HOW TO PING A BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONE (BB)

Get used to it that only BlackBerry phones can "ping" other BlackBerry phones. To do so, you should have some familiarity with BlackBerry Messaging because its necessary.

REQUIRED INFORMATION
1. Your BackBerry PIN
2. The other BlackBerry's PIN
3. Blackberry Messaging (should already be installed on the phone)

GUILDELINES & INSTRUCTIONS
Adding a Contact on BlackBerry Messaging to Ping another BlackBerry phone (Friend B), you must first have Friend B's name as a contact in your BlackBerry Messaging. Then locate this application on your list of options on the home screen. In the common BB Dimension themes, it appears as a blue talk bubble. Once
highlighted, it will change into two talk bubbles (blue and white). Click to open it. A screen will pop up with two menus:
Current Conversations and Contacts.
Regardless of what you currently have highlighted, hit the Menu button (the button directly to the left of the
trackball). You should ask Friend B for his or her PIN. This information is found on your Friend B's phone, under the Options selection on the home screen. Choose Options, then scroll down to Status,
highlight it,
and click the trackball button. The PIN is located on the fourth line. You can give your PIN to your Friend B for his or her own information, but keep in mind that only one person must go through these steps to add the other contact.

The option to "Add a Contact" will already be highlighted. Select it. A box will pop up that asks for the PIN of the contact you wish to add. Type it in now. Then, push in the trackball and option to send your Friend B a message requesting that he or she becomes one of your contacts.

'Friend B' will now have to open your request (it will pop up as a message within his or her own BlackBerry
Messaging application). Friend B must then hit "Accept." You may have to remind him or her of your PIN, because at this point, you will show up only as letters and numbers (they see your PIN instead of your name). Once Friend B has accepted your request, however, you will appear in his or her Contacts List
under your name, which typically is already programmed into the BlackBerry device. Also, once the PIN has been accepted, Friend B will appear the same way in your Contacts List. You are now BlackBerry Messaging friends.

PINGING YOUR CONTACT
To ping Contact B, you must begin or open a conversation. Locate his or her name in your Contacts List, and
highlight and click Person B's name. The dialog box will appear empty at first (unless a conversation is already in session, in which case the following steps are still the same). Hit the Menu button. The menu that pops up will have an option on the seventh (7th) line to "Ping Contact." Highlight and click this option. The conversation will now show that you have sent a "PING!!!" to Contact B. He or she will receive this ping in the form of a text message signal.

RELEVANT ADVICE
Regardless of whether you or Contact B adds each other, the outcome will be the same. However, for future records (in the case of deletion, for example), you should store each of your contacts' PINs in your Address Book (under the line labeled "PIN:"). If you have stored Contact B's PIN in your Address Book, you can simply type in his or her contact name rather than typing out his or her entire PIN. Be sure to copy the PIN exactly as is. Sometimes, you will have to hit the shift or number button to change from letters to numbers.