Can’t Send or Receive Email Messages

Try the following actions to resolve the issue. If the issue persists, proceed to the next troubleshooting step. 

Try to Duplicate the Customer’s Issue

Validate that you understand the symptoms the customer is experiencing. For example, send a test email message from an area with optimal wireless coverage. 

Check for Customer Error or Insufficient Customer Knowledge

If the customer does not fully understand how their BlackBerry® smartphone works, you can provide customer education and help the customer understand best usage practices. In this case, no further troubleshooting may be required. For example, has the customer configured their email address with the BlackBerry smartphone? 

BlackBerry Device Software 5.0

1. On the Home screen, click the Setup folder.
2. Click Email Settings.
3. Make sure an email account is setup. If yes, select the email account, and then click Validate. If not, see Setting up email.

BlackBerry Device Software 6.0 to 7.0

1. On the Home screen, click Setup.
2. Click Email Accounts.
3. Make sure an email account is setup.

Visually Inspect the BlackBerry Smartphone for Indications of Customer Misuse or Physical Damage

If you uncover physical damage, follow your wireless service provider’s policies to service or return the BlackBerry smartphone.

Here are some common examples of physical damage:

• Cracked  or scratched screen
• Signs of potential liquid damage, such as the following:
  • An active liquid damage indicator in the battery compartment or near the trackball
  • Sticky residue around the battery
  • Green or white corrosion around the battery
  • A foggy screen
• Missing keys
• Missing trackball or trackpad
• Cracked housing
• Missing SIM card door or bent pins in the SIM card tray
• Cracked camera lens
• Bent pins or debris on the USB port
• Loose USB port (USB cannot connect tightly)

Verify that the BlackBerry Smartphone is Correctly Provisioned for a Data Plan

The BlackBerry smartphone user must have a data plan to send and receive email messages. Contact your carrier to confirm your provisioning.

If the BlackBerry smartphone user has a data plan, complete the following steps:

BlackBerry Device Software 5.0

1. On the Home screen, click Manage Connections.
2. Click Mobile Network Options. 
3. Make sure the following options are set:
   1. Data Services is set to On.
   2. The Mobile Network field displays the correct network.
   3. Network Selection Mode is set to Automatic.
   4. If any of the options are not set as outlined in the preceding, the BlackBerry smartphone user cannot connect to their data plan. Change and save the settings to allow a data plan connection. 
4. If the BlackBerry smartphone user has a data plan, make sure that an email account is integrated with the BlackBerry smartphone:
   1. On the Home screen, click the Setup folder.
   2. Click Email Settings.
   3. If the BlackBerry smartphone user has not created an email account, proceed to create or integrate an existing email account with the BlackBerry smartphone. Depending on the wireless service provider, the available options for adding an email account might vary.

BlackBerry Device Software 6.0 to 7.0

1. On the Home screen, click Manage Connections.
2. Click Networks and Connections.
3. Click Mobile Network. Make sure the following options are set:
   1. Data Services is set to On.
   2. The Mobile Network field displays the correct network.
   3. Network Selection Mode is set to Automatic.
   4. If any of the options are not set as outlined in the preceding, the BlackBerry smartphone user cannot connect to their data plan. Change and save the settings to allow a data plan connection. 
4. If the BlackBerry smartphone user has a data plan, make sure that an email account is integrated with the BlackBerry smartphone:
   1. On the Home screen, click Setup.
   2. Click Email Accounts.
   3. If the BlackBerry smartphone user has not created an email account, proceed to create or integrate an existing email account with the BlackBerry smartphone. Depending on the wireless service provider, the available options for adding an email account might vary.

Turn on the BlackBerry Smartphone Wireless Antenna and Verify the Wireless Signal Strength

