The blog & portfolio of Matthew J. Rogers

FAQ & Help

Need help or have questions about the design, installation, use, or features of the bPhone for BlackBerry theme? You’ve come to the right place. Please read through everything carefully, and if you still don’t see what you’re looking for then feel free to post a comment down at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bPhone compatible with my BlackBerry?
Take a look at the compatibility list on the download page. All 8100 series (Pearls), 8300 series (Curves), and 8800 series are supported. By “series” I mean any BlackBerry that starts with the first two digits, so yes, the 8130 is part of the 8100 series. The older 8700 series will work if you have the most up-to-date operating system — if you don’t, there’s a bug in the OS that allows the theme to be loaded even though it’s not compatible and it completely corrupts your 8700.

I didn’t see your warning about the old OS on the 8700 series, and now my BlackBerry is endlessly rebooting. What do I do?
Don’t worry, it’s fixable. One possible solution is detailed here.

When will bPhone be available for the Storm or Bold?
I’m currently working on bPhone for Bold and hope to have it out as soon as possible. At some point I will also investigate producing a version for the Storm.

Why aren’t my fonts reflecting my own settings?
This is a limitation (or bug) in the way RIM implements third-party themes. Certain aspects of the theme get locked to the original theme font and cannot be changed by you, the user.

What’s the difference between the three versions (Zen, Icon, and Today)?
These are three variations in how the icons lay out. I don’t have any screenshots (yet), but most BlackBerries come preloaded with the same variants for one of their default themes, so you can see the different behaviors on those.

Some icons don’t match. Can you make bPhone-style icons for [insert application here]?
No. I have customized just about every single thing that the theme software will allow me to change. I can’t apply any more icons.

Can you make a version with a black background, instead of the fish?
You can change your own background anytime you want. An easy way to get an all-black background is to take a picture with your BlackBerry’s camera while holding your finger over the lens. Save that image and set it as your wallpaper.


Can you make the L-style theme, or the Zen style with the icons at the bottom instead of on the side?
No. The theme software only allows for Icon, Today, and left-side Zen templates.

When’s the next version coming out? Can you make a version for the new BlackBerry model?
I’ll only be able to make significant changes to the theme once an overhauled version of the theme creation software comes out. That tends to lag a bit behind new hardware releases, but I’ll do my best to stay current.

If you have any other questions, feel free to comment here or contact me.

Updated on January 4, 2012

1,320 comments

  • Luca September 12th, 2007 at 8:14 am

    Hi, there’s a today version?
    Thank’s

  • Matthew September 12th, 2007 at 8:22 am

    There will be…I’m doing a Zen version next, as that has had the most requests. Then I’ll try a Today version.

  • mike September 12th, 2007 at 4:54 pm

    looking forward for the curve edition

  • Spike41615 September 12th, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    Definitely looking forward to curve version. Have the pearl one now. Some changes I think that would be cool is make the time bigger like the iPhone and put the fate centered underneath. Other than that its perfect

  • Joel September 12th, 2007 at 10:03 pm

    Trying to reload the theme OTA to see if that makes a difference with the Google Maps menu bug. Other than that…this is the perfect theme. Thanks for your work.

  • Matthew September 12th, 2007 at 10:35 pm

    @Joel:
    I just noticed that too, it’s a damned odd bug. I’m not sure what’s causing it. I need to do some experimentation I guess.

    Also, I want to post here some of the things I keep getting messages about:

    - There have been a lot of requests for a bigger top banner with bigger time display and the date underneath it, like the iPhone. I initially didn’t do this because it is impossible to actually set the date and time text to center (they are left-aligned in their respective boxes), but for the next version I have arranged them like that and eyeballed it, hopefully making it look centered most of the time.
    - No, I will not hide the carrier name. I don’t even think I can; as far as I know, items cannot be added or removed from the banner area, only moved around.
    - Buttons: although more glass-like buttons would be cool, the way the theme editor works with repeating backgrounds for dynamically sizing the buttons leaves you extremely limited. I will try to dress up the buttons a little bit more, but not a lot can be done.

    Look for a new version soon, along with a Zen release. If you’re having trouble downloading it from my site, please describe exactly what the problem is, what browser you’re using, and if you have a popup blocker enabled. Thank you.

  • Tato September 13th, 2007 at 11:22 am

    Great job!! This theme will be on my 8800.

    Byeee

  • Van Gogh September 13th, 2007 at 11:28 am

    Is there something wrong with the download links (both Desktop and OTA) on this page? Both of them point to the same target (http://rogersmj.com/tech/blackberry/bphone#), which just reloads the same page (this page). Am I missing something? I see comments from others that are downloading it successfully.

