In our year and change of operating BBGeeks, we’ve written a number of BlackBerry guides for all sorts of applications. Yet we haven’t touched on the most basic one: BlackBerry Messenger. Over Memorial Day weekend I rode the bus with my cousin from New York City to my parents’ place in Jersey. On the way she was furiously typing away at her BlackBerry. “Texting?” I asked, more in hopes of conversing than getting the answer I thought I knew anyway. “No,” she said, “it’s actually BlackBerry Messenger. You use it, right?” Of course, but not as furiously as her apparently. For the next 10 or so minutes she talked about how much better BBM is than texting. It was then that I knew I had to do a guide for it.
Setting up BlackBerry Messenger
The best part about BlackBerry Messenger is that it comes preloaded on your BlackBerry. All you have to do is find the icon for BBM. It will look different depending on the theme you use, but in general it should look like the BlackBerry logo inside a dialog bubble. Kinda like the image to the right. Unless you deleted BBM, your phone should have it already loaded. If not, there are a couple of things you can do. Normally I’d recommend going to http://www.blackberry.com/messenger/ to download it. Unfortunately, that site appears to have been removed. The other way to reload BBM is to connect your BlackBerry to a PC and run BlackBerry Desktop Manager. You’ll then run Application Loader, where you’ll check the box for BlackBerry Messenger, then hit Next until you get to Finish. The first time you run BlackBerry Messenger you’ll be prompted to enter your display name and a password. Simple enough. Just enter that and you’ll be ready to move onto adding contacts.
Adding contacts to BBM
What’s an instant messaging client without a bunch of contacts? BBM makes it easy to add other BlackBerry users to your contact list. Simply depress the Menu button and select Add Contact. A small dialog box will pop up prompting you for the contact information. Here you can enter either the user’s email address or PIN number. A quick note on adding contacts via email. While it has worked in almost all instances for me, there have ben a select few where I couldn’t do it that way. The only way I could add these rare contacts was through their PIN number. I have no explanation, but I’ve seen a few complaints on message boards of a similar issue. The contact stays as pending, even if he or she accepted the contact invite. If you need your PIN, or you need the PIN of someone you’re trying to add to BBM, you can read our quick tip on finding your BlackBerry PIN. Once you enter in the contact information and click in the trackball, you’ll see an Add a Message dialog box. It comes with a stock message to send along with your contact request. I always just stick with this one, but you might want to modify it depending on the contact. Click OK when you’re satisfied and you’ll get a confirmation notice. On the bottom of your contact list you’ll see a field for Pending, under which your contact will be listed. The contact will remain there until he or she accepts the request.
Did you know? Changing contact names
By default, your contact list will display the name selected by each contact. For example, if you add me it will say Joseph Pawlikowski. However, if you find my name grotesquely long you can change it to anything you want. Just highlight the contact and press Menu. There you’ll see an option to Rename Contact. Click that, and you can change it to whatever you’d like. I don’t want to go putting ideas in people’s heads, but this feature is quite useful if you want to mask your contacts and conversations. Hey, a conversation between me and “Josh” probably seems a bit more benign than one between me and Mindy. Just sayin’.
Contact groups
Like most instant messaging clients, you can create various groups for your contacts with BlackBerry Messenger. While in the main contact screen, hit the Menu button and then select Add Group. You’ll then name the group. To add contacts to that group, highlight the contact’s name and hit the Menu button. Select Move Contact. A dialog box will pop up listing all groups to which the contact does not currently belong. Select the appropriate one and click it. You can repeat this to move the same contact among groups. You can also move the contact back to your general contacts list if you want, by performing the same function. If you want to delete the group, you must first move all contacts out of the group, then hit the Menu button while highlighting the group, and select Delete Group. That option will not appear until the group is empty.
Conversing with contacts
Once you’ve set up your contact list, you can finally get to the good part: sending and receiving messages. This is done in the most obvious manner: click the trackball when you’ve highlighted the contact. That will bring you to a conversation screen. The folks at RIM were kind enough to give the basic instruction to Start typing here for new conversations. Just do that, then click the trackball when you’re ready to send. Once you click the trackball, the menu will pop up and you’ll see a number of options. You can just click the trackball again to send the message. You can also check the spelling of the message, send a file, send a voice note, edit AutoText, and clear the field (or clear your conversation history with this contact). There’s an option to Ping Contact as well. This essentially send him or her a message that says PING!. No, seriously.
Send File/Send Voice Note If you want to send a file to a BBM contact, start up a conversation with them, hit the Menu button, and click Send File. A dialog box will appear with options to select a file from device memory or media card. Click through and find the appropriate file and click it. This one click will send the file, so make sure you’ve got the right one. Your contact will receive a message with the file name and size, and will have the option to view, save, or cancel. To send a voice note, start up a conversation, hit Menu, and select Send Voice Note. Make sure you’re ready to talk right away, because it will start recording immediately. There’s a time limit, too, so be sure you keep the voice not concise. You’ll see a progress bar letting you know how close to 100 percent full your message is. Your contact will receive a message with the file name voicenote.amr plus the file size. They’ll have the option to play it, save it, or cancel.
Once you send the message (or PING!), it will appear in the message area. Next to each message will be a check mark along with either the letter D or R. D means delivered — basically a confirmation message that the message went through the servers and was delivered to the contact. R means read — that the contact has seen the message on his or her BBM. So when someone says “oh, I didn’t get that IM,” you can say, “Well, it shows on my BBM that you saw the message.” Oooh. Burn. Finally, you can add other users to the conversation. When in the conversation screen hit the Menu button and click Invite. This will bring you to a dialog box containing your contacts. Scroll through and select the appropriate one, and he or she will be added to your conversation. You can do this for as many contacts as you’d like. This will essentially act as a chat room — a throwback to the old AOL days.
BBM Options
Whenever I use a BlackBerry application I make sure to explore every facet of it. This includes looking through the entire menu, especially the Options part. In BBM there are two other relevant menu items: My Status and Edit My Info. First, My Status, Here you can define yourself as available or unavailable, by selecting the appropriate radio button. Additionally, you can add a status message, much like GChat, AIM, MSN, and other popular IM clients. Your contacts can then see that message. It’s probably more useful for when you’re not available (to explain why you’re not available and when you will be again), but hey, everyone likes expressing themselves via short messages these days. If a contact is unavailable, you’ll see an option in the Menu for Set Alert. This will send you a message when the selected contact becomes available. Once he or she is, you’ll see a dialog box saying so, and will give you the option to send him or her a message. Next up is Edit My Info. This one is rather straightforward. It simply allows you to change your display name. So if I, for some reason, want to shorten mine to Joe Pawlikowski, I can go in there and do it up. Just edit your name and click OK. Nope, nothing much to see here. 
Finally, we have the Options menu. There are four settings you can change. First is Vibrate When Receiving a Ping. I tend to keep this set to Yes, but it should be noted that your phone will only vibrate when one of your contacts selects Ping Contact. If you want BBM messages to vibrate or make a tone, you’ll have to edit your message settings in Profiles. Next is Ask Password Question When Adding Contacts. This allows you to send along a question with your contact invitation. You’ll also set an answer when you send the invitation. The contact must then answer the question in order to accept the invitation. I’ve never used this myself, but it could be useful if you’re sending out an invitation to someone you’re not sure about. Why you would do that in the first place, I don’t know. Can someone who has used this function explain in the comments? The last two options are Allow Forwarding of Requests and Show Conversations in Message List. They’re pretty self-explanatory. The former will allow you to forward contact requests to other contacts. The latter shows your current conversations along with your contacts list. It makes it easier to keep track of open conversations that way.
Missing anything?
We’ve tried to make this this most comprehensive BlackBerry Messenger guide out there. Yet even though we explored the depths of BBM, we’re sure we’ve missed something. If you have anything to add, leave it in the comments and we’ll revise this guide a bit later.
514 comments… read them below or add one
Hey you forgot the chat room function.
Once in a conversation with a contact, you can hit the BB Menu key and then choose “Invite.” From there you can invite as many of your contacts into the conversation as you like. Then everyone in the conversation will say anything that anyone says. Its pretty cool, especially if you are trying to get a bunch of people to meet somewhere
There is one thing that I noticed here that you didn’t share and that’s the ability to send files and voice notes via BBM. This is a great feature for BB users whether for personal or business use. While in your conversation click the trackball or menu button you’ll see “Send a file…” or “Send Voice Note”.
File is self explanatory and voice note will use that function on the blackberry to record a short note and allow you to send it to the person on the other end.
One side note to this is that you can use BBM internationally to any BB user. All you need is to be on each other’s contact list and away you go.
You may want to consider the ability to send a file or voicenote through BBM.
You’ve tried to make this definitive but you couldnt at least test a simple (to me) function? I’m talking about asking the password question when adding contact. I don’t want to be one of those people who hates for no obvious reason, but I noticed you went the trouble to get a photo of PINGING in use from a bb to another.
This article attempt could have been better. especially if you call it a definitive guide. I guess that’s just so people would read it.
Pathetic
This is a great info guide for how to SET UP BBM. Are you writing one for USING it? Like to cover how you can send pictures and voice notes etc.?
Also, I find that even when I have a PIN number setup for a contact, BBM wants to default to adding them as an email contact. Not sure if that’s across all versions or not.
Will and Jamie, I did cover those in the article. They’re definitely in there. I could have gone into more detail.
Chris,
Well, I mean, a headline’s sole purpose is to get people to read, so I don’t know what you’re getting at there.
And I did test it, and it works exactly how I described. Perhaps you should read closer before making snarky comments. I asked for people to explain WHY they use it, not HOW to use it.
i agree. bb messenger is way better than texting or other ims. u can do so much more. and the new blackberries have more and newer features that are awesome such as sending your location. newer faces. i love it! thanks! i did learn something new…
you can also type “MY PIN” with no space and your pin automtically shows up in text messages and etc. Its a lot better than copy and pasting!!
Didnt know you tested it. My Bad, but you did say you never used it, so I guessed that’s why I assumed it…Still not that definitive unless you plan to add more later…like a part 2. Wait, it looks like there’s no need now though, cause I’m sure the comments section is letting everyone know what you missed. lol.
NOW it’s definitive!
In fairness, I mentioned all the things in the comments. Just didn’t elaborate. If you’ll notice, at the request of the commenters I’ve added a new section on sending files and voice notes.
Since upgrading to Blackberry 4.5 it seems that my Messenger text is clearing out every day? Is there a setting to enable/disable this function?
Also, is there a way to save messenger text to SD card? When I’ve tried to cut and paste, my clipboard is not large enough to save everything.
Thanks…H
Although you asked for “comments”, I had a question that I hope u or your readers might not mind answering. I feel a bit dimwitted for asking this, but.here goes.. Does Blackberry Messngr “talk” to other IM services (or clients or whatever one calls them)? If someone gives me his/her Yahoo or AIM IM screen name, can I use BB Messngr to message him/her? Only a few of my friends have Blackberrys, so it wouldn’t be very useful for me if I can only IM those few people.. Thanks. .
@A F No you will have to use a IM application separate from BBM to have conversations with non BlackBerry owners.
Joe what about the symbols that show up on the smiley faces next to the names. small round clock or a thing that looks like a C- on the face. any clue?
Lou, those are emoticons of sorts. It’s something I’m going to add as an update to this.
Brand new BB Messenger user here. How do you change the email address that displays when others view your info? It appears to display the first email address listed on your email setup screen, but I have multiple addresses tied to my phone and the first one is not the one I want displayed to messenger users. The addresses sort alphabetically on the email setup screen and there is no way (that I see) to resort them. Any other options, or am I stuck?
