Identify yourself with the BlackBerry ID

BlackBerry ID falls into the category of things your really need to do first on your BlackBerry.  It makes life so much easier.  Once you’ve created your BlackBerry ID, you can use your email address and password to log in to any product that supports the BlackBerry ID.  For example, you will use the same one on your Playbook as on your smartphone.  With BlackBerry ID, you can manage apps that you download from BlackBerry App World and keep them if you switch devices.

Setting up a BlackBerry ID is easy, there are 2 ways to do it.  You can either do it from an app that uses BlackBerry ID – it will prompt you the first time you use something with that feature, or you can do it online by going to the BlackBerry ID website and creating one there and then entering it on your device.  If you are using the BlackBerry 7 operating system, you have to have a BlackBerry ID.  Same goes with the Playbook – it’s not an option.   Once you have it though, it makes life so much easier.

The important thing about your BlackBerry ID is to associate it with an email address you check regularly.  It doesn’t have to be one that is associated with your device but you need to be able to get to the account if you forget your password because that’s where the recovery information will be sent. You can change the details of your BlackBerry ID once it’s been setup.  To do this go to options on the home screen, the one that looks like a wrench.

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From the settings box go to Device settings – this is where you can schedule other cool stuff like Auto on / off times (more about those in a later post)

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Select “BlackBerry ID” and you’ll get a screen that looks like this (but with your details filled in)

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Change the details you want to change and then hit the BlackBerry button and then Save. If you don’t save, it will prompt you to do so before you leave the screen.

BlackBerry ID is becoming more and more integrated into apps, so pick a password you can remember easily or use the password keeper to help you remember it.