Much hoopla was made this week about one tech writer’s frustration with the BlackBerry trackball, as we mentioned in this week’s News From The Wire. So I figured today was as good as any to throw up a quick tip on how to clean your BlackBerry trackball. Yes, it’s a quick tip because it’s rather simple. After the jump, we’ll guide you through with some pictures. For now, get yourself a dry rag and a small screwdriver.
First, you’ll have to use the screwdriver to remove the ring from the outside of the trackball. I’d recommend doing this from the top, since it’s the only part of the wheel that doesn’t have a prong (you’ll see what I mean when you pull it out). Once that is loose, you’ll be able to take the trackball unit out as well. The set should look like this:
Now we want to concern ourselves with the trackball unit. First, wet your finger and run it across the trackball to pick up any residue which might be sticking to it. Next, you’ll notice there are four black wheels on each corner of the unit. Remove them one by one, removing any dust or buildup with your fingertips. I’d recommend not using water here. Just something about water and BlackBerry that makes me uneasy.
Finally, we’ll look back to the unit, where you’ll see a copper sensor where the trackball used to be. Wipe this gently with the rag. This is a very fragile and very sensitive part. If you treat it roughly, it will break and you’ll have a worse problem than a dirty and clogged trackball.
Finally, drop the trackball unit back into the crevice, and pop the ring back on, prongs facing left, right, and down. Voila! Should be good as new. And now you don’t have to send your BlackBerry to IT, or out for repair. Imagine that.
56 comments… read them below or add one
thanks for the tip. my trackball has been seeming a little sluggish lately. there is probably a lot of lint in there since I carry mine in my pocket
great tip! i did not even need a screwdriver…just used my fingernail and it popped right out…
oh, and the ring breaks VERY easily, by the way if you don’t line the prongs up like the instructions say. : (
I run http://www.bbtrackball.com and in my experience cleaning the trackball is quite easy. There’s some good steps here but if you check out my link, I’ve got some good cleaning instructions for both basic and more advanced cleaning. I also sell replacements for $12.99 Free shipping if you’d rather not deal with the hassle of taking it apart to clean it well.
Hope this helps!
- Zach
This was simple to do and made a world of difference in the trackball. I did find a more slender nail file worked better at getting under the ring though.
Great advice guys, I’m sure the trackball gets a bit grimey for everyone after a while. Cleaning is pretty easy but you can break the ring if you aren’t careful. Keep the tips coming!
I was having trackball issues and I ordered a new one from http://www.blackberrytrackballs.com last week. It arrived the next day and I was back in business. I don’t know if anyone else has had an issue, but my friend followed cleaning instructions that used rubbing alcohol, and he totally broke his blackberry. I would suggest being careful!!
Thanks for the advice!
this is my first time going on this site and wow… this worked great… i would usually go in and trade it or try to get rid of the phone.. but this worked.. thanks guys… ill def keep looking here to fix my blkbry
Dude Nice tips
Got mine cleaned already and it’s got better
Thanks dude :D
Trackball cleaning instructions were very helpful. I just about threw my Pearl out the car window last night but decided to calm down and check out the track ball problem this morning. Now works fine. I’ll start carrying it around in the case rather than in my l;int-prone pockets. Thanks again!
Yeah this is actually my first blackberry so I am kinda nervous about performing this task
Thank you , thank you , thank you!!! My trackball wouldn’t move up and now it’s working great. Very easy to follow directions. Too bad the desktop manager software aborts all the time…. but at least the trackball works again.
thanks a lot homes, your the shiznit
Great tips! Very helpful info, thank God for helpful people, to spare us from being nickled and dimed! Remember Jesus cleans the inner heart, God bless!
Someone spilt just enough soda on my ball where it stuck only going down… this totally fixed it. Thanks!
Hi… While I was trying to take off one of the black wheels on the trackball, I accidently cracked the wheel. Now, I can only go up,down, and right, but not left. Is there anyway to repair this or make it go left once again? I’d like any information on this and Thank you very much!
Go to BlackberryTrackballs.com Replacement trackball with retaining ring costs $11. I just fixed mine today. Ordered the parts Saturday had them in hand on Wednesday
help- i have a blackberry bold and cant move the ball down… how do remove the ring on a bold? have tried lifting its very stuck
Hey Bel – here is a post that shows you exactly how to take apart your Bold – good luck!
http://www.bbgeeks.com/blackberry-guides/how-to-replace-bezel-buttons-and-keyboard-on-blackberry-bold-882461/
I own a Blackberry 8330 and I’m wondering what parts if any will fit from BlackBerry Curve 8300 8310 8320
The track ball will for sure — The 8330 is a slightly different body than the other models so no swapping.
