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BlackBerry Bridge is one of the big selling points of the BlackBerry PlayBook. It allows you to pair up your BlackBerry smartphone so you can securely access your contacts, emails, BBM and calendar. This is especially handy since the PlayBook still doesn't have any native versions of these apps on its own. Many users keep their devices bridged all day long so they have the ability to access these apps on either their phone or tablet.
Personally I don't keep my PlayBook bridged much at all. At times when I'm relaxing on the couch I'll pair up my devices and use the PlayBook for everything, but most times I am either in front of my computer or just use my device for my PIM apps. What we want to know is if you keep your devices bridged all day long or if you only do it at certain times. Pick the option in the poll above that best fits you, then leave a comment below letting us know what works for you.
Reader comments
CrackBerry Asks: Do you keep your BlackBerry PlayBook bridged all day?
Unfortunately, my company does not allow the bridge to be activated because they don't like security on bluetooth. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I would love to bridge my devices.
Umm... you can turn that blinking blue light off you know...
(written on Bridge Browser from my Playbook)
I like how the bridge transfers data from any connection on the BB. When connected to my corporate WiFi with my 9930, I can access internal websites on my Playbook while bridged without the Playbook actually being connected to WiFi itself. This is very handy since you need a special certificate for the network and it's only on my handheld and not on the Playbook.
before my Torch had a little trip inside my pants while washing it, my answer would be yes. but I have to use my Bold 9000 now and it does not support the bridge. but in a few days ill get my 9900, and then the answer would be yes again.
I turn it on when I read emails and want to browse the web. Otherwise the battery drains so I turn it off.
Dan
I would just leave it Bridged all day but the little blinking blue light drives me crazy. So I usually end up just turning it on in classes when I'm taking note on the PlayBook so that I get my email and BBM notifications.
If you go under the settings on your phone, there is a way to turn off the blue blinking LED. Thats what i did, and now i leave bridge on all the time
How about I dont own a Blackberry as a choice? I have a play book tethered to my android whenever I'm not in range of my wifi
I only use the the bridge when wifi is not available or when I get tired of reading emails on the smaller 9650 screen. Depending on what I'm doing depends on how often I activate the bridge. Its nice having the brigde option
Bridge does a laggy and choppy performance. Did it only the first time, to give it a try and see how it's working. Never used it since. Having a simple functions on the PB by killing the battery of my phone is a no-go for me. The calls are far more important then the filling of having a completed tablet.
Let's hope for a good news when 2.0 is ready.
i wish but it kills my battery....what happened to battery life rim?????????? thats what u were known for
I keep it bridged all day but it's only because I can't be bothered to un-bridge it. I'm not usually using the bridged features.
I. Like. The. Bridge.
I like it so much that I won't be using the native PIM, even when it IS available. I think the Bridge is more secure and more reliable.
I used to keep it bridged all the time prior to the latest Bridge update. Now I only bridge when necessary. I find that since the last OS upgrade I lose WiFi upstairs in the bedroom periodically and I'd rather not have it automatically switch over to using the bridge. I only have a 200MB data plan.
I leave mine bridged all the time. I have noticed that when using a blutooth headset the audio quality is reduced when bridged.
not to nitpick, but putting "I don't own a Playbook" as an option is like putting "I don't know/care" on any other poll. I mean, really...if you don't own a Playbook, why would anybody care about being part of this poll??
I'm a bit O.C.D. about not leaving apps and functions running while not in use on the PB and my 9930. I have noticed though, that while not being used, Bridge and/or Bluetooth doesn't seem to suck much if any more juice than if they were turned off. I am now considering leaving both functions on 100% of the time. What do you guys think about that?
I use the bridge when out and about. I love the fact I can web surf on my PB anywhere with my 9930.
Hi @Kingkracker,
Alex from RIM here. Being a fellow big, bad Bold user myself, I bridge it with my PlayBook all the time so I can stay connected wherever I go – around RIM’s campus, grabbing lunch or sitting on a patio. You’re probably a PlayBook pro by now, but you might want to check out this post on our Inside BlackBerry Help Blog to make sure you’re getting the most out of the BlackBerry Bridge app: http://bbry.lv/qoiIAw.
