Last week we did a quick post on the native Clock app for BlackBerry where I re-discovered the built-in timer. While there are tons of keyboard shortcuts through the BlackBerry OS in Messages, Media Player and Browser apps, I had no idea there were a few within the clock as well. In addition to pressing the trackball/trackpad to get to the set alarm screen, as HolderBBcb pointed out in the comments, you can easily navigate between the clock, timer, bedside mode and stopwatch with the clock app by pressing C, T, B and S respectively. Just a cool tip that helps to speed things up a bit and adds to the quick shortcuts of other native BlackBerry applications. Are you a BlackBerry shortcut wizard? Leave a comment and let us know of any of the lesser known ones you use and think others may find useful.
Reader comments
Quick Tip: Keyboard shortcuts in the native Clock application for BlackBerry
couldve used that little tidbit yesterday when me and my boss were fumbling around on my phone trying to get the timer to work but ended up using the stopwatch badly lol
Excellent tip!!! Thx.
B for Bedside Mode.
Nice, thanks! (Edit - Have just realised this is in the article too, must read properly)
You mentioned C, T, and S....but forgot to mention that simply pressing the trackpad (or trackball) brings you directly to the "set alarm" screen....probably the most commonly used part of the native clock!!!
Totally overlooked that one but added it into the post. Thanks!
Anytime adam....I was happy I was able to contribute!
In addition to using T to go to the timer screen, once there you can press T again to bring up the "Set Timer" subscreen.
You can also hit the R key for alarm.
Is it me or does that look like a flip clock?
There is the option to change the type of clock it is
I miss the global shortcut of "R" to bring up the clock (formerly just alarm clock). They should have kept it for the clock in 5.x, as "R" now does nothing.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to get TO the clock app? Or a way to make one?
did you ever get an answer to your question?
alternatively, is there a way to make custom shortcuts from the home screen?
I wrote up a post about all the shortcuts I use. Hopefully there's some stuff in there you might not have seen:
http://blog.stevemould.com/how-i-use-my-blackberry-keyboard-shortcuts/
This was really useful to me when I found out:
"you don't need to use the trackball to scroll through menus. Just type the letter of the menu item you want (it doesn't need to be underlined to work). If there's more than one menu item starting with the same letter just press repeatedly until you get the one you want. You can then click the trackball or even better, hit enter."
And here's a shortcut for making smileys quicker to type:
http://blog.stevemould.com/blackberry-smiley-shortcuts/
Steve, that is great about just typing the letter of the menu item. It works in every application I have tried.
By pressing the alt.Key and simultaneously punching "L then G" and again L,G, your event log will appear. This inform. should be copied and deleted to improve device perforformance.
Simultaneously pressing the left Alt.key and the right shift then del. will re-start your BB by shutting down and powering up. It works also if you freeze up and need to safely escape.
If your BB falls prey to "error" messages or simply will not respond or allow entry. I suggest first cutting power and pull battery. Remove any media card memory you installed as upgrade. Plug device in without battery or back cover. Open BB Desktop Mngr. on PC and then attach USB cable from device to PC. When the Mngr. begins searching pin#, install battery and afix back cover. Regardless of what you might see or read, the next step is to simply download/install latest or backed up software to your device and don't touch it until the entire sync is complete. I have never failed to save at least 6 BB devices that were written off as "trash". Ask me any questions about BB and I probably have a clue!
fascinating!
The red/end key will hide the clock & keep bedside mode on, which can be considered a shortcut as opposed to using the escape key, which will ask you whether or not you want to leave bedside mode. I discovered this a week or so ago and have been using it regularly ever since :-D