW's that have numbers in them a lot. I found out if you hold down ?!123 key in portrait/landscape mode for a couple of seconds it will number lock the keyboard. So you'll be able to use the numbers with out hitting it over and over again

-durangojim-11/22
Didn't see this mentioned, but if you're in the browser and you tap the screen without "surepressing" or clicking it will either hide the zoom/column view/pointer buttons at the bottom or make them visible.

-goathog02-11/22
Another tips while browsing the web, 2x tap the screen will zoom in. To zoom out, hit the bb escape button


-imann101-11/22
BEDSIDE MODE!

I love this feature. When you plug in the phone it automatically goes into one of the three different clock settings. If you have it near your bed at night go into the clock > menu button > bedside mode

What this does is dim the screen, and stop the led from blinking. You can even have it turn off the radio. This means no annoying blinking lights at night!


Just make sure you turn it off in the morning or else it won't blink even if you exit out of the clock

Get over the air updates *WHEN AVAILABLE.*

some phones have the wireless update option in advances options, if not, do this:

options > advanced options > service book > hover* over 'provisioning [otasl]' > menu key > delete >menu key > undelete

repeat that a few times then go to the home screen again then options > advanced options and there should be a new thing that says wireless upgrade at the bottom

obviously no upgrades yet, but at least you know you can do it OTA

-ricky_ifa-11/22
If wen u have finished typing your message u can swipe down on the key board u can then just
Press the send button to send. No more pressing menu then pressing send. One swift movement

-filirican-11/22
Well guys i wanted to chime in my two cents.

I found out a way to change the grid layout when you access the main menu. You can change it to 4x4, 3x3, 2x2, or 1x1. To access the change you go to menu>options>advanced options>accessibitlity>grid layout.

while your at it you can try changing the color contrast. if you do reverse contrast your main menu will be white or black with yellow.

have fun and bring in more tips guys.

-gpcaptmandrake-11/22
Hey I just found one... to get album art to appear on the device in media player, make sure that when you add the art in Roxio you have embed data in file box checked. Works like a charm.

-justingrant-11/23
Press the call button twice, it will bring up last number called. Hold it down it will bring up the contact list. Does anyone know how to quickly bring up the call log?

-kittiesplay-11/23
Message reading tip:
When you are reading a message swipe your finger across the screen to the right to go to the previous message and across the screen to the left to go to the next message.

MY one tip to all who are having trouble with the typing and touch screen, play the mole word game that comes preloaded it is like mindsweep for PC it helps you to acclimate to the point and click.

-secretsexyninja-11/24

when you are typing and coming to the end of the sentence, instead of hitting !?123 and then '.' just quickly double tap the spacebar and TADA! it adds a period. Once i found that, I started loving SureType 60% more than I already do.

-CSSTV-11/25
1. Faster scrolling in landscape mode:

Switch your menu grid dimensions to 4x4 with the trick listed above (Options>Advanced Options>Accessibility)


2. Quick Current Temperature check:

Download weatherbug.com's app (blackberry.weatherbug.com/download) and, after setting your zip code, move it to one of the first 4 or 8 boxes. Now every time you unlock your phone you will see the weatherbug logo with the current temperature inside of it.

-RYNAC-11/25
1. Change your swipe speed to 6
2. lower your tap interval to 250
3. Raise your hover to 300
4. Set left side convenience key to show the keyboard
5. Keep right side as camera
6. Get in the habit of moveing your finger from letter to letter with out taking it off the screen
7. only use your right thumb on the right side in qwerty and left thumb on left side. do NOT reach over, it causes more issues than you would think because its not set up that way.
8. Install BB desktop software and then check for updates. Even if there are no updates hit next to choose to load a module.
9. Pick something that wasnt on the default install that you would like or something that you wouldnt care as long as it was not on there before.
10. Go through the backup and then let it wipe the os and reinstall everything. It will help, regardless of the build you got from VZ.
11. Set voice dial up so that its on the main 8 that you see from the default home screen.
12. last but not least, learn to love sure type mode lol i know we all love qwerty but trust me. This phone is ten times faster in suretype and fairly accurate to boot. It has yet to steer me wrong and my pearl almost never did.

-johnandsarah002-11/26
when using the keyboard, if you click the letter you want and hold it down for a second it will type caps

-Crucial_Xtreme-11/26
To quicly bring up the keyboard, swipe a finger upward from the very bottom of the screen to the middle.

