The Bold Explorer
INTRODUCTION
============
Warning: the Bold's security is out
of date. It supports TLS version 1.0,
which is three revisions behind the
current standard in 2019. Do not use
the device to transmit or receive
sensitive information (like passwords)
or conduct financial transactions over
the internet.
* * * * *
This is the Gopher version of a guide
I wrote on CrackBerry. I can't update
those posts anymore, so I've moved
almost everything here and to an html
version on the web. A few of the pages
are written in html, because they're
completely dependent on inline images
(the MMS Advanced and Service Book
pages) or because there's no point in
transferring the information, since
it will be out of date when BlackBerry
World shuts down at the end of the
year (the Working and Dead Apps page).
There's also a complete version on the
web. It's static html without https
and renders well on the Bold. The link
is on the main directory page.
* * * * *
I wrote this guide because, every once
in a while, someone asks in the
CrackBerry forums whether the Bold
9900 will work without a BIS-enabled
data plan. Quite often, the reply is
that the device will be crippled
without BIS. That's not entirely true.
The Bold 9900 can be set up to use
over wifi and with a regular data plan
(i.e., without BIS). Most of the
information below is out there on the
web, but it's always good to have a
consolidated set-up guide.
I try to keep the guide up to date,
but I don't use all of the apps
listed, so it relies on reports from
other users. Please leave any feedback
in this thread at CrackBerry:
(HTM) Guide: BlackBerry OS7 (Maybe OS6) Without BIS
See also the Bold 99xx Working and
Dead Apps List
(HTM) Working and Dead Apps
More information on the apps discussed
below can be found on the apps page.
(DIR) Apps that Work without BIS
THE BOLD WITHOUT BIS SETUP GUIDE
================================
OPTIONAL STEP
Before you begin, you should consider
installing the latest version of OS
7.1. After I installed the O2 UK
version of OS 7.1 my Bold ran cooler,
the battery life improved, and the
experience was very stable. You can
download it by following the link
below. For installation instructions,
read post #47 of that thread.
(HTM) O2 UK Version
Alternative installation procedures
using BlackBerry Swiss Army Knife can
be found at either of the following
links:
(HTM) How to Wipe and Load an OS Using BBSAK
(DIR) BBSAK Instructions
(HTM) Post #3 in this thread at CrackBerry
STEP 1: SET UP YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK
(WIFI) CONNECTION.
(DIR) Instructions
(HTM) Visual Tutorial
STEP 2: SET THE APN FOR YOUR CARRIER.
If you want to use a regular data plan
on your carrier's network, you will
need to enter the APN settings. Here
are the instructions:
(HTM) Instructions
A visual tutorial is here (but you
must enter your carrier's specific
settings, rather than those in the
tutorial):
(HTM) Visual Tutorial
You can probably find your
carrier-specific settings here:
(HTM) World Wide Mobile Phone Settings
STEP 3: INSTALL APPS THAT WORK WITHOUT BIS.
Many BlackBerry OS apps were designed
to work only with a connection to
BlackBerry's servers.
Without a BIS connection to those
servers, you will not be able to use
many of BlackBerry's built-in
applications, including:
*the BlackBerry email client
*BlackBerry Messenger
*MMS (Picture) messaging
*the BlackBerry podcasts app
The BlackBerry web browser works over
wifi, but it may or may not work over
the cellular network, depending on
your provider. You will be able to
make phone calls and send SMS
(text-only) messages.
Some carriers will push you the MMS
service books and you'll be able to
send picture messages. Others won't.
Ask yours if they will enable MMS for
you.
If not, see the MMS (Basic) page for a
simple workaround:
(DIR) MMS (Basic)
See the MMS (Advanced) page for a
complex solution for advanced users.
The link is to the website, because
the explanation makes extensive
reference to an image.
(HTM) MMS (Advanced)
Fortunately, you can install many apps
that work well using wifi or a regular
data plan, without BIS, and which
serve the same or similar functions as
the BlackBerry apps.
