Would you be uncomfortable if
someone found and easily accessed all the information on your device?
For most of us the answer would be yes!
On our BlackBerry smartphones,
many of us store friends' and colleagues' names, addresses, phone
numbers, confidential email, and notes. Some of our devices may even
contain Social Security numbers, passwords, and other important
information in your Contact notes or your MemoPad.
In that case, you will want
to enable or turn on the password security feature. When you turn this
on, you will need to enter your own password to access and use the
BlackBerry. In many large organizations, you do not have an option to
turn off your password security; it is automatically turned on by your
BlackBerry enterprise server administrator.
1. Preparing for the Worst Case Scenario
There are a few things you can do to make this worst case scenario less painful.
Back up your BlackBerry to your computer.
Turn on (enable) BlackBerry password security.
Set your Owner Information with an incentive for returning your BlackBerry.
1.1. Backing Up or Syncing Your Basic BlackBerry Data
For Windows users, check
out our full description of how to back up and restore your BlackBerry
data using Desktop Manager software on page 95. Mac users, use the
backup feature in Desktop Manager for Mac shown on page 125.
1.2. Turning On Password Security
Make sure you turn on enable
password security. This is really your best backup plan to safeguard all
your data should you happen to lose your BlackBerry.
Click your Options icon on your home screen. Press the letter P to jump down to Password, and click it.
Select General Settings to see this screen.
Click the Disabled setting next to Password, and change it to Enabled.
Then click Set Password to create your password.
You can adjust the other settings unless they are locked out by your BlackBerry Administrator.
Save your settings.
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If you cannot remember
your password, you will lose all the data (email, addresses, events,
tasks—everything) from your BlackBerry. Once you make more than the set
number of password attempts (the default is ten attempts), the
BlackBerry will automatically wipe or erase all data.
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1.3. Setting Your Owner Information
We recommend including
something to the effect of "reward offered for safe return" in your
owner information, which would show up when someone found your
BlackBerry in a locked mode. You may have already set your owner
information in the Setup Wizard, but you can also via the Options icon.
Click your Options icon on your home screen. Press the letter O to jump down to Owner in the list of options settings, and click the trackpad to open it.
In the Owner Information
settings screen, put yourself into the mind of the person who might
find your BlackBerry and give both the information necessary and an
incentive to return your BlackBerry safely to you. Press the Menu key, and ave your settings.
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Shortcuts to Lock
From your Home Screen, quickly tapping the K key or pressing & holding the A key will Lock your BlackBerry. (Assumes you have turned on Home Screen Hotkeys – see page 541). You can also press the Lock button on the top of your device.
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Test what you've entered by locking your device. Tap the Lock button on the top of your BlackBerry, or click on the Lock icon. Now, you will see your owner information.
