How to set up email on your BlackBerry

This simple user guide shows you how to set up a standard, non-Exchange email account on your BlackBerry smartphone

Published on Oct 6, 2009

One of the best things about owning a BlackBerry device is that, once you have set up your email accounts, you never have to do it again – even if you replace or lose your handset.

The BlackBerry platform uses a server-side service to push email to you and to retain your settings, so configuring a new handset simply involves pushing your existing information to the new device. But the initial configuration must be carried out correctly for you to get the most from your BlackBerry and its email capabilities.

We focus on configuring email accounts and other settings on the basis that your BlackBerry and its service are supplied by a mobile-phone provider rather than your employer.

Non-email features will apply to both types of user, but email configuration for business devices is very different. In most cases, your company’s IT department will configure your device to talk to your Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes mailbox.

When you first power-up your BlackBerry, it will run an initial configuration wizard that lets you set information, such as the time and date, and do the basic configuration for your first email address straight from the device.

Select I Want To Create Or Add An Email Address from the two options (we will deal with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in a later section). Click Next.
The screen will explain the BlackBerry is going to open a web page to continue the configuration. Click Next.
At this stage, you won’t have a BlackBerry web account, so you can go ahead with configuring an email account on the device. Select the Email Accounts link.
Select Add An Email Account from the list of options. If you do not have an email account, you can choose Create A BlackBerry Email Address to get a free email account linked straight to your device.
Enter your email address and the password you would usually use when checking your email via webmail or when you configured your desktop email client. Click Next.
That’s it – your email account is configured.