Here are the essentials:
APP STORE
BlackBerry World is available until
December 2019. Some users have had
difficulties with BlackBerry World of
late. See this thread at CrackBerry
for a solution:
(HTM) Thread Link
Quick Apps is a convenient repository
of links to OS 7.1 compatible software
that is already freely available on
the web. Most of the software
mentioned below can be installed from
within the app.
(HTM) OTA Link
EMAIL
Using the Bold for email is no longer
recommended. LogicMail 2.2.0.85
(Available in BlackBerry World until
December 2019) still works, but the
Bold's TLS is outdated and insecure.
(HTM) LogicMail OTA Link
(DIR) Tip
There are also paid activesync services:
(HTM) AstraSync
(HTM) NotifySync
Based on my experience, and that of
others at CrackBerry, Smartmail no
longer works with SSL, and PicoMail
appears to be dead.
WEB BROWSERS
Opera Mini 8.0 (Available in
BlackBerry World until December 2019)
(HTM) OTA Link
UC Browser (Available in BlackBerry
World until December 2019)
Alternatively, you can install the
Anworm service books to get the
built-in browser working over a data
connection. See the browser page for
more information.
(DIR) Browser Page
MESSENGERS
IM+ 10.5.10 or IM+ Pro 10.5.2
(Available in BlackBerry World until
December 2019)
(HTM) OTA Link
Trillian (BBW).
Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Kik and
Viber no longer work.
MAPS
Google Maps 4.5.1 works on data
without BIS, but it seems to be
impossible to find online. For links
to 4.5.3 (which may or may not work
without BIS) and other versions, see
the following link:
(HTM) Google Maps thread at CrackBerry
See the apps page for more details:
(DIR) Apps
MGmaps has offline capabilities and
works with Open Street Maps.
(HTM) MGMaps
PODCASTS
Podtrapper 2.6.7 (Available in
BlackBerry World until December 2019)
(HTM) OTA Link
You can also use the RSS feed
capabilities of Opera Mini to
download podcasts and then play them
in the BlackBerry Podcasts app.
MUSIC
TuneIn Radio 2.3 (Available in
BlackBerry World until December 2019)
(HTM) OTA Link
EBOOK READER
Kindle 1.0.2.101740313 Beta
(HTM) OTA Link
(HTM) See this thread for more information
RSS FEED READER
Opera Mini 8.0 (Available in
BlackBerry World until December 2019)
(HTM) OTA Link
FORUM READERS
CB Forums 1.0 (Available in BlackBerry
World until December 2019)
Tapatalk 1.4.7.9 is no longer
capable of adding new accounts.
(HTM) OTA Link
VOIP CLIENTS
Dell Voice 1.0.1 (Canada -- Fongo App)
Available at BlackBerry World through
a hidden link. See this thread at
CrackBerry:
(HTM) Thread Link
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook (A web browser shortcut app
is available in BlackBerry World until
December 2019). Install the Anworm
service books for the browser to use
Facebook over a cellular data
connection.
BROWSER SHORTCUTS (LAUNCHERS)
I have created installable browser
shortcuts for several websites. You
can use thesm on a WiFi connection
immediately. If you install the Anworm
service books for the browser, you
will also be able to use them over
cellular data.
(HTM) NewsZ (Google News RSS feeds)
(HTM) Facebook (Facebook Mobile)
(HTM) Gmail
NOTES:
OTA = Over-the-Air
BlackBerry World apps are installed
using the BlackBerry World app on the
phone.
The OTA apps are available via
websites. For OTA apps, use a browser
to search for and navigate to the
download links, and click on the link
to install. Update: some of the apps
are also available via the Quick Apps
store.
Some of the OTA software is no longer
supported by or available from the
creator, but all of the apps listed
above can be found online as of
February 2019. Searching for the app
name with the version number plus
'BlackBerry OTA' or '.jad' will
usually lead you to a download if
you're persistent. If a download does
not install using the BlackBerry
browser, you may need to use Opera
Mini to download the app.