    The theme looks great and I’s like to try it out!

  • bejoxx September 13th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

    NOT DOWNLOADING!!!!!!!!!!! WHY?????

  • gamesflash September 13th, 2007 at 9:25 pm

    the download link doesn’t work

  • Matthew September 13th, 2007 at 9:30 pm

    OK EVERYONE WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE DOWNLOADING:

    The download system has been changed to longer use a popup window, which I think is what was giving some of you problems. Please try it now.

    @Van Gogh:
    Yes, those links (that end in the # symbol) were valid, they reference the appropriate javascript functions to open the file chooser popup via the onClick handler for the a tag. This is a standard way of doing javascript. I have reverted it to a different method though in the hope that it will work better for everyone.

  • Luca September 16th, 2007 at 10:43 am

    Hi, good work , for the zen version, but i think that the icons it’s too small. Too much space from one to another.
    Ciau

  • martha September 16th, 2007 at 10:18 pm

    after i download it from my phone where do i find it?

  • Seb Payne September 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am

    Very much looking forward to the 8300 version. Any idea when this is going to be ready?

  • Paolo September 18th, 2007 at 9:54 am

    Great Job!!! My 8100 now have your theme!
    Is it possible that you will modify also the ring profiles and the bluetooth icons in your next release?
    I know that could be an hard work!! just asking :-)

  • Matthew September 18th, 2007 at 9:58 am

    @Paolo:

    I actually do have some custom ringtone profile icons. The problem is, at least in the Icon theme, the system scales down the icon to put it up in the banner area. This distorts the icon and makes it look bad, and there’s no place in the theme editor to be able to define ringer profile icons that show up in the banner as different from the ones that show up on the Applications screen. For right now, I’m afraid there’s not much I can do about it.

    As for the bluetooth icon…I assume you mean the Bluetooth configuration icon? Because I already have a custom Bluetooth on/off icon in there.

  • Matthew September 18th, 2007 at 10:00 am

    @Luca:

    I know, I don’t like the small icons either. But I can’t make them much bigger because of the way the side menu works on the home screen…if the icons are any larger, they’ll overlap. People who want the Zen theme I think are just going to have to deal with small icons. I think I can bump them up maybe 1 pixel, but no more than that.

  • Paolo September 18th, 2007 at 12:08 pm

    Yes I was talking about the bluetooth configuration.
    Thank you for your reply!

  • Ronen September 18th, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    Great theme I love the design and attention to detail. Let me know when the 8800 version comes out!

  • Free iPhone Theme For Your BlackBerry 8100 Pearl - bPhone By RogersMJ | BerryReview September 18th, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    [...] Rogers of RogersMJ.com has released an update to his free iPhone theme for the BlackBerry Pearl appropriately called the bPhone. The theme now comes in both Zen and the basic Icon version. I know that there are many iPhone [...]

  • mrblair September 18th, 2007 at 8:38 pm

    how do i use the theme? i downloaded it but i cant seem to fine it on my phone

  • mrblair September 18th, 2007 at 8:43 pm

    i have the answer, pull your battery ot of your phone for 3 seconds, then replace it…after your phone starts back up go to settings, then themes, and Bphone will be there just click it! :-)

  • Larry September 18th, 2007 at 11:12 pm

    Matthew,
    Great Theme, since empower came out with the BES Mailbox software I was wondering if you can setup on your next release the BES mailbox to showup on the main window on the Bphone Icon theme. I would like to keep my work icon on the main screen and move the personel email icon to the application screen. Or if you have a quick fix let me know.

    Thanks

  • Matthew September 18th, 2007 at 11:35 pm

    Larry:

    I’m not sure what would cause that, except to note that all third-party apps I install on mine show up on the secondary screen as well. In the theme, I can place specific icons (Brick Breaker, Password, Activation, etc) in the secondary folder, but I can’t specify locations for additional programs, at least not that I’m aware of. I’ll look into it though.

  • Want To Make Your BlackBerry Pearl Look Like An iPhone? | RIMarkable | The official, unofficial BlackBerry Weblog September 18th, 2007 at 11:52 pm

    [...] iPhone? Well, your’re in luck… RogersMJ.com has released a free BlackBerry theme named bPhone that should do the trick. Inspired by the iPhone, bPhone for BlackBerry features icons straight [...]

  • Rich September 19th, 2007 at 12:33 am

    A today version for the Pearl would be awesome.

  • Cowboy Caleb September 19th, 2007 at 4:55 am

    This is totally awesome. I installed it w/o the plazmik software but it appears fine without it. Do I still need to install plazmik???