@Jon Unfortunately there is no way I know of to edit this info – the default email will be displayed
Good guide. I have a tid-bit of information and a question:
If you are reading a message and your contact is typing at the same time you will see their name below the text box. Almost as interactive as ICQ was – ICQ used to show the letters typed by your contact in your text box. I have not seen this feature again.
Here is the question: If you are reading a message but you dont want your contact to get the acknowledgement “R” – is there are way to achieve that?
yes – as long as you do not move your trackball while in BBM the other person will not see it as being read
No, Trish, it won’t show up on your bill. PINs are routed the same way as email.
Just a quick question..Because the IM’s actually go through blackberry and not ur cell phone service…does this mean they will not show up on ur cell bill. May be a dumb question but its important for me to find out for sure! Thanks
Is there any way sort the contacts out by alphabetical order? or by first name order?
@Jonil Open Messenger, press the Blackberry/Menu key, select ‘Options’, change the “sort conversations by” from “Activity” to “Alphabet”
Press Blackberry/Menu and select Save.
That should do it for you. Unfortunately you can only choose between alphabet and activity so first name sorting is not possible.
I’ve seen searches but no real helpful sites on blackberry messenger for iphone apps. (would save me a whole lot of txts if I can recommend my friends with iphones download this app.) Is it real? Where can I get detailed download instructions?
I know bb messenger doesn’t show up on your bill as bb messenger or who you are messngering. But does it show up on the bill as anything – emails and fb show up as activity – time date, etc. just not who and what aas written. what about bbmessenger and pinning?
BBM messages count as part of your overall data package – they are not itemized.
my conversation list wont list by activity why?
i went to options and tried switching it from alphabatize to activity
still doesnt work
I have renamed a contact in bb messenger, but want to revert back to the nickname the contact has set up for themselves.
How do I do this?
When I go into contact info, I want to take out “Display Name” and have “Nickname” show.
quick question: if i am on a call, my im’s are not delivered to me until i get off the call. is there a way to be notified about the im while im on a call
No – unfortunately they run on data and will only update once the phone connection is not in use.
Quick question about the Set Alert option within Messenger. If someone sets an alert so that they are notified when I become available, what exactly does that mean? Does that mean when I move the trackball again, does that mean when I open the Messenger App or when I actually open the conversation within Messenger? Thanks in advance for your help. :) Keep on Crackin’
lebargaindiva:
It appears that unavailable is something that you can set manually. Otherwise, it automatically sets you as unavailable when you are on a phone call, have no data signal, or your data connection is turned off. If you’re in service area and are just idle, it should still show you as available — though I’ve heard of a bug in the BBM software which can make this a bit tougher to determine.
Hey, thanks for the reply! Yes if I were to manually switch from the ‘unavailable’ status to the available status, they would get the alarm, as they would if I were ‘unreachable’ and became ‘reachable’. My question is, I guess, if I’m ‘busy’, meaning I have the clock icon next to my name in my contacts’ lists. Say BBM automatically shows the clock icon and someone sets the alarm to be notified when I’m “available” – when do they get the alarm? What action do I take on the Blackberry that sets off their alarm that I’m available? When I click the trackball, when I open BBM, when I open an existing conversation with the contact in question, or…? Thanks and I’m sorry for the lack of clarity in my original question.
Hi there,
I need help!! I am giving my blackberry to my sister in law and I want clean all memory and also wipe out all chat history on blackberry messenger. I am using BB8300 have never placed memory disk in it. I clean out every conversation after I chatting but worry the phone is saving the conversation somewhere. How can I make sure ALL history are deleted?
I just got a Tour and have a question about BBM. My friend has the Curve, and when they send a BBM- it shows when the person is typing a reply back. My Tour does not have that and I was wondering if there was a way to add that?? Also, some of my contacts have an A next to it (a smiley face with a small box in the corner that has an “A” in it). I would figure it means available, but some contacts have it and while others don’t; but they are all available! Thank you, I would really appreciate the help!
Is there a way to change the smiley face icon to a different icon? For example – can you personalize the icon for each of your contacts? That way, you could know who is contacting you without having to open the message….?
What does the bb messenger show to others when I am on a call…within Options I have set Allow on the phone presence status
I have a quick question, hope someone can help me. If you send someone a message, and it is delivered, but they end the conversation before reading it, what does it say on your end? Does it say that it has been read, or only delivered?
A quick test on my Bold with a co worker shows that the message was read even though the conversation was ended before they read the message.
if you receive a bb m invite via email how do you accept it? mine does not show up in bb m and the help info says it should show up as ‘request group” – for the life of me i can’t figure it out
how can we browse the blackberry messenger history ?
is there any way to back-up or save bb messenger conversations? the only way I’ve found is to “copy history” and paste it into an email or something, but sometimes they get too long and I get “field full”… it seems like there should be an easier way. do you have any suggestions?
I changed to a new blackberry today (Curve 8900) and bbm no longer shows me when a contact is typing a message. why and can i change it?
If someone deletes you off of their I’m list, do they dissapear off of yours?
No they will not disappear — just show up as unavailable.
i just dowenloaded the new version of bbm 5
but when i recive a voice note it shows a messege that (unable to display content)
if there is no way to fix it how can i get the old version back .need a fas respond please
thanks
I just downloaded the new BBN and I cannot send or listen to voice notes, please HELP! How can I do?
Are there any hidden costs for sending a file internationally via blackberry messenger or is tht free too?
Does anyone know how to make the screen resolution in bbm larger for the tour. It is soo small by default I would like to see everything a little bit bigger. thanks
@mike unfortunately there is no way to adjust the resolution on your Tour
Hi,
I’m wondering if bbm automatically backs up conversations anywhere on the phone. I had a very important chat yesterday and deleted it accidentally. Is there any way to retrieve it? I haven’t shut off the phone yet, so I’m hoping it’s still in some sort of short-term memory storage place.
Thank you!
Deborah
It will only back up your conversations if you have BBM 5 installed and have specified that conversations are to be stored for future access.
Hi quick question. I have the BlackBerry Tour and i downloaded the new blackberry messenger application. The only problem is that when i send a voice note to a contact it automatically saves in my phone as a voice note in the Media folder. I want to delete it but when I try to, it shows a message saying “The file is currently in use”. I don’t know what to do? can you help me please? Thanks
@Pablo
It seems that you have to wait for a little while before you can delete the voice notes.
Try waiting a day or two before attempting to delete it or do a battery pull and try deleting right afterward.
I am having the same problem as Pablo – except it’s the pictures I took with my BB and sent to my contact in BB Messenger … they won’t delete! It says “file is currently in use” and I really need to get them off my phone. When I have too many pics in there, my BB Storm gets super slow and the screen freezes up CONSTANTLY. It’s the most annoying thing about my Storm – the touch screen.
I downloaded the new BBM and I can not see any of my contact display pictures. How can I get this to show up? I know they have a display photo- just can not see it on my phone.
Thanks for your help!
so ive had my bbm for a while, i had a question though. when the clock/busy symbol appears on my contact list for a person, does this mean that they are not contacting anyone on bbm, or are they choosing to ignore me? can you open your bbm list, and proceed to talk to other people, but choose to not respond to one person and still maintain the clock symbol on that persons list?
I have a blackberry 8320 and I have bbm 5.0 but some people in my list when they play songs it shows in the screen if you know how to do it send me a message dhiraj_lakhwani@hotmail.com
Laura@ you can not see your contact list if they not upgrade their BBM to 5 version…
Anyone@ my BBM version 5 always show ‘field full’ when I try to long text. Anybody know how can I fix that problem. My ļ£« is Bold 9000. Thanks
cn someone help me …just got a bb curve8520 been trying to use the bbmsger..always writin pending..n am nt gettin anythin..pls help asap
Ok so the first thing you want to do is ensure you have a data plan – BBM will not work unless you have a BlackBerry data Plan assigned to your account.
The next thing you want to do is resend your service books and register your HRT again. Here is a link that explains how to do this:
http://www.bbgeeks.com/quick-tips/what-is-a-service-book-what-is-a-host-routing-table-881448/
I am a well seasoned BBM user since the early days of the BB, but there are 2 questions I would like to figure out.
1)Whenever I listen to a voice note that someone has sent me, it always plays over the speaker phone. Is there a way to make it play over the ear speaker so everyone around doesn’t hear?
2) The older BBM (4.5 I think) used to save a very long chat history in memory. you could scroll up hundreds or thousands of lines. The new 5.0 BBM has a very short history, maybe only a hundred or so lines. I know that chats can be logged and saved in 5.0, but any pics or voice notes or web links are not saved in the history. It is pain to have to load an archived chat just to view a link someone send an hour ago.
Any ideas?
I have the same problem as two postings on this blog but no answwer as yet. When I try to copy and paste messenger conversation history, I get the error message ‘field full’ and only half the conversation history is pasted. Please Help Help Help.
@Suresh
I have looked into this error and I can not find any kind of resolution for it and no conversations online.
I suggest doing a hard reset on your BlackBerry to see if that resolves the issue – if not then I suggest wiping your device completely and starting from scratch. Obviously something is corrupted somewhere within your set up.
Pablo,
I download blackberry messenger 5 and was unable to delete voice notes that i sent via blackberry messenger. I got a message saying āThe file is currently in useā.
Goto Options > Security Options > Enable Memory Cleaning
Resart your blackberry, and kapow you should be able to delete.
Hi,
there was a question a few weeks earlier, that I am interested in, too, but was never answered… If you want to give your BB away (sell it or something like that), is it possible for the new owner to reconstruct/reproduce my old BBM texts? That would be not so nice, but if it is true, can someone tell me, how to REALLY delete them?
Thank you so much beforehand for your answer!
Snack, as long as you completely wipe your BlackBerry before selling, no one should be able to recover them. And if you’re selling it or handing it off to a new person, there is no reason not to wipe it.
I have a BB Storm. For some reason some of my contacts in my BBM also show up in my text messaging. Let’s say I have a contact that also has a BB Storm…before we were able to chat via BBM as well as text and they were two seperate things..even after I added the 5.0 version of both BBM and the regular BB software. Now when I text them the conversation shows up in my BB chat and I want it to be seperate again. How can that happen? Thanks for your help in advance.
Is there a way to get picture on my BBM screen when i am in a conversation? Like a background picture?
My “recent updates” aren’t showing anymore. I’ve changed my status, pic and message everal times and nothing. And its set to show at 25 updates at a time. It was working fine up until 3 days ago. Can someone please help! Its driving me nuts lol
I can see my contacts update status message in recent updates when the message is longer than one line. I should be able to view this by jighlighted the contact in recent updates but the status isnt updated. Only photo updates show. My contacts can see my updates. I’ve upgraded my OS software to v4.6.0.303 and i’m using BBM 5.0. Can anyone assist?
question. if the bb messages are routed through the server (rather than as a sms text), does it mean that a copy of your bb messages will be stored in the company’s archive systems (if your company has one)?
Hi,
On your blackberry phone bill does it show the names of websited you visited and your msn conversations??
Please reply! X
If i send a photo through bbm will it show up anywhere on my bill?
My BBM conversations always get deleted and I don’t know why. Sometimes I can go a long time and they wont be deleted, and other times they get deleted almost instantly. How do I stop them from being deleted?
@MD
This sounds like one of two things is happening.