The usual warnings about downloading
software from untrusted sources and
compromising your device security
apply. If you install apps from
websites, you have to take
responsibility for the potential
results.
Over time, it will become more
difficult to find many of these apps.
I have had some success locating older
software by searching through archived
versions of old websites using the
'Wayback Machine' at archive.org.
BONUS STEP: BACKING UP YOUR DEVICE
You can back up your phone settings
and some data using BlackBerry Desktop
(HTM) Download BlackBerry Desktop
You can back up your third-party apps
(including the OTA apps) using
BlackBerry Swiss Army Knife
(HTM) Download BlackBerry Swiss Army Knife
BONUS STEP: BACKING UP AND
SYNCHRONIZING PIM DATA (CONTACTS,
CALENDAR, MEMOS, TASKS)
Here are a few options for backing up
and syncing your organizer data. If
you know of others, please let me
know.
THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION:
Use the BlackBerry Desktop software.
This requires you to connect your
phone to your computer via USB cable
or bluetooth, which means
synchronization only occurs when you
do it manually. It has the advantage
of being very secure and private. Look
up the official BlackBerry guide in
the Wayback Machine at the Internet
Archive:
(HTM) BlackBerry Desktop Guide
The BlackBerry Desktop software can be
downloaded here:
(HTM) Download BlackBerry Desktop
Note that BlackBerry Desktop does not
work with MS Outlook 2013 or 2016
64-bit. You need the 32-bit version of
Outlook 2013 or 2016 if you want to
use BlackBerry Desktop to sync your
Outlook data with your Bold 9900.
BlackBerry Desktop does work with
earlier 64-bit versions of Outlook.
Configuration hints: the original
Facebook app (not the newer
browser-based app) installs a calendar
service book that can interfere with
calendar syncing. You may need to
uninstall the app and the Facebook
[CICAL] service book in order to sync
your calendar. I also experienced
trouble establishing a reliable
two-way sync. Fixing the problem
involved deleting all of the calendar,
contact, task, and memo entries from
my device, selecting "forget my
device" in BlackBerry Desktop, and
then reconnecting the device and
re-entering the organizer sync
settings. If you do this, make sure
you have your data backed up somewhere
else (hopefully in Outlook) before
proceeding.
NETWORKED WIRELESS SOLUTIONS:
BlackBerry OS 7.1 can make use of an
old PIM sync protocol, SyncML, to sync
the calendar and contacts. You have
two options to backup and sync your
PIM data wirelessly using SyncML.
1. Memotoo (OTA).
Memotoo offers the ability to sync
your calendar, contacts, tasks, and
memos to memotoo's cloud, as well as
to the major webmail services,
Evernote, and Simplenote, among
others. The downside is that you'll be
putting all of your data on someone
else's server. Of course, you might
already being doing that (on Gmail,
Outlook.com, etc.) and it might not
matter to you. The upside is that you
can sync from anywhere at any time, as
long as you have a wifi or cellular
connection. You can create an account
and download the app at memotoo.com.
(HTM) Memotoo
2. Set up your own SyncML server
(Advanced).
You can use the OneMediaHub (BBW) or
Memotoo (link below) apps, which are
both based on the open-source FUNAMBOL
client, to sync with your own SyncML
server. The OneMediaHub service no
longer works, but the app allows you
to connect with your own server
instead -- as does the Memotoo app.
The major problem is that the easy to
work with open-source servers don't
seem to work anymore (FUNAMBOL is
impossible to install and eGroupWare
dropped SyncML support). Horde
groupware may still support SyncML,
but there are no good guides for
setting it up and I have failed
repeatedly in my efforts. I've had the
call out for a successful Horde setup
guide since 2014 and no one has ever
replied.
(HTM) Funambol App
EOF