How to: BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Keyboard Shortcuts at Mobile Wireless News

How to: BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Keyboard Shortcuts

December 8th, 2006

We have compiled a list of common BlackBerry keyboard shortcuts for the new BlackBerry Pearl. The image to the right (click to enlarge) details the Pealâ€™s keypad and its functions.

Basic Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in many applications:

To move the cursor, roll the trackball.
To exit a screen or to move to a previous page in a browser, press the Escape key.
To move upwards in a screen, press 3.
To move downwards in a screen, press 9.
To move to the top of a screen, press 1.
To move to the bottom of a screen, press 7.
To move to the next item, press 6.
To move to the previous item, press 4.
To move to a list item or menu item, type the first letter of the item.
To select or clear a check box, click the trackball.
To select adjacent items, hold the Shift key and roll the trackball.
To delete a selected item, press the Delete key.
To switch applications, hold the Alt key and press the Escape key. Continue holding the Alt key and select an application. Release the Alt key.
To return to the Home screen, press the End key.
To lock the keyboard, from the Home screen, hold the asterisk ( * ) key.
To unlock the keyboard, hold the Send key and press the asterisk ( * ) key. Type your password.
To switch between the Default and Vibrate notification profiles, from the Home screen, hold the pound ( # ) key.
To turn on a theme or notification profile, select a theme or notification profile, then press the Space key.

Phone Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the phone application or during a phone call:

To answer a phone call, press the Send key.
To place an active phone call on hold and answer a second incoming phone call, press the Send key.
To view the contact list, hold the Send key.
To insert a plus sign ( + ) when typing a phone number, hold 0.
To add an extension to a phone number, press the X key, then type the extension number.
To assign a speed dial number to a key, from the Home screen or in the Phone application, hold the key you want to assign. Type the phone number.
To check your voice mail, hold 1.
To view the last phone number that you dialed, scroll to the top of the Phone screen, then press the Enter key. Press the Send key to dial the number.

Camera Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the Camera application:

To take a picture, press the Right Convenience key.
To zoom the camera in, press the Volume Up key.
To zoom the camera out, press the Volume Down key.

Message Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the Messages application:

To compose a message from the message list, press the comma ( , ) key.
To reply to a message, press the exclamation point ( ! ) key.
To reply to all, press the question mark ( ? ) key.
To forward a message, press the period ( . ) key.
To view received messages, hold the Alt key and press 3.
To view call logs, hold the Alt key and press the period ( . ) key.
To view voice mail messages, hold the Alt key and press 7.
To view SMS text messages, hold the Alt key and press the question mark ( ? ) key.
To view your message list again, press the Escape key.
To move up a message in the list, press 2.
To move down a message in the list, press 8.

Typing Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used when typing text in an application:

To type the alternate character on a key, hold the Alt key and press the character key.
To type an accented or special character, hold the letter key and roll the trackball left or right. Click a selected character.
To type a symbol, press the Symbol key. To view more symbols, press the Symbol key again. Type the letter that appears below the symbol to enter the corresponding symbol.
To insert a period, press the Space key twice. The next letter is capitalized.
To capitalize a letter, hold the letter key until the capitalized letter appears.
To turn on NUM lock, hold the Shift key and press the Alt key.
To turn off NUM lock, press the Alt key.
To insert an at sign ( @ ) or a period ( . ) in an email address field, press the Space key.
To type a number in a number field, press a number key. You do not need to press the Alt key.
To type a number in a password field, hold the Alt key and press the number key.
To type a letter in a number field, hold the Alt key and use the multi-tap input method to enter the letter.
To switch typing input languages, hold the Alt key and press the Enter key. Select a language, then release the Alt key.

Note: To allow this functionality, on the Language screen, verify that the Use Input Method Shortcut field is set to Yes.

To select a line of text, press the Shift key and roll the trackball.
To select text character by character, hold the Shift key and roll the trackball left or right.
To cancel a text selection, press the Escape key.
To cut selected text, hold the Shift key and press the Delete key.
To copy selected text, press the Alt key and click the trackball.
To paste your cut or copied text, press the Shift key and click the trackball.

Search Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used when searching in an application:

To search for a contact in a list of contacts, type the contact name or initials separated by a space.
To view the criteria of your last search, in your list of searches, press the Menu key. Click Last.

Attachment Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used when viewing attachments:

To search for text in an attachment, press Q.
To switch between the table of contents and the full content of an attachment, press O.
To change the size of a column in a spreadsheet, press Z.
To move to a specific cell in a spreadsheet, press A.
To view the content of a cell in a spreadsheet, press the Space key.
To view a slide show presentation, press A.
To stop a slide show presentation, hold the Escape key.
To switch presentation views, press Z.

Browser Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the browser applications:

To insert a period ( . ) in the Go To dialog box, press the Space key.
To insert a forward slash ( / ) in the Go To dialog box, hold the Shift key and press the Space key.
To open the bookmark list from a web page, press 5.
To add a bookmark from a web page, press the question mark ( ? ) key.
To view a thumbnail version of a web page, press X. To return to the normal view, press any key.
To stop loading a web page, press the Escape key.
To move to a specific web page, press the period ( . ) key.
To hide the banner on a web page, press the exclamation point ( ! ) key. To view the banner on a web page, press the exclamation point ( ! ) key again.
To close a browser, hold the Escape key.

