Anyone who’s been a BlackBerry power-user in the past will be aware of how nice it is to type on a physical keyboard. And, while it’s not the quickest way to type a message these days, it’s still very pleasurable. But it’s also super-efficient and accurate; especially if you use the keyboard shortcuts.
I’ve rounded up a handful of my favorites, which can really make a difference in daily use, just to take a little time out of specific tasks.
Built-in Mute Switch
First on my list is a built-in mute switch you maybe didn’t know was there. Simply press and hold “Q”, and your Classic switches to the quiet profile.
Locking Your Device
Number 2 of the shortcuts is pressing and holding K. K = Key, and it locks your device. Which leads me really nicely on to…
Unlocking Your Device
Number 3: U and then the Return key on the keyboard unlocks the smartphone.
Quick Scrolling
Fourth on the list is a quick method of scrolling through pages on the web, or on email (or even Kindle books). Tapping the Space bar scrolls through the pages to help get you to the next paragraph that little bit quicker.
Skip to Top/Bottom of Web Page
Fifth is along the same lines and comes in a 2-for-1 deal. If you want to go even faster and skip to the top or the bottom of a web page, hit “T” or “B” and it’ll whizz you right there in a heartbeat.
Searching for Specific Word
Number 6 is another web-related tip: If you’re searching for a specific word in a web page you can just hit “S” and start typing a word. If it’s there, it’ll find it.
Customizing Your Shortcuts
Seventh and last, and by no means least, is perhaps the most useful of the entire list. Pressing and holding any unassigned keys lets you set up and customize your shortcuts. So, you can create your own for those buttons.
Other honorary mentions include tapping “R” to reply to a message, or “L” to reply all, and the usual double-tap on a space key to insert a period and end or sentence, or add in an “@“ symbol when inputting an email address.
Of course, the list of shortcuts is virtually endless. For almost any function, there’s a shortcut, just like there used to be in the golden olden days of BlackBerry.