To quickly hide the Storm's keyboard, swipe a finger downward from the top of the keyboard to the very bottom of the device's screen.

To activate capital lock, bring up the onscreen keyboard and then hold down the "Shift/Arrow Up" key for about two seconds until a lock appears on that button. The number pad will then stay on screen until you either hide it or tap the "Shift/Arrow Up" key again to return to the normal keyboard layout.

To delete multiple messages at once via Storm, open your Messages app and gently hold a finger on a message near the top of the list you want to delete. Keep that finger in place, and then touch another message further down the list. All the messages between your two fingers will then be highlighted. From there, you can click the Delete Messages key at the bottom or the screen to do away with the selected messages. Or you can continue to select older messages by keeping one finger on the selected messages and scrolling down. When new, unselected messages appear beneath your current selections, touch any of them to select it and all the messages between it and your previous selections. Again, hit the Delete Messages key to trash messages when you're ready. To unselect messages at any time, click the BlackBerry Escape key.


-To quickly search your music library for all songs from one specific artist, find a track by that musician or group in a list of songs, and then gently hold a finger on screen directly over the musician's name. After a few seconds, all songs from that artist appear on screen.


-xan8470-11/27
To view e-mails that you have sent:

1) Go into Messages, your e-mail inbox, or your SMS/MMS inbox (easiest to do it in your e-mail inbox if you want to view sent e-mails)
2) Press the BlackBerry menu button
3) Select "Search"
4) Ensure that in the "Service" option your e-mail address is chosen
5) Set the Show option to just "Sent"
6) Click the magnifying glass at the bottom to begin the search

-viajero78728-11/27

To keep the backlight from turning off in Blackberry Maps, hit the menu button, then Options, and the very first button is "Backlight Timeout When:"

You can choose battery <100%, <75%, <50%, or <25%.

That way when you're navigating with your GPS, the screen will never go dark, at least until your battery runs low.

It doesn't affect your backlight timeout for anything other than BB Maps.

-crucial_xtreme-11/27
Change initial view to contacts. Send>Menu>Options>General Options>initial view>contacts.

-riley42-11/28
While using suretype, after you type a word, before pressing space you hover for a second and swipe towards the word it will allow you to highlight a letter and give you the other letter option on the suretype key. I.e. you can highlight the letter q and it will give you the option to replace it with w


-crucial_xtreme-11/28
You know how on the homescreen when you move your finger around on the screen the selected icon should follow your finger around, but it doesn't? Hide/delete all of the lesser used Icons and it will follow your finger.


-xan8470-11/28
When typing a message in landscape, if a suggested correction pops up, pressing "space" or "return" automatically accepts the correction. If you do not want to accept this correction, one way to bypass it is to click anywhere on the screen. However, doing so can hinder the speed at which you are typing. Instead, you can cancel the autocorrection and continue typing normally by pressing the "period" (".") key.


-noaim-11/29
People have been asking about not having there missed calls show up in the "message folder"
to disable this

Press send>bb button (menu button)>options>call logging>

the screen states
"show these call log types in message list" with 3 options

missed calls
all calls
none

-kuroshiro/ deezmfnutz-11/29
if you are having problems authorizing rhapsody Turn off Mass Storage Mode before connecting and starting Rhapsody. Options -> Memory -> Auto Enable Mass Storage Mode When Connected (No or Prompt).

-stop-n-go-11/29
for getting 16 icons on home screen.

Under Home Screen -> Options -> Advanced Options -> Accessability... Set Grid Layout to 4x4... When I show the full home screen (all icons)... both portrait and landscape shows 16 icons (grid of 4x4)..

-filirican-11/30
While viewing your messages (email,sms and mms) you can quickly find all the messages you've had with a single contact by simply holding your finger over (not clicking) the contact for about 3 seconds. You should see a blue status bar fill up and then "searching...".

After the search is complete you will see all the messages you had with the contact you selected.

Great for when your arguing with the boss about never reciving an email he supposedly sent you

You can also use this method for the SUBJECT of the message and it will group together messages that have the same subject heading.

