Privacy On The BlackBerry Pearl - Hide SMS Text Messages

Privacy On The BlackBerry Pearl - Hide SMS Text Messages
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Hide SMS Text Messages on the BlackBerry Pearl

There is currently not a significant buzz regarding features or applications that will hide SMS text messages from prying eyes on your BlackBerry Pearl. With some out of the box thinking though, it is possible to hide SMS text messages on a Pearl without deleting them entirely. The following options provide work around methods for hiding SMS text messages on the BlackBerry Pearl.

Hide Messages from the Main Messages Application

You can hide messages from specified email accounts and keep them from appearing in the main messages application. A separate icon can also be set to appear on the home screen for SMS and MMS messages. Some themes already have these icons by default.

Here are the steps to complete for setting this up.

  1. From the home screen, click on the “messages” icon.
  2. Press the menu key and click options.
  3. Click inbox settings.
    • To hide messages from specified email accounts, go to the email accounts section and remove the check from the box beside one or more email accounts.
    • To hide SMS and MMS messages, go to the other message types section and clear the “SMS/MMS” check box.
  4. Press the menu key and click “save”.

Here are a few more ways to hide SMS text messages on the BlackBerry Pearl. You can pick and choose the method that works best for you.

Hide Sent Messages

It may also be necessary to hide sent messages on your BlackBerry Pearl. One can either delete these, move them into a hidden folder or follow the instructions below.

  1. On the home screen, click the “messages” icon.
  2. Press the menu key and click “options”.
  3. Click General Options and change the “hide sent messages field” to yes.
  4. Press the menu key and click “save”.

Hiding Specific Messages in a Separate Folder.

Another method of hiding SMS text messages is to save them into a folder and hide that folder.

  1. While in your message inbox, save the texts you want to keep and/or hide.
  2. Hide the folder where the messages are saved in and delete the original from your inbox. The saved texts or emails will remain in the hidden Saved Folder.

To date there is not a known third party application that will provide a simple and easy method for hiding SMS text messages. While some other phone makers have them, the BlackBerry Pearl does not have this as of yet. There is an application called “BlackBook” that will hide SMS text from unknown contacts and a few other features. This program can filter many message formats including SMS and you may be able to direct messages to a hidden folder. As you can see however, with a little out of the box thinking it is possible to hide SMS text messages, even select messages, on the BlackBerry Pearl without purchasing special software or deleting the message. You may even be able to create your own methods for this.