CrackBerry.com's BlackBerry 101 Lecture Series

Get a Better Night's Sleep and Help Gain Back The Weekends!

A lot of BlackBerry User's found value in the last BlackBerry 101 lecture, where we went through the steps of How To Take Notes While on a Call. It's a simple thing to do, but unless you explore your BlackBerry's menu options you may never discover it as it's not necessarily a function that is readily intuitive to all.

Likewise goes for the Auto On/Off settings located in your BlackBerry Options. It's not that Auto On/Off is hidden on the operating system - it is very easy to find; rather, it just seems to be one of those settings the eyes tend to passover and avoid. At least that was the case for me for literally 2 years. Keep Reading to learn more about Auto On/Off. 

Turn Me On and Off
Auto On/Off allows you to set a time for both weekdays and weekends for when you want your device to turn off and then automatically turn on. It's a simple feature, but for us hardcore CrackBerry Addicts, if used properly, it's one more step on the road to controlling our BlackBerry addictions (err..not that I think I have a problem).

I tend to reply to emails I receive anytime and any place, and this often means 3:30am when I turn over in bed and wake up to see the little red light blinking. I also tend to leave my profile set to normal when I go to sleep - I have been woken up by my BlackBerry Messenger notification tone more times that I can count by friends overseas who forget what timezone I'm in (it's ok though as I do the same to them). I thought about and have tried leaving my BlackBerry out of the bedroom, but I have trouble falling asleep if it's out of arm's reach. I just feel like something is missing. It wasn't until I finally discovered Auto On/Off for myself that I got back to having the uninterrupted sleep I had before discovering BlackBerry.

The secret? I set my BlackBerry to Automatically turn off about 30 minutes later than my "bedtime". This way I have my comfort blanket berry close at hand and ready for action, but as I slip into my Zzzzz's the device turns off. No Blinking Lights, No Calls or Instant Messages coming through. Come morning my BlackBerry automatically powers back up and I'm well rested and none-the-wiser to having been separated from my device.

For those whose BlackBerry use is pure business (and you're starting to get annoyed by it everytime it blinks as it means you have work to do), try setting BlackBerry hours for yourself. Have it turn off a little earlier on weekdays, and turn on a little later on weekends. Not everyone will have the luxury of doing this (depends on your job situation), but if there are days when you can muster it, give it a try.

Auto On / Off - Step by Step 

Step 1: Head to Options
Step 1: Head to Options

Step 2: Open Auto On/Off
Step 2: Open Auto On/Off

Step 3: Enable Auto On/Off
Step 3: By default, Auto On/Off will be Disabled
We'll want to enable it and set the time

Step 4: Set your times
Step 4: Enable Auto On/Off and Set Your Times

Step 5: Save Changes
Step 5: Save Changes

That's It! Now Come Bedtime.... 

Auto Off
The BlackBerry Automatically Shutdowns
at the time previously entered

And turns back on
And fires back up automatically right on queue!


Until Next Time
I hope you found this lecture useful. Auto On/Off. It's simple, and it works! See you again soon!

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