-noaim-11/30
all you have to do is type what I show in a message and hit space

mynumber
this inserts your phone number

mypin
this inserts your pin number for bb

myver
this will show your device model and current os version, or app version
(the reason I say app version is for email its going to display your OS version, but in aim msn and most other apps it will display the APP version along with device version if that makes sense)

-arteanet-11/30
If you have contacts that you frequently access but don't want to add them to speed dial, I found an easy way to have them show up every time you access the phone. Simply edit each contact by adding a space in front of the person's first name. This will put that person at the top of your contacts list. In phone mode go to options>general options>initial view and change to Contacts. This is similar to what the iPhone has done to access favorites.


clstan011312/1
-The camera button is two staged. You can press it softly and it will aim and focus, then press a little harder to actually click the picture.

crucial_xtreme12/5
Here is a tip/trick: Call your voicemail without having to enter password each time...

1. Click on CALL button (green button)
2. Press BB button (Blackberry button)
3. Scroll and click on OPTIONS
4. Click on VOICE MAIL
5. Under "Password", enter two pauses by pressing BB button twice
6. Now type in your 4 digit password after the pauses.
7. It should look like PP1234 under "Password"

So now, when you press and hold down 1, it will call your voicemail and will pause automatically and enters your password for you.

jfarrar12/5
If you install some apps that were not designed for the storm they usually launch but with the keyboard in constant view and the touchscreen then acts as a trackball instead of a touchscreen. To fix this go to Options> advanced options> applications Highlight the app and press the menu key. Select Disable Compatibility Mode. Now the app will fill the screen and the touch screen will work like it should.

insanely12/5
to save yourself time you can text msg yourself from your PC with the direct link for downloads such as weatherbug.
you can do this via AIM or E-mail
on AIM open a blank IM and send a message to this # +16105551212 610 being my area code, then phone #
through E-Mail [email protected]
then just include the link you want for the download and it will apear as a txt msg on your phone, click the link on your phone's text msg and that saves you the time of typing on your phone to get the link from the forum.


-T_l_b-12/9
The TY / JK / BN / DF make a clockwise visual d-pad (around the G H key) for UP/RIGHT/DOWN/LEFT or PREV MSG/NEXT DAY/NEXT MSG/PREV DAY. The keys completing the square cluster of keys here give you the remaining navigation. The outlying keys give you the quick composition/reply/forward options. G H will open the selected message.

"U" - Page Up

"E R" - top of list
"C V" - bottom of list

"M" - Page Down

"T Y" - scroll up (select previous message)
"B N" - scroll down (select next message)

"D F" - Previous Day
"J K" - Next Day

"Q W" - reply
"A S" - reply to all

"O P" - Forward
" L" - Compose Email

If you swipe in the subject line of the message, however, you go to the previous/next message in the conversation thread.
-lserfoos-12/13
If you press and hold the back button it closes out of an application vs. pressing menu and then close.

-geezer-12/23
you can record old ringtones or your own voice on a voice note and then make it a ringtone




no more room on this post, follow link to get more tips and tricks!
http://forums.crackberry.com/showthr...=1#post1337830
if a mod would be able to move part 2 post under this one, that would be great

Keep PMing new ones to me and I will update the list

[xxraffyxx]

Crackberry.com the better instruction manual. the one that came in the box only had the basics

[biclocal]

for typing on the keyboard in landscape (qwerty), i noticed that if you try to type on the right half with your left thumb, or visa versa, you will most likely make an incorrect input...if you develop a technique where the left thumb stays on the left half and the right on the right half (for the most part), you will have significantly less errors, as the former requires you to reach further with your thumb than expected...

also, making sure you always completely close an app (if you don't want it open) will greatly reduce the "laginess" of the os

[TuRtZiLLa]

Thanks imann101 I was out traveling all day.....

[Duvi]

Good stuff... Would it be possible to arrange by categories?

Examples... email/sms, browser, etc.

[c0mf0rt]

a quicker way to change the grid layout and wallpaper is to double click the blackberry button on the main screen and select options

[joestorm]

i found that to be very true as well

[Sindervhit]

Typing on the Storm is DEFINITELY different, and something I've learned to increase your accuracy is to not try to see the letter you're going for as you hit it. We're all use to actually feeling a button, pushing on essentially a pane of glass is a little misleading. When I first got my Curve I was really inacurrate on it as well, I had to get use to using the tips of my thumbs to type, the Storm seems to actually be the opposite, I use the pad of my thumb and aim with the pad as well.
Yes it takes time to get use to...but my speed's getting back up to where it was and think about it, what's the ratio of touch-screen phones going to be in the next ten years? Better get use to it now...

[edy2889]

well if anyone has any tips on how i can get the phone to be a little bit faster cause sometimes it takes a while to switch from keyboards and or to get to different parts of the phone if anyone has any answers please let me know.

