This post was last updated on April 26th, 2019 at 11:27 am
It has always been a herculean task to Install 3rd-Party Apps to Blackberry phones. This is very much unlike other smartphones like Nokia, iOS, Android e.t.c. We have two groups of blackberry users out there.
i. Those who use the smartphone basically for Business ventures like viewing emails, viewing documents e.t.c
ii. And those who adopt the blackberry smartphone as the device of choice and will stop at nothing to install loads of apps on it. yes, it is this second group of people that my tutorial is meant for.
No matter the model of your BlackBerry phone, there are countless third-party applications available that can help modify the BlackBerry’s functionality to meet their individual needs. These apps are out there and waiting for the right user to download them and put them to good use.
How can I identify a Blackberry OS 7 and Older’s File Extension?
Now the most confusing aspect of installing third-party apps on blackberry is how to determine its file extension. For example, Nokia has the .sis and .jar file extension for its Nokia Symbian and Java respectively. Android, on the other hand, has “.apk” as it’s installation file. Another question is that which methods are to be used to get that new game/app into the palm of their hands.
Files types/extensions needed
- .JAD files: An application descriptor that stores information about the application itself and the location of.COD files
- .JAR files: a JAR file (or Java ARchive) is used for aggregating many files into one. It is generally used to distribute Java classes and associated metadata.
- .COD files: A COD file is a proprietary file format developed by RIM that contains compiled and packaged application code.
- .ALX files: Similar to the.JAD file, in that it holds information about where the installation files for the application are located
Installing Third-Party Software OTA (Over The Air)
The best way to install a third party application on your phone is by OTA via APP WORLD on your Blackberry phone. this is because most developers will provide direct links to the .jad or .jar files needed for the internal installation
However for the purpose of this post. Am concerned about the second option for downloading third-party apps to your phone through your desktop and the installation of the applications is via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
The next step now is how to download a third party application to your blackberry via OTA? This is very easy. Simply use your Blackberry Browser to navigate to the download page for the application you wish to install and find the direct (OTA) download link. You can find the direct link of any file you wish to download with a blackberry browser through the Blackberry browser’s menu, select “Get Link” and then click OK for each step of the installation.
Steps to Download a Third Party Application Via OTA to your BlackBerry:
- First, browse with the BlackBerry Browser to your desired application download page.
e.g Google Maps for blackberry - The normal practice here is to either you will be presented with a link to the download, or the option to enter your cell phone number and have the link sent to your device via SMS.
- Make sure you Follow the supplied link (either direct or SMS) from within your BlackBerry Browser and follow all the instructions that appear on your screen the explanation is easy to understand.
- The new application will be unpacked and installed by your BlackBerry Browser and your new software will now be available in your applications list.
Install 3rd-Party Apps to Blackberry Via BlackBerry Desktop Manager
When you find a 3rd-party application or game you wish to install on your BlackBerry smartphone sometimes it may not be in the format recognizable by your phone because they are available in multiple formats. Although the OTA download is usually the easiest way to install software any software on your blackberry, however, for those who only have limited data plans there is a more desirable option to get this software.
Complete the following steps to Install 3rd-Party Apps to Blackberry(Non-Android) Phones
- First, browse to a download link for any piece of third-party software you like and download the required installation files to your computer.
For instance: BB Email Viewer (This cost some $$$ but you can use the free trial as a test ) - Once downloaded you may need to unzip/extract the contents to a newly created folder. Inside your newly created folder, you will find a file that ends in .alx
- Connect your BlackBerry via USB to your computer and launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
- In the menu, you will see an option for “Application Loader”. as shown in this screenshot above. Now, click this and you will see all the list of applications currently installed on your BlackBerry.
- Above the list of currently installed BlackBerry applications, you will see a button that says “Add”. Click on this and the application dialog box will appear.
- Next, go to the folder that you have saved on your desktop that contains the third-party applications you have previously downloaded your .alx file contained within it. Choose OK and this application will appear in the list with all of your other installed software.
- Repeat this severally If you have downloaded more than one piece of a third party software. That is going ahead and click the add button again and navigate to the next .alx file and click OK.
- After you might have loaded all your desired applications into the application loader, verify that they each have a check mark next to them and click the button labelled Next which appears below the list of applications.
- Now wait and you will see the BlackBerry Desktop Manager run through a process and your BlackBerry may restart.
- And after your phone has restarted you will see all of your newly installed applications on the applications screen of your device.
How to Install files into your MicroSD via OTA with your Blackberry Desktop manager
This is a process that basically entails of tricking your blackberry device into thinking it is grabbing the required files from the web. For you to do this you will have to have a BlackBerry with a MicroSD card inserted and the device must be in Mass Storage Mode.
Complete the following simple steps on how to install applications into your SD
> install your MicroSD card in your BlackBerry.
>. Download the .jad and .jar files required for installation and save them in a folder anywhere on your desktop.
> Connect your BlackBerry to your computer via USB cable.
> launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
> You will be presented with an alert on your BlackBerry screen that asks you to enable Mass Storage Mode. Select yes. If you do not see this prompt, go into your media card settings on your BlackBerry and ensure that you have media card support turned on and enable the mass storage mode. There should also be an option to turn on Mass Storage Mode automatically upon connection to your computer. Choosing yes will save you from having to repeat this step again later
> Once your BlackBerry is recognized as a drive by your computer Simply Drag and drop the folder you have saved your installation files in from the desktop to the newly found “BlackBerry drive”.
> Once all of your files are in place, browse to the media section of your blackberry and from the menu select “Explore”.
> Select your media card and then drill down into the folder containing the desired installation files.
> Select the file that has an extension ending in .jad. This is the file the BlackBerry will recognize as a downloadable item. You should now see a download screen appear. Click the download button and you are done.
> The third party application will now be installed on your BlackBerry and accessible through the applications list.
I have done justice to three to four methods you can use to get a third party software installed on your blackberry phone. Good luck and don’t forget to share this it is very important
More Links Where you can Download Some Software for Your Blackberry Phone
2. us.blackberry.com
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