How-To: Transfer Files Between Your Blackberry & OS X Via Bluetooth

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I recently switched from my iPhone to a BlackBerry. A few weeks after the transition, I have discovered my likes and dislikes between phones, and by far the most frustrating difference is the “syncing with computer” feature. An iPhone is literally plug and play, whereas a BlackBerry requires tons of configuration, even for the simplest tasks.

Below I have roughly outlined how to send files between your BlackBerry and computer via Bluetooth.

Pair BlackBerry to your computer

On your BlackBerry, turn on Bluetooth.
From your manage connections menu on your BlackBerry select “Set up Bluetooth.”
Click the menu button and select “Options.”
Next to discoverable, select “Yes.”
On your Mac, launch System Preferences (Applications → System Preferences).
Under the “Hardware” section click on the “Bluetooth” icon.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Click the “Set up New Device” icon in the middle of the Bluetooth window. (If you already have a device set up, click the plus arrow in the device column.)
The setup wizard will pop up. Click “Continue” on the first pop-up window.
On the “Select Device Type” window select “Mobile Phone.”
Select your phone from the next screen and click continue.
Your computer will prompt you with a PIN to enter into your BlackBerry. Enter the PIN into the BlackBerry device.
If you entered the PIN correctly, your devices will be paired.
Uncheck the “Access the Internet with your phone’s data connection” box.
Your phone is now paired with your computer.

Turn on Bluetooth file-sharing on your Mac

Launch System Preferences (Applications → System Preferences).
Under the “Internet & Network” section, click on the “Sharing” icon.
In the “Services” column, select the checkbox next to “Bluetooth Sharing.”
Leave everything as default. (You can change the preferences if you want, but I just left as the default.)
Close System Preferences.

Send a file from your BlackBerry to your Mac

Browse your BlackBerry’s media and find the file that you want to transfer.
With the file selected, pull up your BlackBerry menu and select “Sending Using Bluetooth” from the BlackBerry menu.
A pop-up will come up on your BlackBerry asking you to select a device. Select the paired computer you want to transfer the file to.
A pop-up window will appear on your computer asking what you want to do. Accept the transfer, and the file will start transferring.

Send a file from your Mac to your BlackBerry

Pull up your BlackBerry media browser on your device.
Open the menu and select “Receive Using Bluetooth.”
On your Mac, find the file you want to transfer and right-click on it.
From the pop-up menu, select “More → Send […] to Bluetooth Device” and select your phone from the pop out menu.
Make sure you BlackBerry isn’t asleep. If you make a successful connection, you will get a pop-up on your BlackBerry asking what to do with the file. Select the location you want the file to save and and click “Save.” The file will begin to transfer. NOTE: I’ve had this fail a few times, but when I hit send again from my Mac computer it works; seems like second time is the charm. Making sure your BlackBerry is not asleep is also crucial.