Indicator	Description
	Full wireless coverage with faster than 3G data speeds (speed varies between the wireless service provider being used and network conditions)  Send and receive email messages, personal identification number (PIN) messages, and Short Message Service (SMS) text messages  Place and answer calls and transmit data at the same time (depending on wireless service provider limitations)  Browse webpage
	Full wireless coverage with faster than 3G data speeds (speed varies between the wireless service provider being used and network conditions)  Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS text messages  Place and answer calls and transmit data at the same time (depending on wireless service provider limitations)  Browse webpage
	Full wireless coverage with faster than EDGE data speeds Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS text messages Place and answer calls and transmit data at the same time (depending on wireless service provider limitations)Browse webpage
	Full wireless coverage with high-speed data Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS text messages Place and answer calls Browse webpage
	High speed connection over the Evolution Data 3G network Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS messages Place and answer calls Browse webpage
	Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS messages Place and answer calls Browse webpage
	The BlackBerry smartphone user might be roaming into another wireless network, which is not part of the home network, or the BlackBerry smartphone user might be roaming into another network that does not have a data roaming agreement with the wireless service provider. Contact the wireless service provider for more information. Send and receive SMS text messages Place and answer calls Cannot send or receive email messages or PIN messages Cannot browse webpage
	Full wireless coverage Send and receive email messages, PIN messages, and SMS text messages Place and answer calls Browse webpage
	Send and receive SMS text messages Place and answer calls Cannot send or receive email messages or PIN messages Cannot browse webpage For more information on how to improve network connection, visit www.blackberry.com/support to read article KB02623.
	Send and receive SMS text messages  Place and answer calls Cannot send or receive email messages or PIN messages Cannot browse webpage For more information on how to switch from GSM to GPRS/EDGE, see www.blackberry.com/support to read article KB01631
	The BlackBerry smartphone user is currently within a wireless coverage area. This icon indicates the strength of that coverage. The more vetical bars that are visible, the stronger the coverage.
	The BlackBerry smartphone user is currently within a wireless coverage area, but can only place emergency calls. If the BlackBerry smartphone is locked, or if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is removed, emergency calls can still be placed by clicking the Emergency Call option on the Device is locked screen. Cannot send or receive email messages, PIN messages, or SMS text messages Cannot place or answer calls Cannot browse webpage
	The wireless signal is turned off on the BlackBerry smartphone. If the BlackBerry smartphone is locked, emergency calls can still be placed by selecting the Emergency Call option on the Device is locked screen. Cannot send or receive email messages, PIN messages, or SMS text messages Cannot place or answer calls Cannot browse webpages Other applications are available on the BlackBerry smartphone. Any pending messages are sent when the BlackBerry smartphone user returns to a wireless coverage area that is part of the wireless service provider's network.
	Cannot connect to their wireless network Cannot place emergency phone calls (911) if the BlackBerry smartphone user is in a remote location outside their wireless coverage area or if the user is in a concrete and steel structure that inhibits the wireless signal. The BlackBerry smartphone user can only place emergency calls if the BlackBerry smartphone is roaming onto a wireless network that does not have a service agreement with the network. To verify this status, the X indicator switches to signal bars when the user dials 911. Cannot send or receive email, PIN, or SMS messages Cannot place and answer calls Cannot browse web page Other applications are available on the BlackBerry smartphone. Any pending messages are sent when the BlackBerry smartphone user returns to a wireless coverage area that is part of the wireless service provider's network.

Verify that the BlackBerry Smartphone is Communicating with the BlackBerry Infrastructure

If the customer cannot send and receive email messages, the BlackBerry smartphone might not be communicating with the BlackBerry® Infrastructure. You can verify that the BlackBerry smartphone is communicating with the BlackBerry Infrastructure by sending a PIN message and performing a diagnostics report. 

To verify that the BlackBerry smartphone is communicating with the BlackBerry Infrastructure, complete the following steps:

BlackBerry Device Software 5.0

1. To find the PIN for the customer’s BlackBerry smartphone, click Options > Status.
2. To send a PIN message, complete the following steps using the customer’s BlackBerry smartphone:
   1. In the Messages application, press the Menu key.
   2. Click Compose PIN.
   3. In the To field, type the PIN of customer’s own BlackBerry smartphone.
   4. In the Subject field, type test.
   5. Click Send.

If the customer does not receive the test PIN message, then the BlackBerry smartphone cannot communicate with the BlackBerry Infrastructure.

BlackBerry Device Software 6.0 to 7.0

1. To find the PIN for the customer’s BlackBerry smartphone:
   1. Click Options.
   2. Click Device.
   3. Click Device and Status Information.
2. To send a PIN message, complete the following steps using the customer’s BlackBerry smartphone:
   1. In the Messages application, press the Menu key.
   2. Click Compose Other > Compose PIN.
   3. In the To field, type the PIN of customer’s own BlackBerry smartphone.
   4. In the Subject field, type test.
   5. Click Send.

If the customer does not receive the test PIN message, then the BlackBerry smartphone cannot communicate with the BlackBerry Infrastructure.

Send Service Books to a BlackBerry Smartphone

Service books are sets of instructions that provide the BlackBerry smartphone with the information required to interact with the BlackBerry Infrastructure. Service books also turn on specific services on the BlackBerry smartphone. 

Service books are sent automatically to the BlackBerry smartphone when it is provisioned for a data plan. If a customer cannot send or receive email messages, resending service books may restore the messaging capability. To resend service books, complete the following steps:

BlackBerry Device Software 5.0

1. On the Home screen, click the Email Settings icon. If you are running BlackBerry® Device Software 4.5 to 5.0, the Email Settings icon may be located in the Setup folder. 
2. If prompted, type the username and password, and then click Log In. 
3. On the main screen, click Help. 
4. Click Send Service Books. 
5. Click OK in the confirmation window. 

BlackBerry Device Software 6.0 to 7.0

1. On the Home screen, click Setup.
2. Click Email Accounts. 
3. Click Internet Mail Account.
4. If prompted, type the username and password, and then click Continue. 
5. Press the Menu key.
6. Click Service Books.
7. Click Send Service Books. 

Replace the SIM Card

If the customer still cannot send and receive email messages, replace the SIM card in the BlackBerry smartphone with another active SIM card that is provisioned for a data plan and send the email again.