1. Your device is running low on memory. If this happens than your messages will be deleted bit by bit in an effort for the device to maintain optimal working conditions. If this is the case then free up some memory using these tricks:
http://www.bbgeeks.com/blackberry-guides/8-ways-to-trim-the-fat-from-your-blackberry-88493/
2. The other party you were talking to has ended the conversation. If this happens then your end of the conversation will be deleted as well.
is there a way to read a bb message and not send the confirming “R” that it was read?
This was possible on older versions of BBM but with the new versions messages go “R” as soon as they are opened / scrolled over =(
There are preset emoticons which can be used in display names, etc that do not show up in the lists I have seen. For example, my display name is Ivan *AG*. The *AG* bit shows up as the Antiguan flag. If they have my flag, then they must have at least every other flag in the world because Antigua is a country with a population of only 80,000 people. Does anyone know if there is a list out there with every preset emoticon available?
Here is a list of all two letter country codes – if you enter any of them beginning with a star and followed by a star the flag will display:
ie *ca*
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/ctycodes.htm
I have 2 messages that have not been read showing i dont see them. I also found out they were placed on the ignore list so how can i undo this or erase the icon with 2 messages that have not been read?
You can try a couple things to find those messages.
1. in your messages folder hit menu – view folder – search each of those folders for unread messages.
2. change your theme back to a default theme. Sometimes the theme will freeze a bit and not update that message counter.
Earlier last summer when asked about the clock over the smiley face I see that you replied “Lou, those are emoticons of sorts. Itās something Iām going to add as an update to this.” Any news? Because I would love to know what all of them mean. Thanks so much for your help!
hey, is it possible to delete specific dates on saved history instead of the whole thing for a particular contact on blackberry messenger??
@curious nope it is all or nothing when it comes to deleting contact history
hi i have the verizon blackberry tour. i was wondering if theres any way to set a different ringtone to an individual bbm contact? its driving me nuts! i cant figure it out
When you delete someone from your bb do you still remain on theirs ?
@Shantel – If you are talking regular contacts then yes deleting yours will not affect theirs. If you are talking BBM contacts then yes you will be deleted from their list if you delete them from yours.
If I delete a bbm contact and they try to send me a message will they know I deleted them? Or does it still just come through like normal?
Are BBM conversations recoverable once a conversation has been ended?? I want to be able to delete and ensure no one can read them afterward.
@Tim When the conversation is ended the transcript is deleted.
Can I change a friends picture?
I got a question. I just got a BB and would like to know how i can make it an option that if someone wants to reach me through their pc that the message gets sent to my mobile phone?
Hello,
I accidently deleted a message from my bbm.. how can I get the trascript of that message? There has to be a carbon copy some where..
Please help..
When i go on the BBM thing to change my information, it says on the pin thing that ‘pin: pin:null’, does anyone know what this is?!
This message indicates that your PIN has been disabled. I would try resending my service books and HRT to see if that can get it back online again.
If that does not work then contact your carrier and ensure that your device is in fact registered on their network and you have the correct data plan in effect.
http://www.bbgeeks.com/quick-tips/what-is-a-service-book-what-is-a-host-routing-table-881448/
If you are on a BES set up – contact your IT admin.
Please help,
i cant get rid of the bbm notification. Its the one where its opened. I have checked all the conversations, ended them all. Taken my battery out for an hour, reset the themes, everything, and its still there.
is there anything else i can do?
i need to know how to set my bbm so tht when i am on a phone call, it will show anyone who is about to send me a msg on bbm… i have a blackberry curve 8900 and bbm 5.0.0.57
@Mona In your BBM options you can set My Status to let people know you are busy
I think its ridiculous how there is so much communication these days, facebook, emails, msn, now bloody chat on your phone what a joke!!! just a complete relationship breaker
I can’t find the bbm icon in the menu or anywhere, the only way to access, is through change application. Anyone knows hoe to get the bbm back to the instant messaging folder??
I’ve done so many searches on what does “contact is busy” mean. And find different answers and they don’t even use Storm2. Do you know?
@Billie Jean inside BBM you can access your profile information. There you will find a drop down that lets you broadcast a status message such as “available” or “busy”
hi, I had enabled log chat history on my blackberry and after a few long conversations earlier chats had disappeared, is there anyway to get them back from within the phone? They were saved to the “device” and if that doesnt work would I be able to contact blackberry or RIMM to view them again? They were very important
thank you very much
@rodney – once the history has been cleared off the device the conversations are gone. These are gone for good unfortunately. I suggest logging your chats to the memory card instead.
Rim will not have a copy of your conversation.
HEEELP! I can’t find my ignore list on bbm and I need to take someone off it. It should be in options right? But it’s NOT! :’(
@kieran Go into your BBM and press the menu key > options
now look for a field named “ignored Contacts” and select “Edit”
select the checkbox beside the contact you want to unignore and click OK
I get D and R on all my BBMs but one of my contacts will often claim they came in on her BB all at once an hour or so later. Is that possible or does she just feel guilty for reading and not replying right away?
@Jennifer This is absolutely possible and is due to network congestion. I have seen this happen to people on the same network sitting less than 10 feet from one another.
Just a quick question for which I cannot find an answer on the net at all yet. Everyone explains how one can send Files via BBM, however nobody says where these files sit on your phone. I sent music to one of my BBM contacts and he can listen to it until he ends the chat….then no idea where to find it on the phone. Any idea? Thanks in advance
@Leo not sure exactly what the issues in. All of the files I receive are stored in my media folder. When I brows images let’s say – there is a new folder called Blackberry Messenger and all images I have received appear there.
hi
Is there any way to retrieve a conversation details on bbm after we clear chat?
thx for your feedback
@mideco Nope – there is no way to retrieve the conversations once you have cleared them. There are some 3rd party apps available that claim to back up your BBM chats but I have not tested any of them out as of yet.
i downloaded the lastes version of bbm but i wayyy prefered the older version, anyway i can get it back?!
With one of my contacts on BBM I cannot see what I’m typing, but it only happens with this one contact. is there perhaps a setting that I might have changed by accident?? Can someone please let me know how to fix it, if possible???
@Bennie This is a glitch – do a battery pull and you should be back to normal afterward.
so I got a BlackBerry 8900 and these few days, there has been the BBM logo on top of my home screen but actually there is no BBM message at all and the logo won’t go away. Recently, it has went from 4BBM to 8BBM and the number keeps on increasing!!
@Christina – first try a battery pull while the device is still on. This often clears/resets that message notification.
Also if you are using a custom theme try switching back to a default theme – pull battery then go back to the custom theme.
Does anybody know why I cannot view my friends’ profile pictures? We are all on BBM 5, they can see my contact pic fine, but not me. I just can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong, it’s bugging me a bit. Thanks
@Andie – this is common and I am not sure why it happens but it usually clears itself up after a little while.
Ah, thank you. I thought it was something wrong with my phone. Just wait and see then
is it possible to give each bb messenger contact a different ring tone , i know it works with phone contacts but is it possible with bb meesenger contacts ..im using a bb 8900
thank you
@DDOT yes you can do this by assigning a custom profile
http://www.bbgeeks.com/blackberry-guides/how-to-assign-ringtones-and-alerts-to-specific-blackberry-contacts-88535/
yes sir i understand how to assign custom ringtones to contacts am talking about a ringtones from a blackberry messager contacts when i got to custom ringtones for contact there is only phone and messages , i want a ringtones for each blackberry messenger im i get from each contact , someone told me to link my bb messenger contacts to my phone contacts but it still doesnt work and some people i have on bb messenger are not on my phone contacts
if you still dont understand what am asking to clearfy things lets look at msn messenger for instance i want everytime a different person instant message me for it to have a special ringtone for each person and not the same for everyone , i already have a tone for for my bb meesenger contact want to know if there is a way each contact can have a different tone so i can know who is instant messagingme without looking at my phone , again not a ringtone or message tone but a blackberry messenger tone for each contact , thank you
sorry for the spelling
@DDOT The process described in the post worked at the time it was written. Something has obviously changed in the way the os handles the custom alerts.
I am looking into it and I will post a solution as soon as I figure it out.
oh thank you very much sir , cuz tried everything already , and can only get one tone for all my bb messenger contacts , only way i got a new ring tone was to make a group and it still sucks cuz all the groups you make have the same ringtone
hopefully there is a way
Hi, about your answer from jan 11.
For sure prev versions of BBM deleted you from the BBM contact you deletd from yours, in the new version im using 5.0.0.57. If someone delet you from their BBM, you still have that contact in your list. Just till you try to send him a message (after actually send the mess) is that appears in your screen an alert that tells something, I dont remember by heart, that that contact is no longer in your list or that the contact you are reaching you are not in his list, will you like to recontact the contact? Something like this. The point is that you can still see the contact that deleted you from their BBM.
Probably this is new in the version, BB just trying to help be more polyte when someone delets you.
But the question is, is there any trick or way to really knows who has deleted you even if he contact still is in your list?
The other question, you talked about going to menu-options and that there you could find a deleted or blocked contacts. I tried this but it did show or I didnt find it. Is this still for the 5.0.0.57 version?
Guau! Great forum you have and great solutions you gave us!!!
@alex thank you for adding to this topic. the list I was mentioning for viewing ignored contacts will only show up if you have actually ignored invites from someone who has contacted you.
if you have not done this then that option will not be visible.
hey cooper, ok i have the point.
What about the trick or way to really know who has deleted you even if that contact still is in your list? Any clue.
Great site!! I just got my first BB. (I love it!!) Thanks to all for the great info on BBM!! :)
hey, do you know what i do if i have the app and everything, and it lets me add other people’s pins, but when other people add me i dont get a request and i cant see if people accept me or not? i dont think there is anthing wrong with the actual device, it could be a settingg.. please help :)
@maddy I suggest resending your service books http://www.bbgeeks.com/quick-tips/what-is-a-service-book-what-is-a-host-routing-table-881448/
Heey
How can you show ‘on the phone’ when im in a call. You also see a little phone icon in front of the name. I cant find an option to fix this in my option menu. Hope somebody can explain this to me.
hey cooper no info yet on how to assign different bb messenger ringtones, also is there a way to sign out oof bb messneger
@DDOT nope unfortunately I can not find a way to make the custom profiles affect the BBM tone =(
And no there is no way to sign out of BBM – but you can change your status to let people know you are unavailable etc.
What do the little pictures embedded in the “smiley face” next to the contact mean? I know a yellow smiley means that person just sent a message to you. What about the phone icon? Does that mean the person you sent a message to is currently on a phone call? What about the clock/timer? There is even one with a balloon by its mouth. Does that mean your contact is responding? Thanks!!!
tnaks then hopefully RIM does it in the next update
Is it possible to have a new phone and whatever changes u make on the new phone also changes on the old phone and why is that? I have people asking me all the time why my status message and pictures are constantly changing on my old pin and I don’t even use that phone anymore?
On 9630: I came across a menu option (somewhere) to disable bbms automatically displaying new msgs when removed from holster or woken up. Now I can’t find again!! anyone know where this option is?
I use BBM on my AT&T phone a lot here in the US, and plan to use the same phone on a different local GSM SIM with either EDGE or 3G in another country. Would my BBM still work like I use in US on the same name/ID? Or would it be an all new contact ID etc etc. What exactly is the BBM tied to? Is it tied to a phone or the number or the network? I think – because it is transmitted as data, it could either be network or phone. I need help on this please!
@Gaj Your BBM contact info will remain the same – you will have to register the device with the new carrier so that you can get a BlackBerry data plan and everything will work fine.
