Installing apps on your BlackBerry can be done in two ways. And part of the fun of the BlackBerry is having those apps. Today I’m going to walk you, as a newbie through the basics of installing them. I’m well aware that those of us who have had a BlackBerry know these steps already.
The easiest way to install an app is called ota. What this stands for is over the air. It’s when there’s an app or a download button you click, choose download, and it’s installed right to your phone. Easy simple, sometimes a reboot is required to be sure that it’s installed smoothly, but it’s simple and there are no extra steps. Many of us consider this the preferred method of installation.
The second one is through the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. When I wrote two if by cord, I’m referring to the USB cord and two files that will be part of the installation. Sometimes there are apps you will download by use of a pc, as they come in a zip format. This will install to wherever you designate it to be saved. I always use my desktop. Then you click on the downloaded zip, right click on the file, and extract the files to one you designate. After that, you will see that you now have two files. Sometimes there’s more, an intricate program that runs on the phone and the pc may have the installation for your pc as well as the two files needed for your phone. The two files I’m referring to are a .cod and an .alx. A cod is a compiled java file written for the BlackBerry. The .alx is the BlackBerry application loader file. This is the file your BlackBerry will recognize to load the app on to your phone.
You’ve downloaded your zip file, extracted all files, and now you have your .alx and .cod file ready. What’s next? First, make sure that your BlackBerry Desktop Manager is the most current version. You can check for updates, make sure it’s updated and ready. When you’re sure it’s up to date, bring up your BlackBerry Desktop Manager and connect your BlackBerry with the usb cord to your pc. You should see your pin in the bottom left. When you do you’re ready for the next step.
Click on the Application Loader. Notice that it says: Update, add, or remove device applications. It will bring up your Application Loader. You will see Add/Remove Applications and Update Software. You are going to click on Start in the Add/Remove Applications. It will read the phone, and then it will search for available device software. This is usually what’s on the phone and there may be options you have not added to your phone, but your newly downloaded app will not be mentioned. If you look on the bottom, there will be two tabs you can click on, Browse and Settings. For this app we are going to add, we’re going to choose Browse. This is going to bring up your pc, and you must go to where your file is saved, and it will allow you to click on the .alx. This is the only file the Application Loader will acknowledge to install. The Loader will add the file, click next, and it will install. In some cases it may take up to thirty minutes, most cases not so long. The phone will reboot and the app will be loaded.
You can also remove an app with the Application Loader by opening the App Loader, letting it read the phone, and then uncheck the app and click next. It will let you know what you’re removing and click next. Phone reboots and the app is gone.
Sometimes a few errors can be corrected by using the App Loader to remove the last app installed and your phone is once again usable with all information in tact. It just takes patience and confidence. There are some advantages to using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager/App Loader over ota in different situations and depending on the circumstances you may find one to be a favorite over the other.
We know many of you received your BlackBerry for Christmas or for New Years and we’re here to help. We’ll be posting tutorials to help you learn something new about your phone and assisting you with mastering the basics and then a few tricks. That disc that came with your BlackBerry is like the lifeline to your phone, for information and your microsd card too.
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Installing Apps On Your BlackBerry: One If By Air, Two If By Cord
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