  • Cowboy Caleb – I've Turned My BlackBerry Into An iPhone!!! September 19th, 2007 at 4:57 am

    [...] is so awesome. I just turned my Blackberry Curve into an iPhone. [...]

  • Matthew September 19th, 2007 at 6:46 am

    Cowboy Caleb —

    No, as of OS 4.2 you don’t need the Plazmic software to use third-party themes.

  • Dave September 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am

    Matthew,

    Great work, really, you did a fantastic job on this. I loaded the 8300 version on my 8830 and it works without issue (other than a few icons don’t have a new look – not necessarily your fault).

    I saw in the comments that you can’t specify the placement of 3rd party apps, can you specify the icon for them? I am asking, in particular, because of the google apps – mail, maps, talk… it would be great if there was a “new” icon for these… again, doubt it can be done for 3rd party apps, but I thought I would throw it out there.

    Thanks again!

  • Matthew September 19th, 2007 at 9:52 am

    Dave,

    I’m glad you like the theme, and it’s good to know it works on the 8830. I’m not familiar enough with the 8800 series yet, so I didn’t know if it was the same or not.

    As for the icons…sadly, no, there is no way to specify icons for third-party apps. I did as many as I could for the built-in BlackBerry stuff. I had to make a lot of icons, and it’s very time-consuming. If there are more icons (for standard BB apps) that people would like to see, I’m open to requests. I’ll probably make one for the voice-dial icon, as that has been mentioned by a few people.

    While we’re on the subject of icons, let me say something about the ring profile icons. I made some really nice looking iPhone-style profile icons, but I can’t use them because the themes automatically resize them and stick them up in the banner, and it looks awful. Until they have a way to specify a separate banner profile icon set, I’m going to have to leave the ringer icons the way they are.

  • Johny Vegas September 19th, 2007 at 11:07 am

    when you create folders, you can no longer view the items you put in the folder. any thoughts or am i the only one with this problem? please provide some help or feedback. thanks

  • Free iPhone Theme (bPhone) Now Available For BlackBerry 8300 Curve | BerryReview September 19th, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    [...] Matthew Rogers, the developer of bPhone, has released a new version of his iPhone theme for the BlackBerry 8300 Curve. This is the same [...]

  • Cowboy Caleb September 19th, 2007 at 12:44 pm

    Matthew,

    I hope you come up with the “Today” version for the Curve soon. I’ll be back frequently to check!

    - C. Caleb

  • gigioleon September 19th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    i install the bphone in my bb pearl but i cant see in my options i just see the originals options of the bb pearl help please

    gigio

  • HeadOffice September 19th, 2007 at 4:48 pm

    Would love something for my 8700…

  • p September 19th, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    what about the 8703e?

  • bPhone:黑莓上的iPhone at E-space September 19th, 2007 at 9:42 pm

    [...] 如今黑莓家族也有了模拟iPhone的应用bPhone。其目前可以搭配Curve Icon，Pearl Icont和Zen及8800系列的黑莓机上进行使用。 [...]

  • George September 20th, 2007 at 2:26 am

    Wow this is the best iphone theme yet. It looks great on my 8300. Good work!

  • Peter September 20th, 2007 at 5:32 am

    WOW,
    you’ll get your donation as soon as you’ll get a today theme for the curve! I Love it”

  • dmatrix7 September 20th, 2007 at 9:19 am

    Zen version rocks, too bad the 3rd party icons like google maps and bbweather cannot be themed too. Icon version OTA install did not work for me and I am awaiting the arrival of the Today version. Keep up the good work.

  • Matthew September 20th, 2007 at 9:48 am

    dmatrix7: The OTA install for Icon didn’t work for you? This is the first I’ve heard of any problems. It appears to be working for others. What happened, exactly?

  • Tom Sam September 20th, 2007 at 10:55 am

    Hi,

    Needless to say a fantastic job. Can you make one for 8700 eries too and I am sure evrybody will love it.

    Thanks again

  • Eightyolk September 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am

    This is great ! Displaced my previous Leopard theme.

    The 8300 Icon version seems to work fine on my 8830, but am really looking forward to the 8800 Today version. Thanks very much.

  • happy happy joy joy September 20th, 2007 at 11:58 am

    fabulous. worked great on my pearl, startlingly real! i feel i am using an iphone lol. (did desktop install for both as i was paranoid and wanted to backup phone first)

    question – with the icon theme, i have 2 pages of apps but can’t seem to move them from one page to the other so they are stranded? i am using the zen theme for now unless you can advise?

  • Matt September 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pm

    What are the differences between the Zen and Icon versions?

    Thanks!