How to install Google Apps for your BlackBerry®

So you have decided to make the move over to a BlackBerry® or maybe you have just learned that you can do more with it then read emails. Now you can respond to emails with several misspelled words. Of course you realize this after you have sent that important response to your CEO.

Now is the time to learn that you can do so much more with your BlackBerry®. The best thing about it is, it’s free!

Google offers several applications for the BlackBerry® to help make your life a little easier. Let’s talk about the applications themselves first and then we will go into how to install them from your BlackBerry® device.

Available Google Applications

• Google mail (Gmail) - Send/receive your Gmail from your Blackberry®. Google takes it one step further and allows you to view HTML formatted emails as well.
• Google Maps - Styled after the Google Maps app online, the BlackBerry® version takes it one step further from GPS enabled devices and will locate you (similar to the publicized iPhone process) and show traffic on major highways. Google Maps also provides step by step directions as well.
• Picasa - View the pictures you had uploaded to your Picasa photo album online on your BlackBerry® easily. No need to buy micro memory cards. All you need is a signal.
• Google Docs - Google Docs allows you to compose, edit, store and share documents online with others. There are some size limitations but you can access the documents you have posted to your Google Docs repository and view at the click of a button. Currently PowerPoint documents are not viewable on the BlackBerry®, but Rim has mentioned this would be added natively in a future release. Excel and Word docs work great.
• Google Reader - Delivers your favorite news and blogs to your device with ease. You can even set up rodcohen.com to receive the latest posts!
• Google News - Provides you up to date news information from various sources that you can configure and access easily.
• Google Sync - Allows you to sync your BlackBerry® calendar to an online Google calendar. Then you can share your calendar with others. You also have the ability to have public and private calendars. This options is useful if you want to allow your family to see your schedule should you company use Exchange.
• Google Search - One click, OK, one push of a button and you are taken to one the best search engines out there.
• Google Mobile Updater - This tool helps to keep your Google applications updated. Although I have found that you must go to this updater and run it every so often to check for newer versions. It will not automatically go out on it own and check.
• Google Talk (Gtalk) - IM chat client, very useful for keeping in touch with business associates, friends and family. This is downloaded separately from the other applications. Explained later in this tutorial.

Wow, did not think I was going to get through that list. Now we should turn our attention towards installing these applications. In some ways, Google made this simple and in others ways…not so simple. The first challenge is finding out where to go to download the applications. Usually you can simply Google BlackBerry® Google apps, or Google apps for BlackBerrys, but these do not always provide the correct links. This is why I have written this tutorial to help you locate and install these great apps.

Step 1: The first thing you should do is apply for a Gmail account. It is easier to do this online at mail.google.com or you can use the same link for your Blackberry®. Once you have your Gmail account set up you can now move to step 2.

Step 2: Navigate to m.google.com/a or google.com/mobile from the browser on your BlackBerry® to download the free application. I have found that some Blackberry® devices can get to the first link and some can’t. Let me know if you can’t access either. The application is free from Google, but carrier charges may apply.

Step 3: The application should begin installing all apps except Gtalk. We will need to download that from another web page. Once completed you should have the apps on your Blackberry®.

Step 4: Install the Gtalk app from talk.google.com.

Step 5: Log into any one of your Google apps with your user name and password and take them out for a test drive.

To set up your convenience key to access any one of the Google apps. For the BlackBerry® 8800, Go to Options->Screen/Keyboard->Convenience Key-> select the Google app you want to access.