7. Text Messaging, Multimedia Messaging, and BlackBerry PIN Messaging

Short Message Service (SMS) or text messaging has been available for mobile phones since 1993 and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) since 2002. Text messaging has been popular for a long time and has almost become the default method of communication for young people. Multimedia messaging is a newer technology, but it too is becoming more used. The BlackBerry Curve supports both SMS and MMS plus an additional text messaging format called BlackBerry PIN messages. We cover all three in this chapter.

>>>Step-by-Step: Configuring the New Text Message Sound

You might want to change the sound that is played when you receive a new text message. This helps set your BlackBerry Curve apart from the crowd.

1. From the BlackBerry Home Screen, click Profiles.

2. On the Profile Select screen, select Advanced to edit the Profiles.

3. Scroll to the Profile that you want to edit; press Menu, and choose Edit.

4. Scroll through the list of alert types until you reach SMS Text. Click to edit.

5. Scroll down to Ring Tone, and click to change the sound played for your incoming SMSs.

6. To select music or a ring tone that you loaded, scroll to the top of the list, and click Browse.

7. If you do choose to browse, you will see the audio folder layout of your BlackBerry. Browse through the folders until your find the song, ring tone, or other audio file you want to use as a ring tone.

8. After you select the sound or song you want to play when you receive a new incoming SMS, scroll down to the In Holster section, and make a change there.

9. Change the Notify Me During Calls to Yes if you want your BlackBerry Curve to alert you of incoming SMSs while you are on a phone call. Change to No if not.

10. Press Escape, and choose Save to save your changes.

>>>Step-by-Step: Sending SMS Text Messages

1. Depending on the Theme you use on your BlackBerry Curve, you might have a separate SMS and MMS icon on the BlackBerry Home Screen. You can click on either one to send an SMS.

2. To send an SMS, press Menu, and choose Compose SMS Text.

3. Start typing the name of the person you want to send the SMS to. If he or she is not in your address book, simply enter his or her mobile phone number. You can add multiple recipients so that you can send the same SMS to multiple people.

4. Type your SMS text message.

5. To send your SMS, press the trackball or trackpad, and choose Send.

>>>Step-by-Step: SMS Delivery Reports

You can request a delivery report when the SMS you send arrives on the recipient’s mobile phone.

1. While composing a new SMS or reply to an SMS, press Menu, and choose Options.

2. Change the Delivery Report field to On.

3. Press Escape, and choose Save to save the changes.

4. When the SMS arrives on the recipient’s mobile phone, a small D will be added to the sent message’s icon in the message list.

>>>Step-by-Step: Receiving and Replying to SMS Text Messages

Depending on the Theme you use, you might have a separate SMS and MMS icon on the BlackBerry Home Screen that indicates new SMSs.

1. When you receive a new SMS, it is listed in the message list. You will notice that the icon is slightly different from an email icon.

2. To read the SMS, click it with the trackball or trackpad. Notice that the view is set up so that you can follow the SMS conversation.

3. To reply to the SMS, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Reply. Type your reply. Notice that the conversational layout of the screen remains, so you can see the entire thread.

>>>Step-by-Step: Configuring the New Multimedia Message Sound

You might want to change the sound that is played when you receive a new multimedia message.

1. From the BlackBerry Home Screen, click Profiles, or from the BlackBerry Today Screen, click the speaker icon in the top-left part of the screen.

2. On the Profile Select screen, select Advanced to edit the Profiles.

3. Scroll to the Profile that you want to edit; press Menu, and choose Edit.

4. Scroll through the list of alert types until you reach MMS. Click to edit.

5. Remember from our previous discussion in Chapter 1 that this screen enables you to configure what the BlackBerry does when it is in and out of a holster or case. Scroll down to Ring Tone, and click to change the sound played for your incoming MMSs.

6. To select music or a ring tone that you loaded, scroll to the top of the list, and click Browse.

7. If you choose to browse, you will see the audio folder structure on your BlackBerry. Select any song, ring tone, or other audio file.

8. After you select the sound or song you want to play when you receive a new incoming MMS, scroll down to the In Holster section, and make a change there if you want to.

9. Change the Notify Me During Calls to Yes if you want your BlackBerry Curve to alert you of incoming MMSs while you are on a phone call. Change to No if not.