BBM is tied to a specific type of data plan – a standard data plan will not allow you to run BBM.
I know the symbals r means read and d is deleivered but what if no symbals show up what does that mean? have I been deleted as a contact?
@Ally It could mean you were deleted or it could mean the message was not delivered due to network failure.
The recent updates in my BBM just disappeared, and i cant get it back, when will it show agan on my BBM
I have a Bold 9000. Want to delete some pictures. These are pictures that I have sent to another person via BBM. Now when I try to delete picture, I get a message that says “File is currently being used.” My only option is to click ok. The picture does not get deleted. How can I fix this?
@Vancouverite
Delete a picture from a group
After you delete a picture from a group, you can no longer see it in the group on your BlackBerryĀ® device. Other members might continue to
see the picture.
1. In a group, click Pictures.
2. Highlight a picture.
3. Press the Menu key.
4. Click Delete Picture.
5. Click Yes.
6. If you shared the picture or if you are an administrator of the group, to delete the picture for all members, click Yes.
If this does not work then you just have to wait for 28 days and the pic will no longer be visible – or add more pics so that the group has more than 20 – it should bump that picture out of the group
Is there a way to auto forward my BBM conversations to my email address. Its hard when conducting business with it an I lose a conversation? Is there an add on app I can download?
@Jeff – no app that I know of – you can use the good old copy/paste though – copy your conversation and paste it into an email and send it to yourself.
sometime they get auto deleted, I want these conversations to automatically be backed up, via auto forward in email…. anyone? I’ve received quotes, and info via bbm that I need.
Hi everyone. In BB meessenger 5 everytime I send a voice note it is recorded in my Multimedia folders. I don’t want any voice note to be saved. How can I disable it?
Tks for your help
@chris You can not disable this but you should be able to delete them afterward from that folder.
Can you make your text message box have those little conversation bubbles like your chat above this box??? If so how do I get to the option to set up my text messaging like this?
@krista I believe you mean threaded conversations in sms. You will need to upgrade to OS 5 in order to have threaded chat functionality.
I have a Curve. I’m simply wondering if “contact is busy” means that they are on a call. Tnanks! pin:2097f06f
It could mean they have set their status to busy or their phone is holstered and or locked. Those are usually the causes.
Hi. I know this is a much older article, but I was hoping you could answer 2 questions for me:
1) Is there any way to tell if people on your normal contact list have blackberry messager w/o asking via SMS text message?
2) Is there ANY application for blackberry that allows you to send SMS text messages via the data plan instead of through the cell phone company?
Thanks for ANY help you can provide!
@mica
1) Nope – but most people do have BBM as most BlackBerries are sold with a mandatory data package.
2) You can try checking out Pmessenger – it claims to be a free (ad supported) sms service for the BlackBerry – in beta now though
Does BBM count againt text messages?
@courtney No BBM does not count against text messages.
Is there a way to read messages without delivering the R.
I send messages and this person seems to receieve half saying R and the other half remains D, so am
Positive the person has read the messages. Does this have to do with plugging ur
Blackberry to your pc while reading the csv file.
@prow Not sure about the whole plugging in / unplugging thing.
Some older versions of BBM allow you to read the message without showing it as read. This has been eliminated in later versions of BBM.
What does the face with the ))) out beside it mean in BBM?
Can we send the same message to all our BBM contacts at once?
Do the pictures and videos sent via bberry messenger count against your picture mail?
@dizzymarie No any data sent through your BBM is considered a part of your BlackBerry data plan
i have just brought a blackberry curve.. i have downloaded the lastest BBM 5 and i can not see my contacts pictures and they cant see mine..! help !!!!!!!!!!
My bbm statuses aren’t updating but my name does when I change it but when I change by status it won’t change. What do I do
@niki This is a common problem and one that does not have a solid solution. Some people have reported success when reducing the number of contacts they have in BBM but this has not always proven to fix the issue.
Hold on until the next update to BBM where this is hopefully fixed.
Hi
I’ve deleted a very important contact by mistake, is there any way i can get it back?!
@natalie Do you have a backup of your contacts saved through Desktop Manager? if so you can roll back and recover the contact that way.
If not then I am afraid you are out of luck =(
@Cooper: do you know the answer to my question? Can we send the same message simultaneously to all our BB contacts? Thank you.
@Gene You sure can – group your contacts in BBM and you can send them all a message at the same time
I saw this question posted, but didn’t see an answer. Can my BBMS be seen or recovered by my company through the server? I don’t want my private conversations with friends and family to become public to my employers.
@Casey If you are using the BlackBerry through a BES connection (ie your company controls your phone) then yes they can access all of your messages.
How do you read someones status on BBM ?
HELP!
I just got a new BBtour(my old one had to be replaced because of software issues). I cannot separare my emails from text messages. Everything is showing up in my messages folder when I only want EMails in there…. I went through the steps listed. IE. go to message>click options>general options>
no option is there to keep them seperate. PLEASE HELP!
is it possible for someone to send a message to a bbm via computer. like aim to bbm?
@Jdiesel No the BBM network is a closed network.
When I clear history of a conversation on BBM between myself and another, does the action also clear the conversation history on the blackberry of the other person?
@Mike No – they will also have to close the conversation and delete any logs.
if I delete a contact …does that delete me from there contacts too?
@mimi yes you will be deleted from their device as a contact. Any open conversations will remain on their device but your contact info will not be attached. They can still see your pin however.
If they try to respond to the dead conversation it will alert them that they have to add you as a contact again.
does it show what you have been writing on bbm if they bill it to you?
@lily No there are no transcriptions of your BBM conversation stored in most cases.
thank you guys!
If I travel abroad – will my location details on BBM automatically update so my contacts can see where in the world I am? Many thanks
@fi If you have BBMaps installed as well as BBM you can send your location to your contacts.
cool – thanks for the update Cooper
Where can you allow your blackberry to notify you of a new sms message during a call. I know that you can do it because i saw the option before but i dont remember where.
Hi There,
I was wondering if it is free to bbm from spain to the UK.
I want to chat to a frined but worried i will get charged here in the UK, and the same with him, he is in spain and is also worried about incuring a charge to bbm me.
I have been constantly searching through sites with no real deffinate answer, as some are saying there will be no charge, and others saying there will be a roaming charge?
Please help.
Many thanks in advance. :o)
@Aim You can BBM anyone anywhere in the world for free as long as you are within your designated service area.
The only time you will be charged for sending BBm messages is if you were roaming (ie visiting a foreign country or area outside your home network). Then your data usage will be billed as roaming data and you will see it reflected on your bill.
Messaging between Spain and the UK is totally free.
Why cant other people see my personal status’s when i update it on blackberry messenger?
How do I delete bbm from my blackberry?
@gregory You can delete BBM off of your BlackBerry by following these steps:
Options>advanced options>applications > highlight BlackBerry Messenger in the list > hit menu and “delete”
I never used my BBM before, but I got an invite on my BBM from a stranger. How can I find out who sent the message?
By the way, thanks a lot for the advice about the deleting. It worked!
when im adding a contact on BBM its not showing up for the other person to accept and same when they add me it doesnt come up for me to aceept anyone know whats wrong ?
@Scott Unfortunately I have no idea what is happening there. Does this happen with all contacts or just one specific one?
I have a blackberry tour and I just got a new one because my last one was stolen, I hooked up my new bbm and restored my contact list and for some reason only some peoples pictures are showin up..I added myself and my own picture isn’t updating either…do you happen to know why?
@tori This is normal – it usually takes a little while for everyone’s pics to show up. It took more than a week for me to see all my contacts.
I’m a new BB user and having an intermittent problem with the text box in BBM 5.0.0.57. I can type a message perfectly, but for no apparent reason it will stop showing the characters I’m typing – although the message can still be sent! In fact, as long as I can remember what I’m typing I can carry on sending messages that show in the message list – it’s just that they are invisible in the text box.
The only solution is a battery pull – but this only works for a while before it starts again.
Have found no record of this in other BB forums so… would appreciate any comment.
@Ian Unfortunately the only solution to that issue is a battery pull. The root cause of the system getting bogged down could be any number of things but usually memory related in my experience.
Do you have many apps running in the background? do you have more than 100 BBM contacts? do you have pics and video saved to your memory card instead of the device memory?
Thanks Cooper. I’ll check on the apps taking up memory. Very few BBM contacts.
Did you rather mean that photos and video should be on the media card and not device memory? Presumably BBM uses device memory to operate.
@Ian Yes I was referring to the saving of pics and video shot with the BlackBerry. It is always advised to save them to the memory card.
you can also put flags in bbm by outlining abbreviations with stars… like *US* for american flag and *MX* for mexican flag.
If you accidently add a contact to the ignore list function, how do you get them off that list?
@Yolanda Open BBM > hit the BlackBerry button > choose Options > Ignored Contacts > Edit
You will see an option to Remove From Ignore List
When you send someone a BBM it normally shows a D until it’s been read then to an R…..what does it mean when no letter is beside your message? Are they on the phone?
@col In most cases it means there has been an error in sending or their BlackBerry has not processed the message yet.
How can you find out who sent a BBM to you? Are PINs coded for countries?
@gregory No pins are associated by device batches – I am not sure that you can track down PINs by batch number. When in doubt – block the contact.
Is it possible to receive R – read notification without someone actually being in the application screen and reading the message?
@magz all the testing that I have done shows that they have to click through on the notification in order for it to display as read on your end.
thanks Cooper!
Just got a Bold 9000 Series here in Italy and am all hooked up fine with BBM for receiving messages from from my one international (on the US west coast) Contact that I have so far. BUT – just started today to try and use Voice Notes. I can apparently send and they are received with no trouble by the contact. I cannot, however, seem to receive them from her. What might be going on here? Really need to resolve this quickly. Where/how do these voice notes show up? She’s sending and they seem to be accepted for sending, but nothing at all is showing up on my chat screen. HELP!
i have got the blackberry curve and have heard that if you have bb 5.0 then you can see old bbm messages. is this possible if the conversation has been ended? if so where will i find them and what settings do i have to change? thanks
@lauren When you open BBM and press the menu key – select options > scroll down until you see “Save Message History” – click on that and choose media card or device (i suggest media card).
Be sure to save the settings before exiting this screen.
and once i have changed the settings how do i then open these saved messages? thanks.
@Lauren After saving them you simply navigate to the location they were saved to and click on the save file. The conversation should open up in BBM.
I have changed the settings so that they save to the memory card, but still can not find the saved messages. if i open ‘my files’ it only has my photos, videos, music etc. where do i need to go? thanks
@lauren The chats should be saved as a .csv file on your media card. Plug the BlackBerry into your computer and explore the memory card. you should see the chat files there. You can read/ open them on your computer using Microsoft excel.
Are BBMs itemized on the online version or paper version of the bills for any of the major companies (Verizon or AT&T)? Is there any way to track them?
@Tami Nope unfortunately not
Hi there, I have a blackberry bold (with the track ball). All of the sudden, when I am trying to send a message to my group, the text box is blank. I can type and send a message but I cant’ see what I am writing and it is very annoying… this is not happening when I just send an message to a single contact, only when I am send a message to one of my groups.
Any idea what is wrong? THanks so much.
@Mandy This usually happens once a conversation starts to get long. You should be able to clear it up in two ways – temporarily by pulling the battery and more permanently by clearing the chat within the group and starting fresh.