Initially no downward movement. Took it out like you said, left the wheels on. Worked perfectly afterward. Thanks
How about using a Solvent like Acetone or Alcohol to clean the trackball ?…In that case, there is no need to remove the trackball from Blackberry Bold..
Did anyone try it ??
yes you can use a swab and some alcohol to clean the trackball – the problem is sometimes a bit of dust/dirt will get trapped inside between the sensors and affect usage.
I have an 8900 – will try this cleaning thing however the bigger issue is that it doesn;t CLICK anymore – moves around sluggishly but NO CLICK! this is really annoying – you can use the “enter” key to access most basic applications and functions,etc.. however you cannot use the browser, some applications or download any applications cuz the “enter key” doesn’t work there… any suggestions/ do you think the “cleaning” will also fix the “click” problem?
@JoAnne
Yes a thorough cleaning of the trackball should fix the no-click issue. If not then a replacement trackball unit is not very expensive.
I clean mine with vinegar I pop it out and soak a little vinegar on a paper towel then I roll the ball through the vinegar and then on the dry part until its dry. Running alcohol makes it to slick. While you have it out make sure that square orange tape is in place. Make sure the metal piece is in the middle. That’s your clicker. Good luck
Try this http://www.unique-stuff.co.cc/fixing_sticky_blackberry_trackball.html They have some tricks to fix a sticky unscrollable blackberry trackball without disassembling. I try the rotating straw technique and it works for me!! I have my trackball working again now..
Darn wish I had read this before I handed in to my Service Provider her in South Africa. They say it will take three weeks to come back…Only had the phone six weeks!
Hi,
I just clearned mine, but also ordered a new one. I see two websites mentioned here, and they take $11 and $12.99 for a new trackball. I ordered on eBay, for $1.66 with free shipping. I love trackballs, but gunk clogging them is a recurring problem with all of them, whether it’s a huge computer one or this tiny blackberry one. This one is a bit more of a pain to clean though, as the parts are so tiny. I used a Q-tip, a piece of a lens cleaning paper and only 1 drop of Eclipse cleaning fluid (this does not have harmful additives as e.g. rubbing alcohol has). It is important not to use more than 1 drop at a time, as you don’t want it soaking wet, you just want a tiny amount to dissolve the gunk and allow you to lift it off the surfaces. Clean the ball itself, the weels and the sensor. And all the gunk that may cling to the edges of the “well”, as that will make it’s way to the wheels…
Thanks, works like a new one now.
So I tried to do this with my Blackberry Tour, not thinking it was that dramatically different…. and well, now my phone is completely and utterly busted. I’m just hoping it will still be covered by my insurance after I took the trackball out (and can’t get it back properly… and the part under the keys is all messed up now so other keys are also broken). Major bummer. I was so excited about this phone when I got it back in September, but it has been nothing but a hassle- the trackball would work or not work completely sporadically, and the service reception on it is terrible. Is the Bold any better?
@beth I am sorry to hear about your difficulties. I am hoping your insurance covers the broken device – good luck Beth!
The Bold is a much better device in my opinion.
Where are the class action suits against verizon for such cheap crap BB 8330. THEY know it is a PROBLEM
I couldn’t figure out how to get the wheels off but I cleaned it the best I could and when I put it back together it was working again so thanx guys!!
A bit hair raising the first time you do it but works great!One other thing that works if you have access to it is a blast of compressed air carefully applied directly to the trackball. Your method works great at home where this is not normally available. THANKS!!!
Dear all,
I found this the most frustating BB experience: my BB track ball would scroll left and right and up, but not down,e.g., no email!
My BB is a work curve 8330. Now I could have turned it in and waited six weeks for the fols to fix or replace it, so I decided as long as I felt I could put it back together and turn it in as “broken” I had nothing to lose by spending half an hour at my desk to fix it.
Thanks to this website, I understood how the ball worked (it may not be important to you, but I find that when I know how something works, it’s easier to fix0what is not working).
1). The advice to use a plastic instrument to remove a plastic piece–right on. The advice to work it gently around the silver holder–right on–before you do that though,I saw a small notch at about the 930 position–makes it easier to press it back in correctly.
Once you have pryed the silver circle out, STOP.
