But what happens though if you change email addresses after creating your BlackBerry ID? For example, I recently changed email providers, so I’d like to share how I went about updating my BlackBerry ID with my new email address on my smartphone as well as my PlayBook tablet using the BlackBerry ID website.

Tip: For those using BlackBerry 7 smartphones or Playbook tablets, you also have the ability to edit your BlackBerry ID details on your device. Details on how to do this can found further below. 

Before we begin, if you do not know which version of BlackBerry device software you are currently using, check out our blog post on how to identify BlackBerry device software versions before proceeding.

BlackBerry Device Software 4.0 to BlackBerry 7.1 and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets

1. Visit http://bbid.com using the BlackBerry Browser or your computer
2. Select Sign In and enter your BlackBerry ID username and password followed by selecting Sign In

• Tip: Your username is your email address

3. Select Account Details and next to Details, select Edit
4. Remove the current username (email address) that is displayed and place it with your new username
5. Select Save followed by selecting Done.

BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 7.1 only

For those that are using a BlackBerry 7 OS-equipped smartphone, in addition to changing your username using the instructions above on the BlackBerry ID website, you also have the option of changing your information on your device with the Options menu.

To edit your BlackBerry ID information while using a BlackBerry 7 OS smartphone, complete the following steps.

1. While viewing your Home screen, select Options
2. Select Device followed by BlackBerry ID
3. Remove the current Username (email address)
4. Enter the email address you would like to use into the Username field
5. Press the Menu key and select Save.

BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet

To change your username when using a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, complete the following steps:

1. Swipe down from the top bezel or tap the Settings icon.
2. Tap BlackBerry ID.
3. Tap the BlackBerry ID Information pencil icon.
4. Enter the First Name and Last Name. These fields are optional.
5. Enter the Screen Name and BlackBerry ID Username. These fields are required.
6. Tap Submit.
7. Enter the corresponding BlackBerry ID password when prompted and tap OK.
8. Users will receive a confirmation prompt displaying: “Your BlackBerry ID account has been updated.”

Got a question or comment? Leave it below and let us know!

1. Search using Initials

One of my favorite tips when it comes to the contacts app is the ability to search using initials only. Using my name as an example, instead of having to type “Ty Williams”, I can enter “T W” and get the same results. This is a really easy shortcut that will save you quite a bit of time in the long run since you can cut back the number of letters you need to type in order to find a specific contact.

2. Setting Contact Pictures

An easy way to personalize your BlackBerry smartphone is to add contact pictures to contact cards, which will appear whenever you interact with that contact.

To set a contact picture, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Contacts app
2. Highlight a contact, press the Menu key and select Edit
3. Press the Menu key and select Add Picture
4. Find, highlight and select the desired picture or use the camera to capture a new picture
5. If necessary, move the crop box to the portion of the picture that you want to use
6. Press the Menu key and select Crop & Save
7. When finished, press the Menu key and select Save.

To change or delete a contact picture, complete steps 1 and 2 again followed by highlighting the contact picture, pressing the Menu key and selecting Replace Picture or Delete Picture.

3. Attaching a Contact Card

Need to share your contact details or another contact’s details on your device with another person? Consider attaching the contact card to an email, PIN or text message.

All you need to do while composing a message is press the Menu key, and then select Attach followed by Contact. You will then be prompted to select which contact you would like to attach.

When you receive a contact card, you can save it so that the contact information is added to your contact list. To do this, press the Menu key, select View Attachment, and select Add to Contacts (or Update Contact if the contact already exists).

4. Create a Personal Distribution List

For those that organize small events and communicate via email, instead of entering everyone’s address from your Contacts app one by one, consider creating a Personal Distribution List to save some time!

1. Open the Contacts app
2. Press the Menu key and select New Group
3. Type a name for the Personal Distribution list
4. Press the Menu key and select Add Member
5. Select the contact and to add more contacts, repeat steps 4 and 5
6. When finished, press the Menu and select Save Group.

To email all of the list’s members after you’ve created a Personal Distribution List, type the group name in the “To” field of a new email.

5. Add a Pause or Wait to a Phone Number

If you find yourself entering the same extension when you call a specific phone number in your contacts app, consider adding a pause or wait to the phone number followed by the extension or additional numbers you would need to dial. To take advantage of this feature, complete the following steps.

