How To Tether Your BlackBerry to Your Mac via Bluetooth

For years, BlackBerry users who preferred to use a Mac as their desktop OS rather than Windows have had a difficult time completing certain tasks that should otherwise be relatively simple. Luckily, things are becoming easier for those of us who have Macs, and this guide will get any user – experienced or not – connected to the internet using their BlackBerry’s internet service. Before tethering your BlackBerry to any computer, make sure your data usage is covered under your carrier’s data plan, and remember that desktop usage will eat up significantly more data from your monthly allowance.
What You Will Need

• A BlackBerry handset that supports bluetooth

• A data package from your carrier that allows tethering

• Mac OS 10.4+ with bluetooth and BlackBerry Desktop Manager installed

Enable Bluetooth On-Device and Set to Discoverable

On your BlackBerry, go to Options and select Bluetooth



Press the Menu key and select Enable Bluetooth



Press the Menu key again, this time selecting Options



Set Discoverable to Yes. Press the Menu key and select Save



Pair Your Device to Your Computer

On your Mac, go to System Preferences and select Bluetooth



Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your computer – make sure On is checked. Click the + symbol to open the Bluetooth Setup Assistant



Select Mobile Phone and allow it to search for and find your BlackBerry device



Highlight your BlackBerry in the list and select Continue. Even if your BlackBerry gives a message stating that connecting to your computer has failed, you can still continue



Enter the code that your computer displays on your BlackBerry device when prompted, choosing Yes when prompted to confirm that you want to allow data to be transferred between computer and handset



Check off Access the Internet with your phone’s data connection, and press Continue



Under Phone Vendor, select Research In Motion. Next, choose the type of device you’re using (CDMA or GSM), and enter your carrier’s APN settings. If you’re unsure of your APN settings, you can find them by quickly searching the internet or by contacting your carrier directly. Click Continue



If the process was successful up to this point, you should receive a Congratulations! message in the Bluetooth Setup Assistant on your Mac. Click Quit



Configure Your BlackBerry Security Settings to Trust the Connection

On your handset, go back into Options and select Bluetooth



Highlight your computer in the list of Paired Devices and press the menu key, selecting Device Properties



Set Trusted to Yes. Press the Menu key and select Save



Connecting to the Internet

On your Mac, go to System Preferences and select Network



On the left-hand side, select Bluetooth from the list of connection types and click Advanced near the bottom-right corner



Verify your settings are correct – Vendor should be set to Research In Motion, Model should reflect the type of device you have (GSM or CDMA), and APN should be what you entered earlier. If these settings are correct, click OK



Finally, click Connect!



If you’ve successfully tethered, the Status will change to Connected and you should see the icons below in your status bar on your Mac

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