Take a fine pointed magic marker and mark the TOP of the ball assembly (it all looks the same after you dumped it into your palm!)
After you have turned the BB over and smacked the back out, STOP, and mark the top of the bottom to match the top of the top.
I’ve seen where people have stopped at this point to blow out the ball with compressed air–if that works for you, great. If you are like me, you find that didn’t work.
The next part is hard if you have fat fingers like me..dump out the trackball part bt turning the BB over and tapping it into your palm…STOP
Can you still see the top marks? It will have to go back together. Pay attention to the two tiny holes remaining in the blackberry, where the ball assembly was. The ball assembly bottom has two tiny pegs that fit right back in.
The tricky part:you now have a 1/4″ part in your hand, with about six subparts to it, that need attention; if you are not comfortable after all of this in proceeding, may I suggest you consider buying a replacement part and dropping it in?
You will need to use a very small, fine blade (screwdriver, knife, etc) to gently pry loose one of the four plastic-metal clips. Remember, you will mess up the important plastic part before you messa up the metal part—easy!
There are four tiny gears, with the gear part touching the ball, and with a little magnetic roller pointing outside on each of the corners. When you”pop” it,DON’T LOSE THE BALL!
My BB had the down roller covered in dust, so thtat the ball couldn’t even touch it. Some compressed air, manual “messing with it,” I was able to get it back together. And it worked…USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
hi guys, thanks for the info, the i just used a thumbtack and some canned air and was able to replicate the fix. thanks for putting it out there!
Instructions were great. Pic a big plus. Thx!
My Blackberry trackball was not scrolling down. I did an “Ask Jeeves” to see what to do. I came across your website and saw your suggestion on how to fix the trackball. I followed your very easy instructions and now my trackball works great! Thank you so much for saving me time and money.
@Randy You are very welcome =) Thanks for being a BBGeek!
Nice and simple. Out of office for 10 days, no working BB. After waiting for 48 minutes for the curiously named “helpdesk” to pick up the phone i eventually got the advice: get a new one when you are back. one search; one non-loading webiste later i arrived here. 30 seconds of reading, 3 minutes of fixing. So simple that even a techno-phobe could manage. THANKS!
I wish I had checked this out before I spent $25 on a new one. They probably did the same thing you instructed. Anyway, thank you for this, now I can do it myself!!!
Hello friends,kindly advise on how I can clean,repair,replace my BB9000 trackball I’m having great difficulty scrolling down!Help ASAP.Thanks
@chisanga First try pressing firmly on the trackball and rolling it in the opposite direction of the stick. In your case you would roll it up since down is the problem direction.
If that does not clear things up you can check out this post for tips on taking your device apart.
http://www.bbgeeks.com/blackberry-guides/how-to-replace-bezel-buttons-and-keyboard-on-blackberry-bold-882461/
wait, wait, wait! how do u remove the wheels!?
honestly ppl, i wud think a zillion times before goin thru such an operation
i had same issue for almost 6 mnths nw .. but i was lingering in with it ..
today i had a junglee water fight with frnds and my Bold 1 was all in water .. i just checked, its ball is working perfectly now
i prolly think that rubbing it with damp tissue ppr shud help then
I’ve recently got the same problem like yours, my trackball wont scroll right. Dont know the reason, but i search google and found a trick named strawberry which consists of using a sliced plastic straw, here it is: http://www.unique-stuff.net/fixing_sticky_blackberry_trackball.html
my blackberry 9000 trackball wont scroll down helllllp
i’ve tried all the tricks cleaning and fixing my trackball but the one i found effective is the rotating straw technique as i found at http://www.uniquestuff.net/fixing_sticky_blackberry_trackball.html
@chisanga and anyone having a scrolling problem
I recently had problems scrolling down, I dimply dampened a cotton cloth with a few drops of water, I made sure that the cloth soaked the water so that it cannot wet the trackball, I then pressed firmly on the trackball moving it in various direction for about a minute or 2. The Idea is that any dust/dirt would stick onto the cloth (since it is a little damp) and thus the dust will be removed
Thank you thank you thank you. Removing the trackball worked a treat. This problem was driving me crazy.
What a great post – thank you so much!!! I followed your instructions and it worked the first time I tried. You’re the best!!
Peter
Hi I have blackberry 8520 and the tracker ball doesn’t work I went out brout new one and still doesn’t work can you help me p,ease?
How can I clean my track pad for bb 9300 curve
If my pin is popular can I convert my pin how it show to friends