1. Open the Contacts app
2. Select a contact, press the Menu key and select Edit
3. Enter the main part of a phone number in the phone number field
4. Press the Menu key and select Add Pause or Add Wait
5. Enter the additional numbers
6. Press the Menu key and select Save.

Do you have a question or comment about the contacts app on your BlackBerry smartphone? Leave a comment and let us know!

Learn more about BlackBerry Protect and more after the break.

1. Automatic Backups and Location Reporting

I always encourage my family and friends to install BlackBerry Protect, since it provides several useful features such as the ability to automatically back up your smartphone as well as locate your device in the event you’ve misplaced it.

To learn more about BlackBerry Protect including how to get started, check out our post on five reasons why you should use BlackBerry Protect.

2. Device Password

Another tip I always recommend is setting a device password so you can prevent others from accessing your smartphone when you’ve left it unattended.

For a quick overview of how to set a device password as well as the various settings available to you when setting a password, check out our post on how to set a password on a BlackBerry smartphone.

3. How to reset your BlackBerry ID

It’s not uncommon to forget a password, so you should know what to do when you’ve forgotten your BlackBerry ID password. Provided you have access to the email address that is used to access your BlackBerry ID, to reset your password simply visit the BlackBerry ID Password Reset website.

A very important thing to remember is when you reset your BlackBerry ID, the email with the link you’ll need to click to change your password is not sent your BlackBerry smartphone. This is a security precaution to prevent someone who has stolen your device from being able to reset your BlackBerry ID password.

For more information on resetting a BlackBerry ID, visit KB26361 – How to change or reset a BlackBerry ID password.

4. Password Keeper

On the same topic, another app that I recommend trying out is Password Keeper, because it allows you to store all of your passwords in one place. Think of it as a secure vault on your smartphone that you can use to record login credentials, account numbers and more. I’ve been using this app for several years and it has saved me countless times from having to reset a password because I’ve forgotten it.

To learn more and get started, check out Heather’s post on how to set up and use BlackBerry Password Keeper.

5. Learning More and Getting Help

I saved the most important tip for last because I cannot stress the value of learning more about your smartphone. Your smartphone offers lots of features and settings, so to start learning more right away, make sure you check out the Help app that can be found on your device.

In addition to tips, tricks and more contained within the Help app, I’d also encourage you to check out Brian’s post on tips for finding help for your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook, where you can find information on how to connect with BlackBerry support as well as other BlackBerry customers.

Got a question or comment? Leave it below and let us know!

Changing the look of your Home screen, alerts for new messages, or the size of your display font gives your BlackBerry smartphone a touch of personalization. With so many customization options available, your BlackBerry smartphone becomes one of a kind! In this week’s Five Tip Friday, we’ll provide you with some ideas for personalizing your BlackBerry smartphone.

1. Change your ringtones, notifications and alerts

Did you know that you can change your ringtones, notifications and alerts to add audible personalization to your smartphone? For example, you can use a song you’ve saved to your smartphone as a ringtone for calls.

If you have a BlackBerry 7 OS smartphone, check out our blog post You Should Know: Customizing Ringtone, Notifications and Alerts for BlackBerry 7. If you have a BlackBerry 6 device, read How to configure Sound and Alert profiles in BlackBerry 6, and for BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 and below, we have Changing Your Ringtone: The Basics.

Tip: Not sure which BlackBerry OS you’re using? Check out our blog post on how to identify BlackBerry Device Software versions.

2. Set your Home screen wallpaper

My wife sends me pictures of our young daughter while I’m at work; these pictures often become the wallpaper on my smartphone so I can see her smiling face every time I use my device. You can easily add pictures you capture, receive or download to your device as a Home screen picture using the following steps:

1. From the Home screen, select the “Pictures” icon and then view a picture
2. Press the Menu key and select “Set As Wallpaper”.

You can also change your wallpaper directly from the Home screen. To learn how, read our blog post You Should Know: Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry smartphone.

3. Customize your display fonts

The idea of changing the display font or the displayed font size as a customization is often overlooked by my friends and family. When I show them all the fonts they have to choose from, they soon realize that a simple font change can change the look and feel of their Home screen, message folders and other sections of their device. To change the font on your device, choose the steps for the BlackBerry OS you are using:

BlackBerry 6 & BlackBerry 7 OS

1. From the Home screen, select the “Options” icon
2. Select “Display” followed by “Screen Display”
3. In the Font section, select a display font and/or display font settings
4. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 and below

1. From the Home screen select the “Options” icon
2. Select “Screen/Keyboard”
3. Select a display font and/or display font settings
4. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

4. Create personalized folders

If you have a BlackBerry smartphone that uses BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 or later, you can add new folders to your Home screen. To add a new folder on your Home screen:

1. From the Home screen, press the Menu key and select “Add Folder”
2. Select an icon by selecting the folder
3. Type a name for the folder followed by selecting “Add”.

