From tips to recommendations, the HelpBlog is at it once again providing users with PlayBook knowledge. If you own a PlayBook and want to learn its battery, read more for RIM’s breakdown on “The Power Button and Charging your BlackBerry PlayBook.”
Today, I wanted to share with you some information on how the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet charges and how the power button works. Let’s start by talking about how the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charges:
When you plug in your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, if it is off and the battery is fully charged, it will turn on automatically. In the event the battery isn’t at 100%, it will not automatically turn on, and you’ll notice that BlackBerry PlayBook tablet displays a flashing yellow LED, which means is currently charging. In case you want to use it while it’s charging, all you need to do is tap the power button once and it will start up. When you are finished, you can leave the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on or turn it off, and either way, it will continue to charge as long as it’s plugged in.
You should always keep your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charged as well – in the event the battery has been drained, you might need to let it charge a bit before you’ll be able to use it.
You will also need to ensure you are using a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet-compatible charger, such as the charger that’s included in the box at purchase. If you own a BlackBerry® smartphone, the charger that you use for it is not compatible with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charger, however, is capable of charging both a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and a BlackBerry smartphone.
One of my favorite accessories is the BlackBerry® Rapid Charger, as it charges my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet up to two times faster than the standard BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charger*, so I am able to charge quickly while I’m on the go.
Moving on to the power button: The first thing you’ll want to know is that if you hold the power button down for less than two seconds, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet screen will turn off and any running applications will be paused. This mode is called “Standby”, and it’s good to use if you need to put down your tablet for a bit but will be using it again shortly. To wake up the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet when it is in standby mode, all you need to do is swipe from bezel to bezel. This means you can swipe from left to right, right to left, top to bottom or bottom to top – whatever you prefer!
While in Standby mode, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet Wi-Fi ® and Bluetooth® radio are still turned on, which means if you are using Wi-Fi File Sharing, you can still connect to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet from your personal computer, allowing to you copy files to and from it – very convenient!
Tip: To learn more about what Wi-Fi File Sharing is, check out KB26068 – How to transfer files to and from the BlackBerry PlayBook.
To turn off or restart the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, all you need to do is hold down the power button for longer than two seconds, which causes the above menu to appear. I recommend turning off your tablet instead of using standby if you don’t plan on using it for a while. You can also tap the battery icon that appears in the top right corner to display the following menu with options to Shut Down, Stand By or Restart. Additionally, you can adjust your screen brightness from this menu as well, which is convenient!
The thing I’d like to share next is really important, as this is the recommended way to reset your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in case you need to. When you reset the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, it will immediately restart the BlackBerry tablet operating system, in case you encounter an issue while using the tablet.
With the above being said, to reset your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, all you need to do is hold down the power button for ten seconds and you’ll notice the screen shut off. Once it has shut off, press the power button to start your tablet up again.
The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support. Click one of the following links (depending on your location) to find out how to contact BlackBerry® Technical Support:
- Getting Support for the BlackBerry PlayBook – Canada
- Getting Support for the BlackBerry PlayBook – US