I have a blackberry bold running on 4.6 .. I go on my bbm as usual and change my dp. I added myself just so I can see what my friends see on my bbm, and I realized that whichever picture I use, it still won’t show up. So I re-installed bbm, added back all my contacts and now I can’t see anyone’s dp including mine still.. Pls help, I’ve done battery pulls and actually taken out my battery..
@KC unfortunately it sometimes takes a while before your friends see updates and pictures (anything other than direct messages).
Just give it some time and you should see them populate slowly.
Thanks Cooper! That really helped! In fact it worked! Thanks again :)
hi
i just want to know how can i open a .OLD file its in the history chat
thanxx
@scar.6 I am not aware of any way to open the .OLD file. I could be wrong but I believe this format is used internally on the BlackBerry. In the same location you found the .OLD file, look for a .csv file – this is where the text of your chats will be readable. You can open .csv files with Microsoft Excel.
A “friend” just dissapeared from my contacts… did she removed me from her contacts or what happened? Cause I know that u said that if they remove u they will only appear as unavailable… Help please!
Dear Cooper, thank you so much for your time and advice. I cleared the chat and pulled my battery and I can now see what I am typing in my group discussion. Thanks, Mandy
thnxx cooper but i opend it buy the note pad on the windows :D thnx for the help
yaa and the other problem :S i cant download the APPworld :@
@scar.6 I have had a few people complaining about not being able to download app world. I suggest as a great alternative that you try our BBGeeks Appstore.
You can grab it here: http://store.bbgeeks.com/appstore
i have a blackberry curve, but i have been cutt off from orange and i can still use bb messenger it doesnt say GPRS in the top corner it says GSM. Why can i still use it? will it charge me?
I read through this whole webpage hoping for my answer, but I couldn’t find it, so here goes:
I have my BBM (OS5) set to save message history on Device (I don’t have a media card installed), but it only saves the last sentence typed. Once another message comes in or out, that one is always replaced by the last one. And even on the BBM screen itself, it only has about the last 25 msgs or so, not the whole conversation like it used to. What is up with all that?
Thanks,
Laura
@LAura Ensure that you have the latest version of BBm installed. After that I would look at your device free memory as this may be caused by low system resources.
If you hook up your BlackBerry to your computer and locate the folder called IM and then BlackBerry Messenger – do you see the full conversations stored there?
They will be in .csv format and you can open them with notepad or excel.
My daughter is on a Mission trip in Mexico. Does it cost extra to bbm her there, or for her to bbm us at home?
@Sam Yes it will cost extra to use the BBM services while abroad. The services are run using data which caries a premium when roaming. Depending on what carrier you are with, there may be an add on that you can purchase to increase your data roaming capabilities.
You will not be charged for the messages as all data too and from your device will be from within the home network.
CAN NOT SEND VOICE NOTES OR FILES OR RECEIVE THEM WITH BB MESSENGER! I have not been able to do this at all since I switched to a Bold 9700 (From a Curve last year). There is NO OPTION on the menu to add a voice note or file….I have the latest BB Messenger downloaded from App World. Once I am in a particular message on BBM, the menu that comes up does not have an “options” or a “send” item on the menu at all. The menu shows, (in this order) Help, Add Smiley, Forward to Messenger, Mark Unopened, Clear Chat, Call XXX (person), MMS XXX (person), Show Symbols, Switch Application, Close.
THAT’S IT! Am I doing something wrong???
I think I may have figured this out, it looks like it’s based on the BBM FRIEND not my BBM! I went into three different users and the menu is different for each one, i.e. some have Facebook on there, send to conference, send voice note, etc….where others don’t!
Update to not being able to send voice notes….I realized that I have to reinvite friends and get NEW PINS since both myself and some friends BB’s have changed. Once everyone has eachothers new PINS they work…
Are you SURE the people you IM do not show up on the bill??
@Abbey No personal information is available about who you message. It all shows up as data in the form of Kb used.
HELP MY bb8330 WHEN TEXTING WILL NOT CHECK SPELLING WHEN I CHANGE FONTS WHY???? WHAT TO DO?
is there a way that i can add all my regular contacts to my bbm contacts because doin it 1 by 1 takes way too long
@Steven Nope – one by one is the only way.
If i send a message and then it never shows up delivered until about an hour later what does that mean?
@Renee It means there is some kind of delay in either your network or the contact you are trying to message. It could also mean that their phone was off for a period of time and the message was delivered when they came back online.
Hey everyone .new to this forum
.updated my BB messenger to latest v50138 on Verizon storm and since haven’t been able to copy text from messenger chat window..Help….
@ita try a battery pull then try to copy/paste again.
Sorry about posting this here, but not sure exactly WHERE to post and I am computer illiterate! Just got a BB Messenger request from someone and am wondering – when they request (or when you respond) do they have access to your actual phone number or is it like Yahoo Messenger and all they see is some kind of screen name. (I guess what I am trying to figure out is what they see!) Thanks
@Treej All they will be able to see is your PIN number and an status items you choose to fill out – ie. screen name, what I am listening to, away/busy/available etc.
No phone number or personal info is available unless you choose to share it.
How can i set an alert tone so i know when i recieve a bbm?
@Maria
Open your profiles and scroll down to advanced – click
select your active profile – click
click on “BlackBerry Messenger New Message”
Out Of Holster should be set to Tone
Ringtone set to your choice
set any other settings you wish
menu key > save
i was trying to use a commpn platform IM chat for BB and Iphone , apparently ping chat is the best option however when after downloading it on my BB its gives me an error when i try logging in . Any idea why ? i am in the UK if it helps
@JM Can you tell me the specific error you are receiving?
hi there, i’ve just got a blackberru curve and began adding my friends on my BBM. all was well until two of my friends all of a sudden wont work. they appear as pending and i cant write anything, however it does let me pin my contact and they receive it. i’ve tried deleting them and them adding me instead but it still wont change, however it’s just the two contacts. anyone help?
hey, I’m thinking about getting a BB for my phone upgrade, but most of my friends don’t have Blackberries. Can I still use BBM with them? will the messages show the D and the R for read ones? or do I have to keep using text messages for those people?
thanks!
@Tiff27 You can actually set up non BBM contacts in your BBM and any sms will be tracked in a similar manner.
hi-
im just thinking about getting a blackberry in the uk and one of the main reasons is so i can bbm my friends in the states. on most of the uk plans there isnt an unlimited data plan so i was just wondering how many MB provide how many bbms… if you see what i mean? how much would i have to use it to go over, say 4 MB of data? sorry if this is a silly question but im a newbie and it seems like you answer very quickly and concisely. thank you.
@Roz It does not work that way exactly. When you get your BlackBerry there is a separate “BlackBerry Data” plan that you need /will be signed up for. This data plan allows for unlimited email and BBM messaging on your device. This is independent of sms , mms, calling etc which is billed by the carrier based on use.
Can I not send pictures to non blackberry users? I can’t seem to figure it out…if not, that is INSANE….any phone allows this…please help if I’m totally missing something. thanks
Ah! i need help. Just purchased a bold 9000.. but i can’t seem to save any contacts nor transfer my contacts from the sim card over to the phone. why is that?
@nancy Are you getting a specific error message when you try and add a contact?
i have just got my blackberry messenger up and working and it is amazing to have. one question when i have written to a friend and it says that person is writing a message does it mean they are writing to me or somebody else? thanks for your help in advance
@natalie Yes when it shows them writing a message that means they are typing in a conversation that is open between the two of you.
i just want to ask if i still need an internet connection or wifi for BBM? does it work worldwide or even cross country?
@lizette In order to use your BBM you simply need an active data connection. Normal data packages will not work, it must be a BlackBerry data package.
Your BBM will work worldwide but watch out for roaming data charges if you are out of your home network.
my friend has a BBM, i was wondering if there is anyway i can send him messages from msn on my computer? Does he have to dl a mobile version of msn or is there another way? thnx :)
@jason tasker I suggest he grab the IM+ lite app which will allow you to communicate through msn and a wide number of messaging apps.
he can download it for free here:
http://store.bbgeeks.com/product.asp?id=53379&n=IM%2B-Lite
Hi, i wanted to find out if a bbm friend deletes my messages without reading them is there a way to find out that??? what will it show if he or she without reading my message or opening it deletes it??
@ridhima If they roll over your message to delete it it will show up as read.
When in a conversation with someone on BBM, I see the letter A pop up beside their smiley icon..does that mean they are typing to me or reading? What does that stand for? Thanks!
How come the contacts on my contact list are randomly unavailable. I’ll be talking to them and they’ll go unavailable for about a minute and then become available again.
@Milap Usually because they are on a call or out of service area (in an area with low signal) or their phone is off.
Hi cooper,
I have a problem with broadcasts or long texts in groups.
I can only see the first line of broadcasts in a group, and the rest is invisible.
I tried pulling out the battery and restarting my BB, but it didn’t work.
Oh yeah I have a storm2.
Thank you in advance..
@dede Try clearing the previous conversation and starting each fresh. I have a feeling this is the cause.
Let me know.
My blackberry red alert symbol on the home screen gets stuck anytime someone sends me a message after i reset the phone. in order to get ride of the red alert symbol, i have to reset the phone again. i have tried re-downloading bbm. how can i get rid of the alert?
@Megan Unfortunately this is a very common issue. The notification sometimes stays for good until the battery is pulled.
If you are using a custom theme the alert can sometimes be wiped out if you swap from your custom theme back to a default theme.
In most cases a battery pull is in order though.
Basically someone sent me a pic, I saved it but don’t have a clue where the file went, can you help me please??
Hi , how do you know if sumone has put you on their ignore list on bbm?
I’ve sent a messager neither the r or d has come up near the tick.
Does this mean they have deleted me?
I have been deleted before I realised this as I was asked if I would like to reinvite contact again.
So I don’t know weather or not I’m deleted or put on their ignore list.
Its been 24hours since I sent the message that I have not receieved the r or the d besides the tick.
Help me please … Thanks
The D and R icon is not showing up at all when i send a message to one of my contact but i recieve messages from them? i’m lost
@hangre3 I would resend your service books and register your HRT again. If it is still not working then contact your provider and ensure your account has been set up properly.
what is the name of the classic bbm alert tone?
@tina I am not sure what the actual name of the tone is. You can grab some great classic tones from the BB here though http://www.blackberryforums.com/media-center/146328-here-we-go-classic-blackberry-alert-ring-tones-mp3s-including-blackberry-3-a.html
All my messages are sending to contacts on BBM, except for one person. The D or R doesn’t come above the tick, is there anything I can do to fix that? ‘Cause that’s the person I talk to the most. I’ve tried re-installing it, rebooting my phone, nothing works.
Hopefully you can help me.
@Lucy sounds like a problem between the two devices or network troubles. Delete the contact and have them delete you. Re-add and see if it continues.
Hi! I am using a blackberry in Germany. I tried to add a friend who lives in France into my bbm contacts and she did the same. Neither one of us received the request. What went wrong?
@redcatpinkd How was the request made? PIN or Email?
If I cancel my data package, will my contact information on BBM disappear from everyone elses phone?
Thanks!
@Debbie I am not 100% positive on that one as I have never done it but I would guess that you remain on their contact list but are unreachable.
Hi,
I am living in North Thailand since yesterday and I bought a Sim Card for my BB. They have an offer Chat+Facebook+Internet.
But If I am sending a message via BBM they diduct it like a SMS. And usually BBM is for free right?
Any Idea what is wrong
@Eve The plan you are describing is not a BlackBerry data plan. It sounds like they are offering a plan for other types of phones but letting BlackBerry users join as well.
