Setting Up Your BlackBerry®

Be prepared whenever opportunity knocks, calls, emails or schedules an appointment.

Your BlackBerry handheld, powered by Nextel or Sprint PCS, gives you the ability to link to both personal and corporate email. Here's what you'll need and how to get started.

What You'll Need

Step 1: Connect Your BlackBerry

Step 2: Set Up Your Email

Step 3: Transfer Your Data

Step 4: Personalize Your BlackBerry

Step 5: Get Started with Sprint

What You'll Need

If transferring data, you'll need your old personal information manager (PIM), personal digital assistant (PDA), or Nextel phone in addition to:

BlackBerry handheld, battery, SIM card, travel charger & USB data cable

BlackBerry Desktop Manager software installed on your PC

Email addresses, user names & passwords for personal email accounts

Access to a System Administrator for any corporate email accounts

Step 1: Connect Your BlackBerry

You'll need to prepare your BlackBerry handheld and connect to the Nextel National Network or Sprint PCS Network:

Insert your SIM card into your BlackBerry handheld after making sure the SIM card is the correct memory size.
Insert and fully charge your battery. Then turn on your handheld and click "Edit" to set the correct Date/Time.
If the top right of the Home screen displays "OFF", scroll to the "tower" icon and "Turn Wireless On" by clicking the trackwheel.

Step 2: Set Up Your Email

To begin sending and receiving emails, you must link your BlackBerry handheld with an email account using one or both of these methods: BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) or BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).

You can link up to 10 personal email accounts to your BlackBerry handheld and create a unique username@sprint.blackberry.net email address. To configure email accounts directly from your handheld, make sure you’re connected to either the Nextel National Network or Sprint PCS Network and in an area of wireless coverage, and then follow these steps:

Scroll to and select the "Email Settings" icon on the main screen of your handheld. If you're a new user, scroll to and highlight the "Create New Account" link.
Click the track wheel and choose "Get Link" from the dropdown menu
Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions.
Create a user ID and password, which you will use to manage your BIS account.
Click "Next".
Select a language for your BIS account.
Perform one of the following series of actions:

Add an existing email account: type the full email address and password for that account > click "Next"

Create a personal BlackBerry email address: click "Create a BlackBerry Internet Email Address" > type the name you want to appear before the "@" in your new BlackBerry email address > click "Next"

If you do not have the "Email Settings" icon, follow these steps to set up your account from your BlackBerry handheld.

Verify that your BlackBerry handheld's browser has Internet access (if not, access the BlackBerry Internet Service through your PC).
From your BlackBerry handheld's main screen, select the "Internet Browser" icon.
Click the "BlackBerry Email Setup" bookmark and follow the steps to create your BlackBerry Internet Service account. Remember to write down your user ID and password.
Click "Add Account" to link your personal email accounts to your BlackBerry handheld and follow the instructions. You will need your email account's user name, email address and password. For more details, read the BlackBerry Email Setup User Guide.

To set up a corporate email account through a corporate network, contact your System Administrator to set up your email on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Once the activation process has started, you can monitor your progress by selecting the "Enterprise Activation" icon on your BlackBerry handheld's home screen. To learn more, read the BlackBerry Email Setup User Guide.

To send and receive personal or corporate email, verify that your handheld has email coverage.

Step 3: Transfer Your Data

Use one of the following to transfer your contacts, calendar, tasks and memos from your old PIM, PDA, or phone to your new BlackBerry handheld:

Copy contacts from a compatible Nextel SIM card to your BlackBerry address book.

Click the Intellisync application icon on the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to synchronize with Microsoft Outlook® or with your old PIM desktop software. Then click "Configure PIM" and select the source for your address book, calendar, memo pad and tasks.

For more information, read Transferring Contacts for BlackBerry.

Step 4: Personalize Your BlackBerry

Make your new BlackBerry handheld reflect your work and personal styles by:

Identifying how icons are displayed on your Home screen

Adding ring tones, wallpaper or Java applications

Choosing which messages (e.g., email, incoming calls, outgoing calls) appear in your Messages application

Customizing which application will launch when using the "Convenience" key on the BlackBerry 7100i™

Setting the length of time before your BlackBerry handheld's backlight turns off

For more information, read your BlackBerry user guide or review our BlackBerry Personalization FAQs.

Step 5: Get Started with Sprint

Now that your BlackBerry email is up and running, learn how to get started with MyNextel, read your bill, and manage your account online.