BlackBerry 101
 

Hey folks, remember those cell phone bill shock commercials? You know, the ones where customers would faint, break furniture, or scream when finding a bill with extremely high charges. Those of you who travel internationally have probably felt the sticker shock from a large bill or two. Even those with international data and voice packages still pay higher rates than usual. When traveling internationally, you can can expect to see additional charges on your bill. You'll use data "minutes" when you use the browser, send and receieve PIN; MMS messages; and email, or use an application that accesses the internet. Be sure sure to stand near something soft and cushiony when that international data bill comes in the mail.As a bonus, using the Manage Connections menu is a quick and easy way to turn off your radios during flight operations (a.k.a. Airplane Mode).

Minimizing service fees and turning your phone off for flight operations is a simple process. You can even choose which services get cut off. Turning off the radios is simple enough, and disabling data services whether roaming or not, is just one step further. After disabling data services, you'll still have access to your phone and text messaging services (SMS only). In addition, you can turn this feature on and off at-will so you can still check your emails periodically.

How to turn off data services

OS 4.7 (Storm 9530) and earlier

Click on the Manage Connections icon and select Mobile Network Options. Under the Data Services drop down menu choose from three options: On, Off, and Off When Roaming. After you make your selection, press Menu > Save.

Data Services OS4.6

OS 5 & OS 6

Click on the Manage Connections icon; it may be located in your setup folder.  OS6 users can simply click at the top of the screen.  Here, you can enable and disable access to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and your carrier network.  Clicking Turn All Connections Off will, oddly enough, disable all radio communications. 

Manage Connections in OS Five
 
Quick Tip - OS6 Manage Connections
 

To leave the phone functions enabled and just stop data services, you can set that after clicking the Mobile Network Options in the Manage Connections menu. If you want to keep data services going, on but only when you're not roaming (i.e., not on your home carrier's network), you'll see the option beside While Roaming option. You can choose from On, Off, and Prompt. Press Menu > Save and you're good to go. 

Manage data while roaming 

See that wasn't too hard was it? Next time you decide to travel you'll be better prepared and won't have to worry about getting charged for all those Twitter, Facebook, and BBM notifications.

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