Unfortunately unless there is a specific BlackBerry data plan assigned to your phone you will not get all the functions like free BBM etc.
I would ask your provider if they have a BlackBerry specific data plan you can sign up for.
Hi, is it possible to set a specific alert tone for a specific contact in bb, (like you do for calls). Please advise.
Thanks.
Please I an unable to receive files and voicenotes. This is really frustrating. I got the new BBM on my storm and it never receives. I have sent multiple items but I can’t receive. Any help?
@Chinedom What model of BlackBerry do you have and what version of BBM are you running? Also how much free memory do you have?
Hey, I was just wondering, if I delete a contact on bbm will I still be on their contact list? Also, if after I have deleted them will they still have the previous chats open or will the automatically delete? Finally if I delete them will they still be able to access our chat history? Thank you
@Grace When you delete or are deleted from a device as a BBM contact all your info and conversations get deleted as well.
Hi!
I know that if I were to clear a convo, or end a convo on BBM it would erase everything from my phone. Is it possible to erase the same convo on the phone of the person I was having the convo with?
@Andrea The only way to delete the conversation from the other persons device is to delete them as a contact. If you just end or clear the conversation on your device it will still be visible on the other device.
i get a red….looks like a clock when i send a message not a R or D….any ideas
@Russell That means undelivered – often due to network issues with you or the contact you are trying to message.
Hi there,
I would like to see my bbm chat history from months ago with this one contact I have, the father of my child, I purposely did not delete my conversation with them just in case there was ever a time I needed written proof and that time has come. However I just found out NOW, that the option to back up the chat history to the device/memory card was turned off. Is there ANY way of retrieving the old chat history if I have never deleted the conversation???
@Amber Unfortunately you are limited to what you can see on the device. Conversation beyond that point is lost.
Total bummer! Thanks for your quick response!!
Hi there,
if i want to see a chat history, but never ticked the option to save. is there any other way of getting this messages?
Please help
thanks
@Cece Unfortunately if you did not opt to save the history you are limited to recovering what is visible in the current conversation.
what happens when i delete someone from my bbm list? would that person still see if ever i did updates o anythin after deleting?? coz if i deleted someone i didnt want that person to be able to see any updates o anything about me at all…pls help? thanks sooo much!
@CLo When you delete a contact from BBM you r information and conversations are deleted from their device as well.
hey i previously backed up 2 different bbm contact list is there anyway too sync them both together, so i can have all of them on 1 list?
@Rasheim Not that I know of – you can try posting in our forums to see if anyone else has dealt with that issue;
BBGeeks BlackBerry forums
I had all my chats saved on my bbm and under options i had it set to save on my device. For some reason i go back to my chats and their all gone. Is there any way to get them back even if they were being save to the device? please help these chats are very important to me. thanks
@Elizabeth Unfortunately there is no way to recover chat info after it has been deleted off the device.
i receoved an invitation from someone i don’t know, or at least i don’t think i know them… they included text in another language and it would be like one of my friends to do that to me… but i’m wondering…. is it possible for strangers to just send out random requests to ppl?
@mar sure if they mixed up your PIN with someone else they would send an invite to that other person instead of you. It is most likely a harmless mistake – just decline the invite.
I’m not sure why but when my BB had it’s OS upgraded the BBM chat field does not auto clear teh message when I press send. The message sends but it stays in the chat field and i have to manually clear the field with each part of my conversation. Help!
@Kathy I am pretty sure this is caused by a lack of free memory – try clearing the entire chat and see if the message field clears properly after that.
If not then try a battery pull.
is there a way to send a voicenote or video that i took with my curve to a bbm group?
i cant seem to figure out how
@Aviva Press menu in a conversation and selecting one of the send options: Send Picture, Send Voice Note, Send File, or Send Location.
Why won’t the contacts of my BBM list show a default picture for them? None of them showed up for my contacts.
@nick Unfortunately there is a wide spread problem with the BBM network that often prevents status updates and profile pics from updating properly. They are actually updating properly ā it is just that you can not see the changes for an extended period of time.
Be patient and they should all come back or become visible over time.
Thanks
are there any programs out there to delete one line of a bbm chat without deleting the whole thing?
@chris Nope
@ cooper
i’m sure there are some people out there that would pay for something like that.
@Chris I am sure it would sell a few copies. I am not sure RIM would allow apps to get in and start messing with their network apps though.
When I receive a contact card via BBM I am unable to delete it or edit it. I receive a message that “Contact updated externally, changes not saved, viewer will close”. any ideas?
@OMG This is a known bug – often times the contacts that originated from the vcards will become frozen for a short while. Try a battery pull to see if that unfreezes the contact. If not just make a note to try deleting again in a couple days.
Hi :D uhmm i was wondering does the bmm chats (like what you say and who you say it to) come up on a sprint phone bill? i would really like to know.. thanks!
hi:D i would like to know if the conversation with another person on bbm is visible on a sprint phone bill? thank you!
@Jenny Nope – no information is documented from BBM conversations.
Hi Cooper!
I deleted a BBM contact a few months ago, yesterday I got a request from them to add me back. How is this possible? (They don’t know my pin) If they recovered their contact list would I be on there even though I deleted them? Your help is much appreciated!
@Jenn They could have added your information to their standard phone contacts including your PIN info. Then when they wanted to add you again grabbed the info from there and used it to send the PIN request.
my bbm pin hasnt got any letters what does this mean? :L
@libbie It means nothing – there are some PINs that only have numbers – this is not a problem.
Hello there , I just bought the New Bold 9780 , and wanted to send a pic to my friend through BBM ,anyways the Send option didn;t show ! even i tried to go to the pic itself and then options , also “send” didn’t show ? only me , its ok with my other friends ! plz help me , thanks
and also e-mail the pic. doesn’t appear , as i has been blocked or something like that! please help
Someone from a blackberry sent me an emoticon but on my iphone I can only see this ({}). Does anyone know what it means?
Question- If I know that someone has lost their BBM contact list, but they are still showing up as a contact on mine, do I have to delete/re-add them? Or will sending them a message just give them the option to re-add me as a contact?
Thanks!
@erin Quite often it will ask you to send an add request to the contact since you are not on their list any more
does bbm count as a text message, and can your parents read them?
@Dee No BBM and text messaging are different types of data. Your parents can not access your BBM conversations unless they have your BlackBerry in hand. It is possible for them to obtain your sms (text) records if they really want to though.
Can i see the last time my blackberry messager was in use?
@chelsey The only way would be to look at the time stamps on the most recent chats. There may be a third party app available that would provide that information but I am not aware of a specific app.
Hey, lately on my bbm the R and B don’t show up, but if I scrool up to there conversation I can see the R & B’s. Why isn’t it showing anymore? please help thanks!
After I blocked somebody,how should I do if I need tO chat with them again??
@peku In your BBM settings there is a list of “Ignored ” contacts – see if the person is on there and un-ignore them. If not on that list you will have to reinvite them through BBM.
yo, i was tryin to find all the fonts and different fun characters to copy and paste and use as auto texting on bb messenger! like the crown skull and bones and alternative letters? there was a forward going around with a whole bunch of them to copy and paste
How come only one of my BB contacts message never gets `D`elivered….. Is this a connection Problem or is their phone off or unavavilable
@bellawella Sometimes that happens and it is usually a problem with the service provider communicating with your contacts.
Try deleting them and re-adding with PIN request.
When a bb message is sent but not delivered will it be delivered when it is available, or do i have to send it again
@bellawella The message will deliver itself once your contact is able to receive it.
Question – can’t seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. Had an open BBM conversation, went to reply a couple of hours after the last received message, and the coversation was still open, but I got a message that ” ‘this person does not have you on their contact list. would you like to re-add ‘this person’?” Maybe they deleted me as a contact, but wouldn’t that have deleted the conversation as well?
@BB Challenged It is possible that there was a glitch – do you get the same message after a battery pull?
Yes if they deleted you as a contact the conversation would be gone.
This kind of activity happens quite often but RIM has not provided a definite fix for it. Your best bet here is to upgrade/downgrade your OS to a different build and see if the problem is related to OS version.
Hi,
Is it usual for file transfers to take about 60minutes to send? I sent a music file to a friend & it took an hour, yet she says when somebody else sent her one it didnt take half as long! Is there something up with my fone?
@Natalie I wouldn’t worry about it – probably a network thing or the size of the file being transferred.
Sorry forgot to say I have the blackberry curve 8520
Hello everyone,
How do I know when the message is read “R” the time at the other contact actually read it?
Regards
John
@john You don’t get that information – only when you received their last message
How do I block someone in BBM?
@Lian Highlight the contacts name in BBM then press menu and select block contact from the list.
I don’t have the block contact option, just delete. Why?
@Lian Check out this post that explains it – basically you delete them and a pop up appears asking if it is a permanent delete.
http://www.bbgeeks.com/quick-tips/how-to-block-contacts-in-blackberry-messenger-886213/
when i click on copy history on my bbm it says saved to device clipboard and i cant seem to find the device clipboard please help x
@lisa It is a virtual clip board – if you want to save the copied info paste it into a memo and save.
i have a 9700 blackberry and i want to know if there’s any way to make the R and D bigger on bbm?
also, if there’s a way to get more emoticons other than the bbm already have
@Dan Unfortunately you can not change the font sizes of the BBM notifications.
For more symbols etc – check out Fancy Characters
http://www.bbgeeks.com/blackberry-applications/use-fancy-characters-to-insert-symbols-on-your-blackberry-884685/
i want to in BBM be able to see my own status updates and delete if possible, I can see my contacts updates but how can I find my own besides the current update, please advice (i have 9700)
I have a BBM contact who’s message history has disappeared but their name is still on my BBM list so I’m not sure if I have been deleted or if they purchased a new phone.
I would like to find out if there’s a way of retrieving bbm history that i deleted.
I still have the contacts.
Is there an application i can install to retrive older chat history that was deleted?
Thanks
@chris If you have already enabled your device to save your BBM chat history and you have a recent backup of your device, you can export it to Excel and see your chats there.
If you have not done any of this then you will not be able to recover deleted conversations.
Question? I have the new blackberry torch. Do you get charged a text message everytime you send a bbm or is it free I have AT&t
@jenn BBM messages are free since they are covered under your BlackBerry Data Plan (BIS). SMS messages sent through BBM are charged as normal.
Hi,
Can you pls help me? I can’t play any voice notes/recordings on my phone. Every time that I try, it says “unable to play content” I have the Blackberry Bold 9700. plss help! Thanks!
With BB Instant Messenger, you mentioned that if it is a company phone, they can see all BBIMs sent. Always? Or do they have to have a specific setup with their BES to view SMS and BBIMs? Thanks.
@beachbum As long as the device is connected to their BES they can read all your BBM messages if they wish. Their connection to you ends when you are off their BES.
How to i back up my berry to look at past conversations?
@Vanessa You need to do a backup with Desktop Manager then use a program called Amber BlackBerry Converter to read the files and sort through them.
HI Cooper,
please help. i have my bbm set up to save chats to media card. the other contact deleted me. is there a way to retrieve their bbms through the media card? is there a time frame i need to do this by. i don’t think i have backed up my bbm (i don’t know how to do that)…. thank you!
@frustrated Anything that was on your device and connected to that contact will be gone. The only conversations you would be able to salvage would be ones saved in a BlackBerry backup you had previously made. There is BBM info stored in there but it is not easy to get out.
if i have a BB here in the states, and i want to bbm with someone in france who also has a bb… will it work to just add his pin to my contacts…
also, are we charged for the bbms? does bbming with people overseas work just the same way that bbming with people here in the states works?
thanks for your help!
