How to set up BlackBerry Bridge





Setting up BlackBerry® Bridge™ is really easy – it only takes about five minutes! To begin, you must have a BlackBerry® smartphone running BlackBerry® Device Software version 5.0 or later and a BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. (Click here to find out which version of software your BlackBerry smartphone has.) You’ll need to install the BlackBerry Bridge application on your BlackBerry smartphone, because it’s the software that you’ll use to connect and communicate with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
Your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet comes with BlackBerry Bridge built in, but it must be installed (instructions noted below) and, provided you’ve completed the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet setup process and you have a BlackBerry smartphone that meets the minimum device software requirement above, all you’ll need to do is install the BlackBerry Bridge application on your BlackBerry smartphone and pair it with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
Here’s how to do it!

Listed below are the steps to get BlackBerry Bridge set up on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet so you can start using it right away! If you run into some trouble along the way, scroll down for some suggestions on what to do.
1. On your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s home screen, tap the Gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Tap BlackBerry Bridge.
3. Tap Setup.
4. Create and type in the name of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (or keep the default name) and tap Next.
5. Tap Install Now.

6. On your BlackBerry smartphone, open the BlackBerry App World™ storefront.

7. Press the Menu key and select Scan a Barcode.
8. Scan the barcode displayed on on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and select Download when shown the BlackBerry Bridge installation screen.

9. On your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, tap < Back.

10. Tap Continue.
11. On your BlackBerry smartphone, open the BlackBerry Bridge application.

12. Select Add New Tablet, followed by selecting Continue.

13. Scan the barcode that’s displayed on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s screen using your BlackBerry smartphone.
14. After the pairing process completes, select Ok on your BlackBerry smartphone and tap Done on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.



After completing these steps, you’ll notice a new BlackBerry Bridge category appears on the home screen of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. At this point, all you need to do is tap the application you’d like to use. The BlackBerry Bridge is pretty awesome.
Tip: Set a password on your BlackBerry smartphone to help ensure your information is safe if the device becomes misplaced. If your BlackBerry smartphone is ever locked and/or misplaced, you will be required to enter this password on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in order to useBlackBerry Bridge. To learn more about using a password on your BlackBerry smartphone, check out the user guide for your BlackBerry smartphone.

Troubleshooting Suggestions

Bridge has been disabled by your System Administrator
If this message appears when you open the BlackBerry Bridge application on your BlackBerry smartphone, you’ll need to contact your BlackBerry system administrator and request that your IT policy be changed. For more information, check out KB26159 – ‘Bridge has been disabled by your System Administrator.’ message is present when launching BlackBerry Bridge on your BlackBerry Smartphone.
Barcode Pairing Failure

If this error message appears when you’re trying to scan the barcode of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet using BlackBerry Bridge on your BlackBerry smartphone, make sure you are scanning the barcode that’s used for pairing, and not the barcode used for installing BlackBerry Bridge using BlackBerry App World.
After scanning the barcode on your BlackBerry smartphone to download BlackBerry Bridge, make sure you tap “Back”, and then “Continue” on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The barcode that is displayed on this screen is the barcode you need to scan using BlackBerry Bridge on your BlackBerry smartphone. For more information, check out KB26155 – ‘Barcode Pairing Failure. The barcode does not appear to be a BlackBerry Bridge barcode.’ error appears when trying to pair a BlackBerry smartphone to a BlackBerry PlayBook.
If you are scanning the correct barcode and you are still encountering this error after clicking Retry Barcode Scan, we suggest you complete the setup process manually. To do this, complete the following steps:
1. On your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, tap Manual Pairing.
2. On your BlackBerry smartphone, tap Try Manual Setup.
3. Select your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet when it’s displayed on your BlackBerry smartphone.
4. Verify the numbers displayed during the pairing process match, then tap Yes on your BlackBerry smartphone and on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
5. Enter the secret code displayed on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on your BlackBerry smartphone – this code is case sensitive.
6. Tap “Ok” on your BlackBerry smartphone and “Done” on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and you’ll have completed the BlackBerry Bridge setup process.
If you still can’t connect after completing the manual pairing process, your BlackBerry smartphone may have an IT policy that disables Bluetooth pairing, or all Bluetooth connectivity. For more information, you’ll need to contact your BlackBerry system administrator.
If you’re still running into an issue even after completing the steps above, check the BlackBerry Support Community Forums for some additional help – and don’t forget to take advantage of the 90 days of complimentary technical support that is included with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet purchase once it has been activated. Also, don’t forget to check out the BlackBerry PlayBook How To website to learn more about your tablet.
Bookmark the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog, as I’ll be doing a series of posts on BlackBerry Bridge – if you have any questions, make sure you post them below in a comment!