5. Device Shortcuts

Have a BlackBerry 6 or BlackBerry 7 OS smartphone? Using the menu option “Add to Home Screen”, you can create a shortcut on your Home screen for quick access in the future. Do this for frequently accessed websites, contacts, files (.pdf for example) and more.

Adding a shortcut is easy! For example, this is how you would add a contact to the Home screen:

1. Open the Contacts app and highlight a contact
2. Press the Menu key and select “Add to Home Screen”.

To remove the any icons that you may have added to your Home screen, complete the following steps:

1. Highlight the icon on your Home screen
2. Press the Menu key and select “Delete”.

Check out the list below to see other items you might want to add to your Home screen as an icon:

• Songs
• Playlists
• Videos
• Pictures
• Voice notes
• Files
• Contacts
• BBM contacts
• Browser Bookmarks

Bonus Tip: Themes!

For the ultimate in BlackBerry smartphone personalization, get yourself a theme from the BlackBerry App World storefront. You can find themes by launching BlackBerry App World on your device. Select the Themes icon followed by selecting one of the promoted themes or by selecting one of the provided categories.

For more information on downloading, installing and using themes on a BlackBerry smartphone, check out our blog post Getting Started with Themes on BlackBerry Smartphones.

Got a question? Leave a comment and let us know!

Happy Friday! To kick off the weekend, here are some of my favorite tips for BlackBerry® smartphone and/or BlackBerry PlayBook™ tablet owners.

1. Converting weights and measures

As someone who enjoys cooking, I end up doing lots of weight and measurement conversions. The Calculator app on my smartphone and tablet both offer built in unit converters that allow me to ensure my conversions are correct.

BlackBerry smartphone

1. From the Home screen or from within a folder, select the Calculator app
2. Enter a value, press the Menu key and select one of the following:

• To Metric
• From Metric

3. Select a conversion type.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

1. From the Home screen or from within a folder, select the Calculator app
2. Swipe down from the top bezel and select “Unit Converter”
3. Enter a number followed by selecting your desired conversion settings.

Make sure you check out our blog post for even more great cooking-with-BlackBerry tips: Five Tip Friday: Using your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook in the kitchen

2. Using the Frequent Panel

If you have already done some customization of your BlackBerry® 6 or BlackBerry® 7 OS Home screen, then you know that you can hide panels. Something I’ve noticed among friends and family is that they always have the Frequent panel hidden — that is, until I point out how amazing it is.

If you have hidden this panel, complete the steps below to unhide it so you can start taking advantage of fast access to commonly-used apps, games and more:

1. From the Home screen, press the Menu key and select “Manage Panels”
2. Check the box next to “Frequent”
3. Press the menu key and select “Save”.

3. Reader mode for Webpages

Reader mode brings clarity to reading content on webpages in the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet browser; the surrounding website, ads, and other objects are quickly removed, showing only the content’s images and text in an easy to consume format.

When reader mode is available, a blue icon that looks like an open book (circled in red below) will appear on the top left of the screen. It works in both portrait and landscape mode and is enabled by tapping the icon, which then opens the content in a reader mode. To close the content, click the “X” to the left of Close in the top left corner. Now that you know how to enable reader mode, why not give it a try?

4. Setting up Contact Alerts

You can create contact alerts on your smartphone that allow you to customize ringtones and alerts for calls and messages from specific contacts, or groups of contacts. When you receive a call or message from the contact, your device uses the assigned ringtone or alert, even if you select the Silent profile or Vibrate Only profile. If you do not want to be notified with the assigned ringtone or alert, you can select the All Alerts Off profile.

1. On the home screen, click on the Sound and Alert Profiles icon
2. Click “Change Sounds and Alerts” and select “Sounds for Contacts” followed by “Add Contact Alert”
3. In the Name field, type the name of the contact alert
4. In the Contacts field, type the name of the contact and select a contact
5. Change the ring tone and alert information for calls and messages
6. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

Want to learn more contacts tips? Check out Five Tip Friday – BlackBerry smartphone Contacts Tips

5. Submitting a Review on BlackBerry World

Purchased a new game that you love, or maybe a theme for your smartphone that’s become a new favorite? Let other BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet owners know by submitting a review of it in the BlackBerry World storefront.

