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How do I switch my Blackberry Pearl from Multitap to SureType?

I don't get it, I have a new Blackberry Pearl and have been enjoying getting used to its predictive typing system, SureType, but all of a sudden my phone is now into the same annoying multiple-keypress input system that my pre-Pearl phone forced me to use. How do I switch back to the predictive SureType system?

Dave's Answer:

I have suffered through the exact same frustration too, so I know exactly of what you speak. My problem is that I wasn't sure what to call the predictive typing system on the Blackberry Pearl, so I searched Google for "predictive typing", "t9 input" and even the "ABC" that's displayed on the Pearl screen if you're in what Blackberry calls "multi-tap input mode".

For the record, it's not "T9" on this phone and there's no reference to "predictive typing" in the 240 page User's Guide either. You need to search for SureType[tm, of course] to find anything at all.

The solution is oddly tucked away in the Language settings of the phone. Here's how I switched out of Multitap and into SureType on my own cellphone:

Go to the main applications view on the Pearl.
Choose Options (it's the little crescent wrench icon) and select it.
Scroll down to Language and click the trackball.
Under "Input Language" you want to either select your language with Multitap (to enable Multitap) or without (which puts you into SureType mode). For example, I selected English (United States) to get SureType.
Now just click the menu button and select Save and you're back to normal.

I hope that helps you get out of this weird mode. I have to say that I am amazed at just how well the predictive typing capability works too!

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Categorized: Cell Phones and Mobile Phones (Article 7189)
Tagged: abc mode, blackberry pearl, predictive typing
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Comments

There is an easier way to switch the Pearl back into SureType mode:

1. Press the Menu key within a text field
2. Select "Enable SureType"

http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB10261&sliceId=SAL_Public&dialogID=8932694&stateId=0%200%205344662

Posted by: Bryon Thornburgh at March 2, 2007 12:01 PM

Hi Dave
Appreciate you sharing your knowledge like you do.
Can you help with a Blackberry Pearl problem ,I have 4 received messages/emails which I can't delete. 3 are emails and 1 is a sms. they are from 2 consecutive days and have been deleted from my computer. any comments appreciated

Posted by: john at March 16, 2007 5:34 AM

Thank you for posting this suggestion. I have just received my Pearl a few days ago and was having the same problem. What a great phone, but a wierd way to setup the typing input!

Posted by: Jonathan Roy at March 22, 2007 4:16 PM

This is by far the most useful information that I've found on the web THIS YEAR! And I'm a network administrator! Thank you so much, and congrats on the high Google ranking for "blackberry pearl multitap mode". You're number one! You're number one!

Posted by: Jessica White at April 3, 2007 12:52 PM

There's a MUCH faster way: just hold down the SYM (Symbol) key when you're in typing mode.

At first the symbols will appear as usual, but keep holding down the SYM key until the symbols menu goes away (about 2 seconds).

Holding down the SYM key toggles between SureType and Multi-Tap modes.

When in Multi-Tap mode, you will see a "ABC" icon in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. When in SureType mode, there is no associated icon shown.

Posted by: Michael at April 20, 2007 4:52 PM

A big THANKYOU to all posters on this blog, I am totally useless with anything technical and was about to smash my blackberry pearl because it kept hopping into multi-tap mode and i couldn't get out back to predictive , you have saved my blackberry from a certain cruel death, other than that glitch it is absolutely fantastic.

thanks

Posted by: adrian at July 2, 2007 1:02 AM

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions for escaping multi-tap hell!

I've found that using the password vault, which appropriately switches the input method to multi-tap while one enters a password, leaves the pearl in multi-tap mode. If anyone knows anyone at RIM could you ask for a firmware update that automatically switches the keyboard out of multi-tap mode once the password has been entered?

That would save a lot of frustration - particularly for new users.

Posted by: Daniel at August 31, 2007 9:41 AM

Gracias, Mon Amie! Just had a CFO walk in havign somehow managed to switch his input language to greek - literally typing greek symbols for everything! Thanks for a big save easy to find article that let me fix it in less than 5 minutes....

Posted by: Anthony at December 13, 2007 7:09 AM

Thanks for the help with switching back to sure type.

Posted by: Rob at February 29, 2008 4:42 PM

Dave,
Your site is very informative. With my BlackBerry Pearl, my Call Log deletes itself automatically. Missing alot of calls. What can I do to prevent this. Thanking you in advance.
J

Posted by: Jack at March 13, 2008 5:48 AM

Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for answering this question! My phone was on SureType since I got it about 5 months ago then all of a sudden a couple of days ago it automatically switched to multi-tap mode and I couldn't seem to find a way to switch it back. After google-ing my question, your site came up 1st and I'm so happy I'm back to SureType!
Thank you!!
p.s. I also tried the suggestions posted by Bryon and Michael but they didn't work for me, sorry guys, Dave's the best! :))

Posted by: Keti at April 28, 2008 12:57 PM

GRAZIE!!! THANK YOUUUU! MERCIIIII!

I was getting real desperate! :)))))))))))))

Made my day!
Agata

Posted by: Agata at May 14, 2008 9:05 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!