5 Ways to get the Most Out of BlackBerry App World

If you’re a BlackBerry user, you are probably familiar with App World – RIM’s repository of both free and paid apps, games, and themes. With App World recently surpassing 15 000 items available, it’s clear that both developers and consumers are starting to take more of an interest in BlackBerry apps. In an effort to help out fellow BlackBerry addicts everywhere, we’ve assembled a quick list of App World tips and tricks. That being said, here are 5 ways to get the most out of BlackBerry App World:

Sort apps when browsing by category

When you’re browsing by category, you can sort apps 6 different ways: By Popular, Newest, Rating, Price, Vendor, or App Name. The ability to sort by price is particularly helpful if you don’t want to spend money on an app at the time, or if you’d like to keep spending to a minimum. To sort apps, you can either click the small button to the right of the search.find field, or by pressing the menu key and selecting Sort By.

Reset App World to get the most updated lists

If once in a while available updates are showing up late, or you want to make sure you have the most updated Featured list, this tip is for you. You can reset BlackBerry App World, clearing the cache and updating all lists/information. To reset App World, hold the ALT key, and type RST. For Storm devices, you can do so by turning the handset to landscape, and pressing and holding the !?123 button until it locks, followed by typing in 34( . Your BlackBerry device may become unresponsive for a few moments while the app clears information and closes. When you relaunch it, you’ll have to sign back in using your BlackBerry ID.

Show Application Storage as a bar

This tip is nothing more than a setting in App World, but many people overlook it when using the app. From the My World screen, press the menu key, and select Show Application Storage. This will place a memory bar at the top of the screen, making it easy to visualize how much memory you have left, and a good reminder in case you’re getting low.

Create recommendation relationships with BBM contacts

One of the best ways to discover new apps is by word of mouth, and who better to help you do so than people you already talk to via BBM? App World has a Recommend feature built-in, which allows you to send your friends, family, and other contacts app, game, and theme recommendations. If others are into sharing info the same way, they can do the same for you. Just make sure that the contacts you’re sending recommendations to are interested in getting your suggestions before you send them 20 app ideas.

Use the App World web-based storefront or scan QR codes

If you’re close to a computer, there are 2 very simple ways to download items while browsing from the full App World website. First is the option to download through the web browser, by signing in with your BlackBerry ID and connecting your device via USB. The second option is to scan QR codes using App World on your BlackBerry device, which is a great alternative for those using unsupported systems, or if you have an adequate data plan and don’t mind downloading OTA. Both of these methods of downloading apps are very convenient, and make browsing through apps simple and fast. Head to appworld.blackberry.com/webstore to use these features, and to scan a barcode using App World, simply press the menu button while in Featured view, and select Scan a Barcode.

To check out RIM’s official help information for BlackBerry App World, head to docs.blackberry.com

Do you have an App World tip, trick, or advice to fellow BlackBerry users, let us know and we’ll add it to this list!