Media Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the Media application:

To pause a video, press the Mute key. To resume playing the video, press the Mute key again.
To zoom in to a picture, press 3.
To zoom out from a picture, press 9.
To return to the original picture size, press 5.
To rotate a picture, press the comma ( , ) key.
To pause a slide show, press the Space key. To resume the slide show, press the Space key again.
To pause a song, press the Mute key. To resume playing the song, press the Mute key again.

Maps Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the Maps application:

To zoom in to a map, press L.
To zoom out from a map, press O.
To view the status information at the top of a map, press Q. To hide the status information at the top of a map, press Q again.

Calendar Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used in the Calendar Day view:

To schedule an appointment, press the period ( . ) key.
To move to the next day, press 6.
To move to the previous day, press 4.
To move ahead one hour, press 2.
To move back one hour, press 8.

Source: BlackBerry knowledgebase

26 Comments

cain Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
i forgot my keypad password how do i remove it its for blackberry 8100
Bill T Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 8:06 am
The built in security of the BlackBerry device does not allow for it to be reset, unless your device is part of a BlackBerry Enterprise Server connected to your companies mail server. If that is the case, they can push a new handheld password to the device.

If not then when you enter the incorrect password 10 times it will wipe the device clean, but you will be able to re-synch everything back up once it resets.

Sorry.
camryn Says:
March 17th, 2007 at 3:02 am
i dont know how to change what i say when you get to my voicemail..how would i change that on my pearl?
Viozv Says:
April 11th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Keep up the great work!
JESUS ARRIETA Says:
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
How can I delete a temporal game once it has expired.
Phillipa Says:
July 6th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I can’t type in my password because the black letter keys do not work, although the number keys do. No matter if I press the Alt key to get number lock on or off it makes no difference. What can I do?
lalita Says:
August 10th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
i am not able to type in the numbers when i want to this is . Itried just pressing the number lock it does not work. how do i remove this . i get in balsk symbol ABC in the space where number is supposed to type ..please help.
lalita Says:
August 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
my number lock is not working at all ??
derek Says:
September 10th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I’ve accidently deleted the speed dial for the voicemail. Is there a way to reset it so that 1 is the speed dial again for voicemail?
Ron Says:
September 24th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
When my Pearl is locked. I go to unlock it and enter my password, however the “caps lock” is on so when I type my password it is incorrect.

How can I toggle off the caps lock when in the password entry mode?
leticia Says:
September 29th, 2007 at 12:05 am
please help me my blackberry keeps deleting the call logs and messaes i have tried everything!!!please help
Jas Says:
October 5th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Its a very stylish,versatile and good phone,i have everything from lg chochlates to the iphone but this phone is the best ever,the price are real fair for the gadgets its packing.
Lara Says:
November 8th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
My blackberry pearl will only hold 7 voicemail messages…any ideas on how to increase the capacity?
latoyia Says:
December 21st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
how do i change the text ringer?
P Tsang Says:
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:15 pm
When I enter a new contact in the addressbook, I can’t type the letter in cap and the following letters in non-cap. I can’t remove the “CAP” or “NUM” on the right hand corner of my Blackberry pearl 8100.

Please instruct how to fix this as I can’t find an anser in your tricks and tips.
Mike T Says:
December 25th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
i cannot type numbers on my blackberry pearl. the alt key does nothing.

HELP ANYONE PLEASE ???????????
Lisa Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I am also having trouble with the text ringer i dont know how to change it.
Lavanya Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am
For Cannot type numbers:
Try to take the battry and chip out and wipe it then put it back, it worked for me .
April Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
My track ball wont work except to go up and down. How do I fix this???
Sylvia Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Please help me! I have a similar problem to Ron 24/9/07 - When my Pearl is locked. I go to unlock it and enter my password, however the “num lock” is on so when I type my password it is incorrect.

How can I toggle off the num lock when in the password entry mode?
juan Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 11:33 pm
The endk key won’t work how can i fix this?
Scott Says:
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
When I’m texting (Multitap) I press for example the ER button. I press twice for the R but instead I get two E’s. How do I fix that. Would I have to change the text speed and if so how do I do that?
mel Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 6:46 am
My call logs and texts kept deleting too. I just took out the battery and put it back on and let the phone restart. Now it works fine.
mani Says:
February 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I bought a perl recently….but how can i transfer my old contacts. I don’t have a data plan, but my yahoo contact list is updated and wanted to transfer it from there…..I installed the software…and tried syncing up….but could not access web using my usb port on the phone……:(

Could some direct me some manual or forum where i can read….all this info…..

Can’t wait to USE my perl …..:))

Thnkx a lot….:)
sammie Says:
February 16th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Worst phone I’ve ever had. I even got a replacement for it. No issues solved. Don’t get phone calls, not told when I miss them, very rarely get messages outside of tmobile, have to forward to everyone outside of it. Aim doesn’t work, then it never did. Bluetooth dun work either. Worst phone ever.
Rosie Says:
February 26th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I love my blackberry !!!!