@maria There is no charge for BBM unless you are using it while roaming. At that point your are charged for data roaming for any messages sent.
You can message people globally for free.
recently my phone is not opening bbm chats? can you help me please?xx
@ben try clearing the conversations that are not opening. Chances are they are just too long and using up too much memory.
Hey I downloaded the new Blackberry App World and it says I cannont use it with my data plan. Is there any way I can get my old Blackberry App World back so it will work?
Thanks!
Does anyone know whether Vodafone UK charges for received BBM while roaming? I’m looking at a rate plan that gives a 0.5GB monthly data bundle and 25MB daily allowance for EU countries. I’ll be working in EU and wanted to avoid bill-shock.
Thanks in advance.
@Doug Yes you will be charged for all data while roaming. I am not sure exactly how much the rate will be but all data will be billable if used outside your network coverage area.
Hi, I don’t know if it’s Cooper who actually wrote this blog, but he seems an expert. I’ve read others blogs where this Cooper posts some answers and actually I found one in which this girl Beatrice puts my question quite simple and plain: if I disable roaming, turn it off, whatever… will I still send/receive bb messages while in othe country?? I mean, and really mean, free of charge?
I know this question has been exhaustively done, but I wanna b sure of this before I BUY my bbrry, since the only reason I have to do so is the BBM, cuz I can browse the web with my othe phone thru wifi…
@Horacio Thanks for the kind words. To answer your question.
If you turn data off while roaming you will not get any BBM messages etc when out of your home network coverage area.
If you do enable data while roaming you will be charged for all data sent from or received to your device. The price will depend on where you are.
recently bought a blackberry curve off my mate. trying to use bbm but isnt working. if i add someone it just pends and if someone tries to add me i dont recive the request. is there something i need to do before i can start using it? is my phone not having a memory card have anything to do with?
thanks Ryan.
hey i need some help please.
i just bought the new blackberry touch 980.
somehow i added myself on bbm. when i click accept, it says wrong password. and when i click decline or ignore it doesnt go away how can i get that to go away.
plus itll say brandi for the instant text messaging, but when i click on it, the message appears to be blank and i cant delete it.. how can i get rid of that?
Hey, is there any alternative to the āset alertā option in the new messenger, to be activated just when your contact has not read your message in 30 seconds? Like the previous versions had? Thanks!
hi there,
i know what the “R” and what the “D: mean on BBM but i was wondering what just the check mark means with the r or the d?
thanks
without* the r or the d, sorry :P
@Jennifer The check mark indicates that you message has been passed over to their network. Once it has been processed by their device as received it will display a D.
Hey Cooper thnx for your reply…U’ll see, I’ve been lost in so many forums that I don’t know what to believe :-( But, last thing I’ve heard is that even if you turn off the data service, you can still send/receive PIN messages (bb 2 bb) not talking about BBM now…just plain PIN messages…plz what can you say?
@Horacio All PIN messages are sent through your data plan using RIM servers. PIN and BBM are the same type of message (BBM is just arranged differently for reading etc).
You will not be able to send or receive PIN messages either directly or through BBM while you have data roaming turned off.
Hey C, thnx a lot! That’s kind of sad… guess I wont buy my bbrry, since it makes no difference…with my current phone I can connect via wifi…I just wanted to find some new and alternative way to be in touch… :-((
i was wondering if bbm works in europe and if it will charge you for roaming fees ?
@jessica Yes BBM will work all over the world. You are able to message anyone you like for free while you are inside your home network.
If you are traveling outside your network (roaming) you will pay roaming charges for any data used.
how do i stop my blackberry curve 3G to stop reading my bbms automatically when taking it out of the holster????
@Cooper – nice comprehensive post.
There is one small caveat to your answer to @Horacio’s roaming question. While roaming, if you switch off the GPRS/3G radio, but enable WiFi and connect to a wireless router, you will be able to do all of the usual blackberry messaging functions (but obviously no voice unless you have UMA) inc Messenger. If your home network provider/Blackberry cannot accurately geolocate the IP of the router you are using, they will default to considering it ‘local’ to your home. It’s NOT guaranteed, and I suspect it wont work with large WiFi providers like the Cloud/BT/Fon in Europe, but certainly does work with SOME private business/home broadband connections. I’ve done it with data within Europe (no charges on return) and others have done it for local price voice calls to the UK using UMA while in the US. If you have UMA with your local provider, you’ll get voice too. It’s all down to the IP geolocation database in use.
@Mark Thank you for sharing your info – much appreciated.
Why does my bbm automatically close my current converstations after a short time?
@Michelle not sure what is happening. BBM shouldn’t close the conversations on its own. Are you sure the people you are talking to are not closing out the conversations?
When you back up your phone, do the things you deleted like pictures/texts/comments back up onto the computer too??
@yourlove Yes you can get most of your data back on the device is it has been backed up properly.
Hi Cooper! My BB messenger only shows the “D” and “R” for one of my contacts. How do I have those show up when I send a message to all my contacts?
Thanks!
@Nathalie I am not sure why the indicators are not showing up for all contacts – does a battery pull fix the problem?
If not, try upgrading your OS / BBM versions to the latest available.
i have a query,i have a bb bold n i wanted to know if there is a way to retrieve sms messages that i have already deleted coz d bb messenger folder shows up as an integrated folder with no sent items or message history folder,,,please hep!!
@plastercast Unless you have a full device backup, all messages are deleted etc.
To retrieve them from a backup you need a program called ABC (Amber BlackBerry Converter)
sms messages received from say yahoo messenger which have also been inadvertently deleted,can these also not be retreived at all???
Isthere a means to know if one of your contact with whom you were chatting closed the conversation (as it still appears on your device ?). Could the fact that the conversation appearing on your device is deleted in part be one clue ?
@Cynthia Yes if the conversation deletes itself from your device it has been closed on the other side.
Can you still receive bbms when the blackberry handset is off? So if it was a normal text message and the phone was off you would receive it when you turn the phone back on.Is it the same with bbm?
@Grace Yes the BBM message will be delivered once the receiving party turns their BlackBerry back on.
thanks cooper!!so does that mean that if i need to retrace delets smses,ims etc, i would first need to have a backup n then run the aforementioned program(abc),,,also if i institute d backup now will i still b able to retrieve messages that i deleted before installing this back up?how do i know if i have a backup???waiting eagerly fr a reply!!!
*deleted
another query here,,,what is BES all about,,is it also a tool to retreiving archive sms messages n emails,,,lot of sites on blackberrys also talk about smses being stored on the blackberry sim card,,,is that really so??
@plastercast BES is a special setup (exchange server) usually used by corporations / companies with many BlackBerry users. BES allows the IT department to restrict usage and permissions etc.
If you have never backed up your device then you have no backup.
No messages will be recoverable at this point – only from future backups.
You can do a full system backup using Desktop Manager – Backup and Restore.
Can I desiable My BBM updates, like when I change My profile avatar or when I change My status?, or this is something that it can’t be change?, sometimes friends change the information in their profile and it not show in the recent updates bar, please if you can share some light I will apreciated, thkx Lulu
@lulu The network is quite slow at handling the BBM status and profile pic changes. This is why you do not see updates all the time.
when using my bbm, will it use my internet?
@ellie No BBM uses data from your BlackBerry plan so it is already covered. No extra fees and no extra usage.
hey cooper, when i receive a bbm they used to come in order but unfortunately now i don’t know what happened but i have to scroll each time someone sends me a bbm to find who talking to me, how can i fix this problem? Please Help!!
@fudady I am not sure I understand exactly what you mean by they are not in order. Do you mean in group conversations or in open chats etc?
I am sure we can get to the bottom of it with a little more info. What version of BBM are you running?
I left a group on bbm, I got an invitation from the group but it is not showing up. My phone is showing that a message is there but the invitation to the group does not show up. Also my red light keeps flashing even after I turned off the phone and took out the battery.
when people block you off bbm they you go to add them again does it come up with ‘declined’ or do they just stay in the ‘pending’ box?
@emily It should show as Pending in most cases.
Hi I’m getting a Bb 8310 curve what I need to know is does it cost to use BBM and do you need the internet to or not. Ta in advance! : )
@Joe You need to get a BIS data plan which does cost money. Once you have connected to the BIS plan you can use BBM as much as you want and it is all included in the BIS plan.
Your internet browsing is also covered with the BIS plan.
is there anyway you can see a friends contact list on bbm. im only asking cause one of my friends who is in my contacts for bbm said the number of contacts i have, and i was wondering how she knew
@Parham Your friend is messing with you.
hey i have upgraded my bb bold 9780 to os 6.0.0.448..now i m facing a problem while forwarding a text messagge..whenever i forward a text msg from some contact it is send as the name of the person who send me the message wrote.n den the message..this creates the problem as everytime i have to delete that part n den forward.does ny1 noe how to fix it?
@Divya This is a new one for me. I looked around and could find no one else complaining of this specific issue.
My suggestion would be to downgrade (if the previous versions bugs were less irritating) or to get the same version of the OS but from another carrier to see if that has any impact.
Let me know if either of these solve the problem.
i just got the blackberry 8330 & i dont know how to take pictures of bbm conversations
@mercedes You need a screen capture program – try screenmuncher: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/11854
Ok i was wondering ; why does a message on BBM only show a check sometimes and never changes to D ; what can this mean ?
@Nina That is usually indicative of a network problem. Perhaps low signal or other related issues on their end or yours. This usually clears itself up eventually.
some one has been talking about retreivin old deleted sms messages in the BB,,,from messages selecting applications and then saved messages,,,,what does that do??does it not save sms messages automatically???or when you delete them in the mainfolder,,,they get deleted from all folders????help!!
also if u click on messages n then on the blackberry key and go to view folder:it has sms outbox and the sms sim inbox,,,what does that store???similarly..messages>blackberry key>search>view saved messages,,,,,????are the sms messages not gettin stored at these locations???please guide!!!
query no 3:options>go to options>sms>leave messages on sim card>on…will this not save your smses on the sim card forever,,,and retreivin the messages is just about putting the sim card in another mobile phone away???
@Fiona You can tell your BlackBerry to save SMS messages to the SIM card. These messages will be stored there until it is full (can’t save that much really). Any SMS saved to the SIM is able to be viewed on any other SIM compatible device.
SMS messages by default are saved in device memory and will be deleted automatically when memory runs low.
If you delete a message from your device it is gone for good. If you have done a full device backup you can recover messages that were on the device at the time of the backup but it isn’t very easy.
Hello Cooper,
Actuly i was copy-pasting a text from 1 contact to another contact bimistakly i choosed “invite for group chat” instead of “paste”.
So did the invite go to the person from who’s chat i was copying the text from??
Also the person whom the invite went declined it…but i don’t know weather the other person from whus chat i was copying the text got to know about the invite????????
Plz plz plz reply..reply…reply…
@xyz Yes both parties would see a message indicating the invite.
hey!!!and what do you have to say about emails on the blackberry,,,i have a gmail account,,,if my emails have been deleted from my gmail account on the PC are they automatically deleted from my device too or do they have to be advertently deleted and how???also does the gmail account on the blackberry have a sent folder and trash or is its format different from that on a computer….if i have deleted mails on my blackberry,,is there any way i can retreive them…..guide
please guide me through an entire flowchart of the gmail account on the blackberry,,,its features and how is it different from a convential gmail account on the desktop,,,and its limitations on the blackberry.