10. Press Escape, and choose Save to save your changes.

>>>Step-by-Step: Sending Multimedia Messages from the Messages Application

Multimedia messages are messages that can be sent with multimedia attachments. Because of this, you can compose and send an MMS from the Messages application or browse to the file you want to send, and send it directly from there.

With the exception of pictures, the files you attach to MMS messages must be under 300K. Your BlackBerry scales down a picture so that it is under 300K before it sends it.

1. From the Messages application, press Menu and choose Compose MMS.

2. Select the person or persons you want to send the MMS to from the address book.

3. You can type a subject and some text in the body of the message.

4. To attach one or more files, press Menu, and choose either Attach Picture, Audio, Video, or Voice Note.

5. You can browse your BlackBerry’s memory or your external media card for the files you want to attach. Scroll over the file you want to be attached and click the trackball or trackpad.

6. After the files are attached, you can interact with them in the message. For example, if you attach a picture, you see the picture in the message body. If you have attached audio or video, you can play it right in the message.

7. To set the MMS importance or to request a read or delivery receipt, press Menu, and choose Options.

8. Modify the options.

9. Press Escape, and choose Save to save the changes.

10. Before you send the MMS, if you decide you need to move some things around in the body of the MMS—for example, you would rather have the text after the picture—put the cursor on the part or field you want to move, press Menu, and choose Move Field.

11. The field shows up and down arrows. Use the trackball or trackpad to scroll up and down to move that field up and down the message. Click the trackball or trackpad to select where to leave the field.

12. To send the MMS, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Send.

>>>Step-by-Step: Sending Multimedia Messages Directly

A quicker way to send MMS messages is directly from the file itself. This saves you from first composing an MMS and then attaching files.

1. Find the file you want to send via MMS. The file must be a picture, audio, video, or voice note. Press Menu, and choose Send As MMS.

2. Select one or more recipients from the address book.

3. If one of the recipients has a mobile number and one or more email addresses, the BlackBerry asks you to choose. If you know that the person cannot receive email on his phone, be sure you choose the phone number.

4. To send the MMS, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Send.

>>>Step-by-Step: Receiving and Replying to Multimedia Messages

Once you start sending MMS messages, you should start receiving them, too. As with all other messages, MMS messages are listed in the Messages application allowing you to open and reply to them.

1. When you receive a Multimedia Message, it will be listed in the message list. Notice that it has its own unique icon.

2. Click the message to open it.

3. If you want to save one of the pictures or videos in the MMS, scroll over the one you want to save so that it has a blue outline. For example, to save an image in an MMS, select it, press Menu, and choose Save image.

4. You can then browse your BlackBerry’s memory or external media card for a place to save the image. It is a good idea to rename the image before you save it.

5. To reply to an MMS, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Reply. You can also choose Reply to All or Forward.

6. When you type your reply you notice that the attachments are no longer visible, and the original MMS is now plain text. To send the reply, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Send. Forwarding an MMS retains the attachments.

BlackBerry PIN Messages

Each BlackBerry has a hard-coded number, which is called its PIN. If you know someone’s BlackBerry PIN, you can send messages directly to him or her. The benefit of sending a PIN message rather than to an email is that the path of the message is much shorter.

PIN messages arrive almost instantly on the recipient’s BlackBerry and are much quicker than regular emails, SMSs, and MMSs.

The BlackBerry PIN enables a common bond between BlackBerry users around the world because they share this unique ability. BlackBerry PIN to PIN messages, as they are called, can be sent from any BlackBerry to any BlackBerry in the world, no matter which wireless carrier is used.

To find your BlackBerry PIN, press Alt, Shift, and H at the same time.

>>>Step-by-Step: Sending a PIN Message

Now that you know what a BlackBerry PIN is and how to find your PIN, you are ready to send your first PIN message.

1. To compose a PIN message, from the Messages application, press Menu, and choose Compose PIN.

2. Start typing in the name of the person you want to PIN.

3. If you do not have the PIN entered for the recipient in the address book, you see a window pop up informing you of this.

You can also just type in the recipients PIN into the To field.

4. You can attach a vCard to a PIN message if you want to. To do this, press Menu, and choose Attach Contact.

5. To send the PIN message, click the trackball or trackpad, and choose Send.

6. When a PIN message has been sent, it is listed in the message list. After it has been delivered, the Sent icon includes a small D. Notice that PIN messages are the color red.

7. When you receive a new PIN message, it is listed in the message list in red and bold.

8. Click the trackball or trackpad to open the PIN message.