BlackBerry smartphone: To post a review, launch BlackBerry App World on your smartphone and select “My World”. Highlight the item you’d like to review, press the Menu key and select “Add Review”. After entering your review, select “Submit Review”.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet: To post a review on your tablet, launch BlackBerry App World and select “My World”. Tap the app to be reviewed followed by “Add Review”. When finished, tap “Submit Review”.

When leaving a review, your BlackBerry® ID screen name will be displayed alongside your comments. To customize your BlackBerry ID screen name, log in and customize your account details at the BlackBerry ID website.

You can also edit your account details on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet or a BlackBerry 7 OS-enabled smartphone using the following steps:

BlackBerry smartphone

1. On the Home screen, select “Setup”
2. Select “BlackBerry ID”

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

1. Viewing the Home screen, swipe down from the top bezel to access the tablet settings
2. Select “BlackBerry ID”

Want some more great BlackBerry World Tips? This should do it: Five Tip Friday – BlackBerry App World

Bonus: Where to get help and learn more!

If you have a question that you can’t find the answer to, we want to hear about it. Check out our tips for finding help for your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and choose one of the many options available to you. While you’re at it, be sure to read Finding Answers: Help Us Help You to ensure you are providing the information we need to get you the answer quickly.

Have a question about the tips in this post? Leave it below and let us know!

Have you ever wondered why when you type the first few characters of a contact name or an email address into a “To”, “CC” or “BCC” field in your BlackBerry® 6 or BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphone, it displays the email addresses of contacts who are not in your contact list? That’s because your smartphone helps you by remembering the names and email addresses contained in sent and received email messages – even those that are not recognized as entries in the Contacts app. This feature is called Recent Contact Management, and is intended to help you quickly compose emails. By default, the entries in the Recent Contact Management list are presented as suggestions along with entries from the Contacts app while you are completing the “To”, “CC” or “BCC” fields based on what you are entering.

If you want to turn off this feature so that only contacts from the Contact apps are suggested, or would like to know how to add a Recent Contact to the Contacts app, read on.

Add a Recent Contact to the Contacts app

Any name and email address that appear in the Recent Contact Management list can be added to the Contacts app. I’ve often used this after deleting an email message by mistake but had wanted to add the sender as a contact.

1. From the Home screen open Messages
2. Press the Menu key and select “Options”
3. Select “Recent Contact Management” to view the Recent Contact Management list
4. Highlight a contact, followed by pressing the Menu key and selecting “Add to Contacts”
5. Do one of the following:

• Select “New Contact” and complete the info for the new entry
• Select an existing contact to add the info to it

6. When finished, press the Menu key and select “Save”.

Clear the Recent Contact List

I recently mistyped an email address when composing a message and only realized my mistake after the message had been returned, indicating that it was undeliverable. Because I had pressed “Send,” the incorrect email address was added to the Recent Contacts Management List; in order to remove it so it was not a suggested contact, I simply cleared the list.

1. From the Home screen open Messages
2. Press the Menu key and select “Options”
3. Select “Recent Contact Management” to view the Recent Contact Management list
4. Press the Menu key and select “Clear List”.

Bonus: Curious about how long a contact will stay on the list? Check out KB32484 – Recent Contact Management retention.

Turn off Recent Contact Suggestions

When the Recent Contacts Management list is disabled, only contacts from within the Contacts app are searched when you type characters in the “To”, “CC” or “BCC” fields. Follow these steps to disable this feature:

1. From the Home screen open Messages
2. Press the Menu key and select “Options” followed by “Message Display and Actions”
3. Uncheck the box next to Show Recent Contacts When Composing Email
4. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

Tip: By default, the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) field is hidden. If you want to BCC someone, press the Menu key and select “Add Bcc:” which will add the field to your email.

Have a question about Recent Contact Management? Leave it below and let us know!

With the holiday season fast approaching, let’s take a look at a few ways your BlackBerry® smartphone can help you through what can be a very busy time of year.

1. Password Keeper

If you’re like me and other people in your household use your smartphone, consider using the Password Keeper app to hide your holiday shopping list from curious eyes. Create a new entry in the app and keep your list in the notes section.

