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Making Phone Calls

by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM


There are several ways to make a phone call using a BlackBerry.

1. Traditional Dialing
 From the main screen enter numbers as you would a traditional phone and then hit the green 'Call' button. To end a call hit the red button. And if you hadn't noticed them, the numbers are grouped like a traditional keypad above the letter keys.

2. Dial by Name
 If a phone number is already programmed into the phone's address book, start typing the first few letters of person's name, and the number will pop up. When the number is entered or selected, hit the green 'Call' button.

3. Address Book
 In the main menu select 'Address book' and press the track ball. Scroll down to the name you want to dial, and hit the green 'Call' button. If there is more than one number for your contact, say, for a home or work number, a drop down menu will appear, from which you can select the appropriate number.

4. Voice Dialing
You're able to call people who are already programmed in your address book simply by speaking their name. From the main menu scroll until you see the icon of a small person, labeled 'Voice Dialing.' Select it by pressing the track pad, and speak the name that you wish to call, loud and clear. If the BlackBerry can't understand you, it will give you several options to choose from. If you use this feature a lot, you can set your phone to access it quickly, by choosing 'Voice Dialing' as a convenience key in 'Options.'

5. E-mail, Text or Web Link
 If you receive a phone number in an e-mail, text or even see one on a web page, it should appear underlined (note this usually only works if all 10 digits are shown). As you scroll to it it will become highlighted; select it and hit the 'Call' button.

NOTE: Besides dialing numbers, there are a few helpful phone features worth noting:

In-Call Options
During a phone call you can hit the 'Menu' button for an assortment of in-call options, such as 'Mute,' 'Activate Speakerphone,' or 'View Address Book' without hanging up the call. To get back to the call screen, hit the 'Back' button until you see the 'call progress' screen, which indicates how long you've been on an active call.

Volume
On the side of your phone are two adjacent buttons with a 'plus' and a 'minus' sign respectively. During a call you can press either of these to adjust the headset volume to whatever level suits you.

Add Number to Address Book
From the main screen type the number and hit the 'Menu' button. Scroll down and then select, by pressing the track ball, the 'Add to Address Book' option. Type in the name and hit the 'Back' button, and then click 'Save.'

Tags: BlackBerry, cell, cell phone, cell phones, cellphone, CellPhones, chat, text, text message, text messaging, Texting, TextMessage, TextMessaging

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