Cheers,
Alex, RIM Social Media Team
I have my PB paired with my Bold 9930 24/7. When I am near wifi it will connect automatically. It is not too much of a drain on my batteries but I am always charging them both whenever possible. Some days both devices have more than 50% charge leftover after a full day. The bridge is the greatest asset for the Playbook.
i never use bridge, so much quicker to sort emails and bbms via my phone which is usually sat next to me on desk, sofa or bed!
bridge is not a feature i need or use
if i took pb out and about i would it to connect to data but thats about it!
i dont need or miss native email or bbm really as the on screen keyboard is so crap
Picked up a 32gb PB yesterday during the bestbuy sale and haven't unbridged it yet.
Mine stays paired, but truthfully I don't use the BBM and eMail on the PB all that much, more so because I find it slow at times and inaccurate. Mainly I find it does not always mark messages as read properly, both in email and BBM correctly, and that seems to annoy me. Needless to say I patiently await the coming OS upgrades.
As well I receive quite a few text messages, so I need to pick up the phone anyway, so just as much I use the phone.
TXT and SMS are a must for the Bridge to be a more full solution.
I would say on a positive note it it has little to no effect to battery performance on either device leaving the bridge on all the time.
PB just needs some solid Apps and it will sell like crazy.
It is bridged whenever the opportunity arises. When dealing with multiplpe email deletions I just grab my playbook to take care of them. It is so much easier the way they have it set up on there.
I can't be bothered pairing and unpairing... Leave bridge on and let it auto pair when in range.
Fact is I'd love to have a pb. But am unable to
Afford one at this time so I keep going to future shop to play with the demo model. That being said as much as I love all things BlackBerry I could not see myself purchasing a PB without it having native email or bbm. Yes I am aware RIM announce 2.0 but who knows when that will be. After devcon is an extremely vague answer and it will probably be closer to christmas if not next year imho. However I hope tand pray that I am wrong because I'd love to get one by christmas.
Bridged all the time. In my view, the Bridge is the killer app for the Playbook. Unless you are using your Bridged Playbook a great deal, it's not an excessive drain on battery power.
To conserve battery life I turn off bluetooth and wifi when not using the playbook. It's easy enough to just hit the icons at the top of the screen to toggle them off/on and it reconnects in a few seconds to the BB or Wifi connection.
Wish the Bridge was complete in that it handled SMS and MMS as well, then this part would be perfect.
Not sure why SMS and MMS seem to locked down.
Funny coincidence. As of yesterday, my answer was yes. But my battery is starting to give out, so I think running BlueTooth all the time is actually hurting the life a little. So I'm just going to turn on the pairing when needed to see if that helps or not.
Same here. Not sure why but the Bridge app recently started to drain my phone batter really quickly.
Looking to get a Playbook - I'd keep it paired all day since it would do more than my phone alone can. My concern is wouldn't pairing the BB with Playbook be a drain on the battery for both devices? Would that make me tethered to an outlet or portable charger often?
whenever my PlayBook and BB Style 9670 are in Bridge mode (which is almost always), the battery does drain a little bit faster, but it is such a small difference, i barely ever notice it.
Don't even know what the point is of ever purposely disconnecting the bridge, I just keep it enabled all the time, and it connects when they are within range. Why would you only selectively have it connected at certain times?
Pretty much just use the BB Bridge for "free tethering" to the net when not around wifi
Honestly, my PB is pretty much just a portable web browser, with some occasional games thrown in. If I'm going to be doing a lot of messaging, I still prefer the physical keyboard of by BB or laptop
I keep my Playbook paired with my 9850 all day, every day.
I wouldn't use a Playbook if it wasn't paired with my BlackBerry at all times and that is the reason I don't own one. It isn't really useful to me without the core functions that bridge provides and I am not willing to be required to rely on that.
People like you don't make any sense. You say that you don't want to have one because the only way to have the "core" functions is to be bridged to the blackberry phone you already own?
I can understand if you owned a different phone and wanted the PLaybook and this turned you off but you don't like it because it has to be bridged?
I mean the bridge is the reason why you don't have to pay extra for some stupid data plan.
You make no sense.
When at the office, not paired. But once I go outside, always ON.
Bridge all the time :)
i keep it paired all day. Never know when i need to use the PB.
Absolutely! Doesn't leave my side!
Yes, sadly but true. I don't have a playbook. :(