How to Reset a BlackBerry

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Smartphones are great, at least when they work. When they don’t, they’re nothing more than expensive paperweights. If your BlackBerry is frozen or unresponsive, a quick reset may be just the ticket to get it up and running again. Follow this guide to restore your BlackBerry to its former glory.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Performing a Hard Reset

1
Open the battery cover on the back of the BlackBerry. Remove the battery from the phone.
- You can perform a hard reset on the BlackBerry Z10 by pressing and holding the Power button on the top of the phone for about 10 seconds.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
2
Reinsert the battery after a few seconds. To be on the safe side, wait for up to 30 seconds and then reinsert the battery into the back of the phone.

Advertisement
3
Close the battery cover. The BlackBerry should reboot and function normally. You may have to power the BlackBerry back on with the Power button.

Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Performing a Soft Reset

1
Press and hold the Alt key . This method will reset your BlackBerry without having to remove the battery. You cannot perform this method if your BlackBerry does not have a keyboard.
2
Press and hold the Right Shift key. Continue to hold the Alt key while you hold the Shift key.
3
Press and hold the Backspace/Delete key. Make sure you are continuing to hold the Alt and Shift keys while you hold the Backspace/Delete key.
4
Wait for the BlackBerry to reset. When this happens, you will see the screen turn off. You can now release the keys. It may take a few minutes or more for the smartphone to return to its normal settings.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Performing a Factory Reset

1
Open the Options on your home screen. Performing a factory reset, or security wipe, will remove all of your personal information and reset the phone to the state it was in when it came out of the box.
2
Select Security Settings. In the Security Settings menu, select Security Wipe.
3
Choose what you want erased. Check the boxes for each of the items that you want wiped from the phone. If you want to completely erase your information, ensure that all of the boxes are checked.
4
Enter the code. To perform the wipe, you will need to enter the code. Type “blackberry” into the box and then select Wipe.
5
Wait for the phone to complete the wipe process. Your BlackBerry will reset multiple times during the wipe process. Once the phone has rebooted, your data will be gone.

Advertisement

Community Q&A

Question

What is the Blackberry code I need to enter after I restore factory settings?

Community Answer

It is the password you first set up when you got the phone, or a code given by the phone provider.
Question

How to change my unknown Blackberry password?

Community Answer

You can do this via email. Go into your system settings, find PIN and click change.
Question

How can I reboot my BlackBerry phone?

Community Answer

While holding down the Alt key and the Right Shift key, press the Backspace/Delete key until the screen turns off. This should restart your BlackBerry.
Question

I moved from Israel to Australia and bought a new SIM card for my Blackberry, but when I make local calls in Sydney it reroutes them via Israel. I've been told to "clear" my Blackberry, but I don't want to lose all my contacts. What can I do?

Community Answer

Connect your BlackBerry with your computer, then transfer everything on your BlackBerry to the computer and create two folders: one for "important" and the other one for "trash". Delete everything in the trash folder from your computer and transfer back onto your BlackBerry everything that is important.
Question

What if my phone doesn't want to reboot but shows a yellow sign?

Community Answer

Hold down the power and volume button for 15 seconds. Then go onto the internet and type "reboot" after that it should be reset.
Question

How do I reset a BlackBerry?

Community Answer

Follow the instructions listed in the article above.

Warnings

Do not attempt the soft reset method if you have a model such as the BlackBerry Pearl or the BlackBerry Storm. These phones do not feature a QWERTY keyboard, but they include SureType technology or a SurePress touch screen. Follow the appropriate guidelines for setting these phones by consulting the user manual or by contacting your service provider.

Thanks!
Helpful 10 Not Helpful 12