[Sooks]

yah battery pull

[rbk_21]

any tips on how to make calling a contact more similar to how one would/could do it on the 8830.

for instance i loved how i could just start typing the name of a contact and then when the name popped up could choose to either call that person or send text/email.
it was so quick and easy and so far it seems as though its a real chore to do this on the storm...its a multi-step process...

[Sooks]

TIP: In order to make your storm run 110% better delete vz navigator and visual voice mail, cuts OS lag in half and makes the orientation switch much faster !

[fonebrkr]

in portrait:
!?123 (alt), hold down a couple secs to lock, then 1 ? 7 1

in landscape:
!?123 (alt), hold down a couple seconds to lock, then 2 * 9 2

[ricky_ifa]

any tips on how to make calling a contact more similar to how one would/could do it on the 8830.

for instance i loved how i could just start typing the name of a contact and then when the name popped up could choose to either call that person or send text/email.
it was so quick and easy and so far it seems as though its a real chore to do this on the storm...its a multi-step process...

Yer. Press the call button and then change the options to show contact list as initial view. You then change
The right side convienence key to show the virtual key board. Screen/key options then change
The right side convienence key to show virtual key board. So when you now press the call button
this shows contacts you then press the right side convienence key and tap a few letters of the person you want to call etc

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[DurangoJim]

For those who like the phone As their bedside clock but don't want the screen on all night set the clock to �do nothing � in the menu and it will turn off after a minute.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ChadLockey]

Any tips on fixing my gmail account so i dont get an email sent back to me every time i sent an email.. sounds simple enough to fix but i cant figure it out and i see multiple people are having the same issue.. HELP

[spatzs]

can anyone please describe the steps 2 remove the visual voice mail and vz navigator

[Sooks]

touch visual voice mail , hit the blackberry button , hit delete , repeat with vz navigator.

[spatzs]

Got it thanks

[spatzs]

has any one use the VMWARE fusion 2.0 on their MAC ?

[shawn122]

Any tips on fixing my gmail account so i dont get an email sent back to me every time i sent an email.. sounds simple enough to fix but i cant figure it out and i see multiple people are having the same issue.. HELP

Do a search on the forums...and here is what you get (in the tips section)

http://forums.crackberry.com/f3/gmai...lackberry-853/

[cheerfuldave]

Unless the Visual Voicemail and VZ Navigator are actually running, it makes no sense to believe they are effecting performance. Those are actually the two best apps on this phone - LOL

[richs10]

I like to be able to pull up previously called numbers easily. So I set my call log to be my initial screen when in phone mode.

How to:
When in phone mode, press the BB key,
Choose Options
Choose General Options
Change "Initial View" from "Dial Pad" to "Call Log"
(you can also choose "Contacts" if you want)
Save Changes.

You may also want to go into "Call Logging" Options and change your log to "All Calls". That way you will see received, sent and missed calls in your log.

Rich

[crwolf79]

in portrait:
!?123 (alt), hold down a couple secs to lock, then 1 ? 7 1

in landscape:
!?123 (alt), hold down a couple seconds to lock, then 2 * 9 2

Thanks for this post. It got me thinking. I was having problems with being able to do the ALT +C+N+F+G command from Entrerprise Activation screen to check wireless sync options (I use it to force an Entrprise Activation, which re-sends BES configurations and Service Books)... I got it to work. See the following, which I posted elsewhere.

Essentially, the 123 button is the old physical keyboard ALT button... So, if you want to do the over the air Enterprise Activation push for BES (without having your IT department set up a password), I FOUND OUT HOW TO DO IT using the old ALT +C+N+F+G method!

Press and hold the 123 key in Landscape mode until the lock icon appears. This is like holding the ALT button. Then, press "9 ! 6 /" .... That's it! The problem I was having was that on a physical old keyboard, the "N" corresponds to "," On this keyboard, N corresponds to !

If anyone is having problems with the BES Activation hanging up, this might help. Once you enter those key strokes, a menu comes up. Turn OFF wireless sync, then save and backout. Wait a minute or two. Then repeat the process and turn wireless sync ON. Save. Back out and wait. Enterprise Activation should start on its own. If it does not (which it didn't for me), pull the battery. When the device turns back on, it WILL do an activation.

I'm so happy.

[poissonish]

I couldn't get this to work, but uptime status worked well.