I save my bbm chats on my media card and they save perfectly fine and for all of my contacts however this specific contact whome conversations are important to me has partially deleted. march conversations are there jan and feb are not! which is weird because I didn’t delete them at al and as for all the other contacts jan and feb cnversations are still there.. any idea how i can retrieve them?
and i looked through my files on the mediacard installed on my bb i have found the bbpin of this contact once in .old and once in .csv ,
i have emailed both to myself and downloaded them t my computer, the .csv opend as an excel showing our very last conversation, the .old didnt open at all, any suggestions how I can?
cooper,i am waiting for my reply!!
@plastercast Unfortunately the response to your question is too much for a comment only. I would have to write a full post or series of posts on the subject (and plan on doing just that in the near future).
I suggest you start googling specific questions and reading up on the information you need.
A “person” deleted me off their bbm. Two days later I bought a new blackberry and restored my phone using my desktop manager from the last back up which was a month ago. When I restored my bbm contact list the “person” was back on my list with an updated current picture. What happened? Did it automatically send them a reinvite request and go through cause pin different? Or did their bbm automatically accept since its a different pin? And can they see me on their list?
@Zainab Yes a new request was most likely sent using the new PIN and accepted on their end.
Yes if you can see them in your contact list they can see you.
so this may be a completely stupid question, but what do the recent uopdates represent. ive gotten only ever one and the message was “heyyy”, i didnt get in the conversation and it doesnt seem like a status to me. im completely new at using blackberry messenger so your help is appreciated.
@jon The recent updates is basically an overview of your contacts profile changes. If they change their picture it will show up there, if they update their status it will show up as well.
“heyyy” was most likely a status update. Conversations do not appear in the recent updates view.
I sent a BBM message to my cousin, but the ‘d’ did not show up above the check mark. I exited the chat before the ‘d’ appeared. Will she still recieve the BBM eventually, or was it erased when i left the chat?
@Emma She will get the message as soon as her network identifies it.
This needs to be massively updated for the current release of BBM.
my brother move one of my BBM contacts outside the BBM aplication what can i do to put it back…
the contact is just there floating on my instant messaging folder…
I sent a Broadcast Message to all contacts with bbm. A contact has a red bullhorn/megaphone with red )))beside their name. What does that mean?
Hello,
I have the blackberry 9700 and I have version 5.0.2.12 bbm. I have noticed in most of my contacts, it does not update their status or picture on the recent updates bar, however when you scroll down the list I see they have something new as their bbm name/pic. Why is it like that? Also is there any way I could not notify people about any changes I made.
Thanks for your help
Heyy I’ve download bbm on to my bb but when I send out a pin request to my Mates they don’t receive it ,it just stay in the pending area and when they add my pin I don’t receive anything either
Why’s this ??? And how can I fix this problem
R.a.s.a.p please
Thanks
Cuando yo envĆo un mensaje por Blackberry messenger, a veces aparece al lado del icono del contacto un reloj pequeƱo, o a veces aparece el mismo reloj pero con ondas, como si la otra persona estuviera hablando por celular, no entiendo que quiere decir eso, me pueden porfavor explicar, gracias
Just wondering how a picture sent can show declined yet messages have only been delivered??
With the Blackberry Torch, are you able to receive and send bbm messages, while talking?
I have searched evriwere some say its possible some say its not and I’m not talkin of tcp settings cause it dosent worjk pls is there a way to use or work bbm without a data plan I noe dere is can you tell me the way:) I mean without even paying for a data plan pls get bak to me asap and email me pls……
Em ps I use a bb torchh :) thnx.
I have a contact on my BBM….today when I have been sending messages I have had the D show next to them as if they have been delivered but the person hasnt actually received them. I have been receiving messages from them however. I contacted my mobile provider who advise there are no problems my side…any ideas?
is there any way to set up BBM to all users devices on the BES without them adding the contacts manually. I want to get all users to use BBM in the company but they wont sit there and add all contacts themselves
Hi,
are the contents of your bbm messages stored anywhere on rims servers, or once they have been deleted from your device they are gone forever.
Hi,
My step daughter has Windows Live Messenger set up on her Blackberry to access two Live accounts, she can read her emails from either on the Blackberry without any problem, but has forgotten the passwords to both, so can’t login from a PC…
– if she tries to reset either of the account passwords then she says it just sends her a link to get on the other account,
– is there any way she can reset the password of one to a password that she actually knows, and can use when logging in from a PC or laptop ?
(I presume she’ll know the answer to her security questions etc, but she needs it to ask her for them first… )
Many Thanks for your help,
Pete
the blackberry symbol is not on my phone and i downloaded bbm from bb app world and still nothing and the only thing close to this is something on my applications called blackberry pin and i done all that and when i add contacts no request shows for them or me
Hey there..my Tour blew up yesterday and I had backed everything up on the desktop manager, but when I bought my new Bold, and restored my info, my Raiders bbm group was gone, and now I don’t know how to find them again. Is it somewhere in the restore that I missed? Or in Options, is there a way to restore that info IF it won’t wipe out the other contacts. Thanks
I have a blackberry style…when I open my phone..will a new bbm be “read” instantly, or do I have to scroll over the message for it to be marked as “read”. (Is there a way to read the bbms without the sender knowing it?) Also, I used to see when a contact was typing a reply, but I don’t see it on the screen anymore. Any explanation. Thanks
How can I close all my chats in my bb messenger, which by the way has opened nearly 8000 chats? I think that’s spam.
hi i don’t have a comment really but a question.
I received a blackberry from someone and when i went on blackberry messenger i was about to put in my info and contacts but i went and by mistake or just messing with the phone i restored that person’s profile and contacts.My question is how can i get their info out like profile and have you and put mine in????
before I upgraded to BBM 5.0 I use to be able to hit the mouse in a chat and select the person I was chatting with. 5.0 seems to have left that feature oout sadly
Is there anyway to disable blackberry messenger? I’m going on holiday next month and I don’t want to pay for BBM. Would maybe taking the sim out work? Thanks!
i have the same problem as maria.
i received multiple chat invites from a single contact while i was sleeping and when i woke up my phone was dead.
when i turned it on, there ARE 19900 chats.
what should we do with this?
and how to prevent this from happening?
thanks in advance!
Hello!, my problem is, on my BB 9700 my group chat history disappears and keep messages for xxx keeps changing from 1day to never or 1week even if I set it manually. The chat history is set to be saved to my media card.
Any help will be much appreciated.
on my BBM it doesn’t show my display picture? And with all my friends it does, i was wondering if you knew how to change this so when i update my picture they all see it as well… it stead of only me seeing it, reply asap.
my friend has a blocked blackberry, is it possible for her to top up her bbm and use the bbm service?
If people delete me as a contact on blackberry messenger can i still view my recent history and the conversations that ive had with them?
tengo una blackberry curve 8520
y tengo instalado el blackberry messenger 5.0.3.22
pero desde hace dias me han querido enviar archivos y les aparece que no he podido guardar el archvio, sabras por que pasa esto?
mas sin embargo yo si puedo archivos,
lo desinstale y volvi a instalar y nada no se que estara pasando
espero tener respuesta pronto, saludos
What plans are best for blackberry messenger, and texting? Unlimited in both.
Can bbm messages get delivered while the other person is on the phone?
hi,if i stay in uk can i bbm my family and friend in malaysia?if can, how long it will takes the message reach them?tq.
previous chats with my friends are cleared (deleted) from blackberry messenger,. How can I recover all the previous chats?
Plz help
I wanted to know if you have deleted you bb app ..will i still recieve the logo on the top of my phone like ive got a message????
Please help trying to catch out a cheating bf!!
Hi
Is there anyway of deleting a portion of a chat while retaining the rest of that contact’s history?
I have connected BB to my PC and managed to access the .csv history files using MS Excel – but when i delete rows or clear the unwanted contents and save changes, on disconnect, entire contact chat history is gone – any help would be appreciated… Thanks
como hago para ver toda la conversacion del chat black berry si nunca borre la conversacion?
Hey,
I have a blackberry curve 9300 and when ever I make a phone call and hang up afterwards, it automatically locks my phone. How do I change it so it does not lock it anymore?
thanks!
Is there a way for you to hide or make one your bbm contacts invisible in your list?
is there a way to see who deleted you on bbm ?
Hi, I just updated BBM to version 6. The problem is that I can access my chat history, it is there, but I canĀ“t scroll down and select a particular chat and open it. Any ideas? Thanks.
I have the bold 9900. If i chat on BBM and i restart my phone, or let the battery die when i switch it on again all the chats and contacts are cleared, why is this so?
hey is it possible to read someone else’s chats and and call history???????
no blackberry messenger chats in my back up
is there any way to retrieve them?
Hi Cooper
Is there anyway I can view the last chat I had with a BBM contact, after she deleted me? My settings are configured to storing the chat history too. Just that I cannot see the chat I had with the contact after she deleted me. Anyway, I cant access the last chat now?
Please plz let me know…as it’s really urgent..thanks!
i have 1250 contacts on my bb is that the limit cause ppl saying they cant add me now
i need to know how can i create UN-limted contact in my bbm group!!
I copied and pasted a BBM message from one peson to another in BBM and they said they could see who it went to and had the phone number of the person it went to.
Could they really have done this? obtained someone elses phone number just because I copied and pasted their message to someone else?
First of all thanks for you help. We consumers really appreciate it.
When my friends open my name in the list on the BBM they see a pin and a email address. I dont use that email address anymore. Its not even setup on my blackberry. How do i change this?
Name: XYZ
PIN: 12233
Email: xyz@xyz.com
Status.
I want to change the email address. It is not on the remote backup etc. Not even on the blackberry.
Thanks again.
what dose it mean when one of your contacts takes his name off his bbm and puts nothing as well as why am i only seeing a check mark when i msg this person and in are other conversations i saw d and r may your please help me what dose the check mark mean
Hi there
I have a strange story.
I belong to a group on my bbm. A couple of months ago someone I know passed away in a tragic accident and her bb was never found. Her mother cancelled her phone contract.
However, everyone in the group has just received a notification that she has joined the group.
The administrator of the group says that she didn’t add anyone to the group.
When you click on her name (as she is now listed in the group members) it says that ‘this bbm contact doesn’t exist’.
How is it possible that a bbm contact who no longer exists and whose phone has been cancelled can be added to a bbm group?
why dont your messages send on bbm when you turn your bb of for one day? and how czn you make your messages send again when this happens???
My son has a blackberry is there anyway I can access his bbm pms as he has overstepped the msrk with malicious comments about myself and his mom,desperate parent!!!
hy….i enabled my password option….n the password i m entering shows it as incorrect…i am on my 9th attempt…wha should i do now…i dont want my phtos and bbm contacts to get deleted…
pleasee helpp…….
Hi! Weird story.
I have a new BB 9360. My data plan for bb is fully activated. I can converse with my BB contacts but whenever I try to join a group they can not read my messages nor i can see theirs. Upon checking my status as a member is “UNREACHABLE”. I need help on this please. How do I successfully join a group. Thank you.
Hi, Great website
I have a Bold 9930 and i was wondering how to end all my BBM chats at once?
for those having problem with .OLD chat history formats, actually it is readable by Ms. Excel, just drag the .OLD files to an open Excel window. As for why some chats turn into .OLD formats, I haven’t find out yet but I’ll let you know when I solve it.
the .old format is there for when the size of the chat history reaches 147k, it then transfers it to a .old format and starts a new csv format file