If you are not familiar with the Password Keeper app, you can learn more about it by reading our blog post How to set up and use BlackBerry Password Keeper.

2. BlackBerry Traffic

BlackBerry® Traffic™ helps you get from one place to another by providing routes based on recent traffic information. Did you know it also can help you determine when the best time to leave is? After specifying a destination, click a route’s estimated arrival time (circled in red below) to display a list of future traffic estimates.

3. BBM Groups

BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Groups are a great way to organize events for the holidays. You can add dates to the group calendar, discuss menu items for a party using group chat, and share pictures with everyone in the group.

For a full list of BBM Group features and/or help getting started, check out our guide How to Administer BlackBerry Messenger Groups and follow up with BlackBerry Messenger Groups: Share pictures, lists and chat with several friends at once.

4. The Camera app

Before the holidays start, make sure your smartphone’s camera is set up and ready to go by ensuring your flash, Camera Scene Mode and GeoTag options are pre-set.

• Flash Settings – To change the flash setting, select the flash icon which is circled in red below.
• Camera Scene Mode – Select the Camera Scene Mode icon, circled in green below. A listing of modes with descriptions is listed. Simply select the mode you want to enable it.
• GeoTag – Circled in yellow below, this setting allows the camera to record geographical information of the location in which you take a photo. Select whether you want it on or off.

5. QR codes

While searching for the perfect gift, keep an eye out for QR codes which can be found in advertising, products and many other places. QR codes are often used to promote sales, offer coupons and provide information on products and services.

To scan a QR code with your device, first download a QR code scanner from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront – simply open BlackBerry App World, search for “QR Code scanner” and install one of the availible QR code scanner apps. Once installed, open the app and follow the prompts to scan a QR code.

Have a question about this post? Leave it below and let us know!

Do you know how much storage space is available on your BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet? Learn how to view free storage space and more on your smartphone and/or tablet using the steps below.

BlackBerry smartphones

A BlackBerry smartphone comes with built-in media storage for pictures, videos, documents and other media that you can save to your device. Your smartphone can also have a media card installed, which adds to the available space used to store media files. To find out what size of media card your BlackBerry smartphone can support, check out BlackBerry Knowledge Base article KB05461 – Micro SD card sizes supported by the BlackBerry device software.

Follow these steps to view the amount of free storage space on your device:

1. From the Home screen, select the “Media” icon
2. Press the Menu key and select “Memory Use”.

Optionally, when viewing the Memory Use screen, select “Details” and you’ll be provided with a breakdown of how your storage space is being used, as per the following screenshot.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

All the apps, games, videos, pictures and other media you download are saved to the tablet’s free storage space. How much storage space you have depends on which model you purchased. To find out how much free storage space is available on your tablet, follow these steps:

1. From the Home screen, tap the gear (Settings) icon in the top right corner
2. While in the Settings menu, tap “About”
3. Select “Hardware” from the drop down menu next to “View information about your tablet”
4. View your Free Storage, circled in red below.

When it comes to managing files on your tablet, you can use the File Manager app, BlackBerry® Desktop Software, or my preferred method — using Wi-Fi® sharing.

Got a question about this post? Leave it below and let us know!

One of the difficulties when traveling long distances is the jet lag you experience while aligning your inner clock with a new time zone. Let your BlackBerry® smartphone give you less to worry about during this period by updating its date, time and time zone automatically when you arrive at your destination. All that and much more in this week’s Five Tip Friday, travel edition!

1. Have the Date, Time and Time Zone Automatically Updated

Stepping off an airplane is the beginning of a hectic series of events; finding your luggage, flagging a taxi on your way out of the airport, and checking into your hotel are top priorities. Take an item off your list by having your device automatically update the date, time and time zone when you connect to the mobile network for the first time in your new location.

1. From the Home screen, select “Options”
2. Select “Display” followed by “Date and Time”
3. Next to Update Time set the drop down to “Automatic”
4. Next to Auto Update Time Zone choose “On”
5. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

2. Display a Second Time Zone in the Clock App

Changing time zones can be disorienting, especially if you are city-hopping for business travel. While you are away and your device is set to your current time zone, you have the option of displaying a second time on the Clock app. This can be set to your home location’s time, helping you keep in sync with the people back home.

1. From the Home screen, select “Clock”
2. Press the Menu key and select “Options”
3. Change the Home Time Zone field to a different time zone
4. Press the Menu key and select “Save”.

