BlackBerry App World works in much the same way as the iPhone App Store. I have a BlackBerry Pearl 8120, so I thought I’d check out App World and install it myself.
How To Install BlackBerry App World On A Pearl
You can either; download it straight to your phone or; download it to your computer and connect your smartphone via the USB and install it that way.
To do it via your phone, go to this address in your devices browser: www.blackberry.com/appworld/download. Scroll to the bottom and click the big download link (see image right).
To do it via your computer, go to this page on the BB website. Also connect your phone to your computer via the USB cable. Scroll down the page and click the Download button. A new page will then load, it will constantly refresh telling you what is happening. Then just install the software as you normally would. To be honest it is a lot more effort to do it this way. You are better off just doing it directly on your phone.
Problems I Experienced When Installing
For some reason when I first tried to download App World it kept telling me my phone didn’t meet the system requirements. I checked them and it did, perfectly. But no luck after trying it a few times. So I upgraded the OS to the latest one (V4.5) to see if that sorted it, and it installed fine after that! I’ve had the phone since June 2008 so maybe there was some kind of old setting which meant I couldn’t download App World. I don’t really know the reason. Anyways, the upgrade sorted it. So if you are having problems check your OS version, and uprade it if you need to.
Using App World On Your Pearl
Once installation has completed you will have a new icon on your menu, it is a black circle featuring the Blackberry logo. Click that and you enter the App World home page (image right).
You will arrive at the home page, from which you can view; featured apps, categories, top downloads, search & my world (shows installed apps).
Locating Apps
To find apps I prefer to use the ‘Categories’ and ‘Top Downloads’ features rather then search. The categories are nicely laid out and you just scroll down thru the different apps. When you want to read more about one you click on it. This brings up more details and buttons to read reviews and download.
Out of the hundreds of apps available, at the moment I only want 1! The Bloomberg app which is very good if you keep up with the markets and individual stocks. Most of the apps are games, but I don’t want to play games on my Pearl. So how many of the apps you like will depend on how you use your mobile phone.
Conclusion
Despite my initial problems, App World was really easy to install. And it is very easy to use and looks quite slick. It isn’t particularly quick, so I’ve found it is best to browse thru the apps maybe when watching TV in the evening or whenever you have a spare half an hour. No doubt lots of new apps will be appearing in the near future so now is a good time to install App World so you can download ones as soon as you hear about them!
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About Author: I have been a full-time blogger in the industry since September 2008. Connect with me via social media (sidebar).
Hey I have a question regarding the Blackberry OS you are running. Now I have a Pearl 8120 from T-Mobile and it says that I am running v4.5.0.124 but I does it still looks like the same old OS version it had when I got it. I would really like to update it to the pretty blue one that you seem to have but when I run that application loader it says that I have the latest version of the device software. I even went to T-Mobile’s website to download the update file and it gave me the same thing I already had. How exactly did you go about updating your phone and how can I do it? Thank you.
@Chris Maynard My phone also said I was running the updated OS, but when I tried to install App World it said it needed to be updated! I did it by downloading the upgrade to my laptop and then connecting my BB to my laptop. If that doesn’t work I don’t know how else you can do it. To be honest the upgraded version is incredibly similar. Only App World has the pretty blue menus, the main phone functions look almost identical. If it wasn’t for App World I wouldn’t have upgraded my OS. You could always contact T-Mobile who will hopefully pass your situation on to Blackberry staff who will then give you a call (thats what I did a while back) and they phoned me up and sorted the problem.
I was taking a closer look at the photos you submitted shortly after I posted to this page and I realized that you were right. I guess I was hoping for the OS to look something like the new ones on the Curve and the Storm. I don’t have a data plan for my Blackberry (they don’t make you have one if you already have unlimited texting) so I am not sure if I can even get App World. Every attempt I have made to download it has resulted in an error. I will probably just call Blackberry and see if there is a way I can get it without an expensive data plan. Thank you very much for your response!
I just upgraded my BB to v4.5 but it still says App World isn’t compatible! And I have the exact same model as you! When I upgraded something came up on my BB & I just said remind me later but it hasn’t come back. And I’ve switched it off & on. Helpp!
Katie: I’ve found this page: http://www.blackberrycool.com/2009/08/04/download-free-apps-from-blackberry-app-world-from-any-country/
Do exactly what he did.
What is the OS your talking about? is that on my phone or something? i dont know what that is! and did it cost anything to upgrade?
OS means ‘operating system’, IE the software on your phone. Blackberry update it so you may need to upgrade yours. It is totally free to do and can be done online via the BB website (http://uk.blackberry.com/support/downloads/#tab_tab_desktop)
i just downloaded blackberry desktop manager and then i updated my phone, but the app world still wont download! and i tried it on my computer but the internet keeps shutting down, i checked the internet access and it was fine so im a bit confused? can you help me? thankyou.
i have a blackberry 8120 os 4.5 but it keep saying unsupport os to install app world and also i have only hot spot wifi browser i can’t us my gprs connection
i used opera mini and i browse the internet but i cant download anything help pls.
as I can do to download app world issues. I already have an account of world app but when I download it says error
No se como instalarle el bb meseger cuando voy a instalarlo me duce que el telefono no acepta esta aplucacion
How you upgrade v4.5 on a 8120
@rachika it has instructions on how to get the latest software version on the Blackberry website. Here is the link to learn about it http://us.blackberry.com/update/ Hope that helps.
how do i upgrade my bb to v4.5
hey there, i was just wondering if you can help me out my blackberry app world isnt anywhere i cannot find it anywhere on my blackberry even after it had installed the application ? please help thanks…