3. Find Apps for Your Destination in BlackBerry App World

Before I travel to a new city, I always search the BlackBerry App World™ storefront using the cities’ name. I’ve found official visitor guides, transit maps, and even apps that help you find free Wi-Fi® hotspots around the city. So before you take your next trip, make sure you search BlackBerry App World and see what your destination city has to offer.

If you don’t have BlackBerry App World installed on your device, download it using the BlackBerry® Browser on your smartphone.

4. Bedside Mode

Sleeping in a bed that is not your own can make it hard to get a good night’s rest. To make sure a late night email doesn’t interrupt your sleep, use Bedside Mode, which is a feature of the Clock app on your device. You can have all notifications turned off or have all the radios disabled when Bedside Mode is enabled — and don’t forget to set the alarm!

To learn more about using and customizing the Clock app’s Bedside Mode feature, check out our blog post How to have a “Berry” good sleep using the BlackBerry Smartphone’s Bedside Mode.

5. BlackBerry Travel

BlackBerry® Travel™ is an app designed to help make planning, booking, and managing your trip easier. It helps keep track of flights, hotels, car rentals and other aspects of your trip, and should a flight get canceled, it can help you find a new one!

To learn more about the BlackBerry Travel app, read our BlackBerry Travel Getting Started Guide.

Have a question about using your BlackBerry smartphone? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Did you know that you can select a group of photos while viewing them in the Pictures app on a BlackBerry® 6 or BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphone? My wife didn’t until I caught her sending one picture at a time to a friend using email. Check out the first tip today to learn how to select multiple pictures at the same time as well as several other tips to help you get the most out of the Pictures app.

1. Selecting Multiple Pictures

As previously mentioned, you can select multiple pictures at the same time so you can send, delete and move groups of pictures all at once instead of one at a time.

1. Open the Pictures app and browse to a folder
2. Press the Menu key followed by “Select”

• Using a touch screen? Optionally tap and hold a picture instead of using the Menu key

3. Start selecting multiple pictures, and when finished, press the menu key and select a desired option.

2. Sharing Pictures

One of my favorite features is the ability to send photos to my friends and family using a variety of options. Whether it’s through BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), email, or your favorite social media app, sending pictures from your device is easy.

1. While in the Pictures app, select one or more pictures
2. Press the Menu key followed by “Send”
3. Specify which method you’d like to use to share your pictures.

3. Slide Shows

You can run a slide show displaying pictures you’ve saved to or taken with your BlackBerry smartphone. Here’s how to do it:

1. From the Pictures app, select a folder or multiple pictures
2. Press the Menu key and select “View Slide Show”.

Now that you know how to run a slide show, to customize transition effects and timing, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Pictures app, press the Menu key and select Options
2. Scroll down to the Pictures section and customize the “Slide Show Transitions” and “Slide Show Interval” values
3. When finished, press the Menu key and select “Save”.

4. Back up your photos

When was the last time you backed up the photos you’ve taken with your BlackBerry smartphone? If you still have the photos from your mom’s birthday over a year ago, it’s likely that you’ve waited too long. In the event that your device goes overboard while on a fishing trip, I recommend backing up your photos regularly.

Copying pictures to your computer is easy since you can use your BlackBerry smartphone as a USB drive. If you have never connected your device to a computer or would just like to refresh your memory, check out our blog post Using Your BlackBerry Smartphone as a USB Drive.

5. Assign a caller ID picture

Have you recently taken a picture of a friend or family member? Consider adding that picture to their contact details within the Contacts app. The next time you receive a call from them, their smiling face will let you know who’s calling.

1. While in the Pictures app, select a picture
2. Press the Menu key and select “Assign to Contact”
3. Use the crop function to select how the icon will look
4. When finished, press the Menu key and select “Crop and Save”
5. Select a contact to assign the picture to.

Bonus: Organizing pictures using folders

After a day at the zoo with my family a few weeks ago, I took all the photos I had taken and moved them into a new folder on my smartphone called “Zoo”. I can now easily run a slide show of that day, or when I back up the photos to my computer, they are already organized in their own folder. To create a new folder and then move pictures, complete the following steps:

1. From the Pictures app, select one or multiple pictures
2. Press the Menu key and select “Move to Folder”
3. Select “Add Folder”, enter a name for the folder and select “Ok”
4. Select “Move here” to place the photos into the new folder.

Have a question about the Pictures app? Leave it below and let us know!