[pgb205]

have BB version 3.6

Have a question on how to disable the phone on the device. I don't use it and it bothers me when i get some useless sales call or a fax machine.

Or do i need to cancel voice part of my plan.

[gdpmumin]

I don't think there's any way to disable it. It is, afterall, a phone. Some carriers will let you drop the voice plan (e.g., Nextel--at least they used to). Others will not (e.g., Verizon).

[justin.culp]

You could go into your desktop manager and delete the application....

[NJBlackBerry]

Download the appropriate operating system for your handheld
Execute the downloaded program
Delete "Vendor.XML" from the C: drive of your PC
Start Desktop Manager with the device connected

It should start to load the applications. Remove the check box next to "Phone".

Poof - no more phone.

But you will still pay for it..

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by gdpmumin

I don't think there's any way to disable it. It is, afterall, a phone. Some carriers will let you drop the voice plan (e.g., Nextel--at least they used to). Others will not (e.g., Verizon).

Hmm. We have several Verizon BlackBerrys with "data-only" service (which oddly enough costs an extra $5.00/month when you don't have a voice plan with them). Maybe it's a Verizon regional thing. We're in the Mid-Atlantic.

To the OP: on our BBs without a voice plan, we used the Desktop Manager to delete the Phone application to prevent the folks from making calls.

[gdpmumin]

Could be regional. Or they could have changed their requirements. When I was moving from Nextel to Verizon, the Verizon rep and I had a discussion about the difference between the two. Nextel would sell you a BlackBerry with a data only plan; no voice plan required. Verizon was exactly the opposite; voice plan required, data plan not required. But that migth have changed. Others have reported that Verizon actually does require a data plan, so who knows . . .

Originally Posted by aristobrat

Hmm. We have several Verizon BlackBerrys with "data-only" service (which oddly enough costs an extra $5.00/month when you don't have a voice plan with them). Maybe it's a Verizon regional thing. We're in the Mid-Atlantic.

To the OP: on our BBs without a voice plan, we used the Desktop Manager to delete the Phone application to prevent the folks from making calls.

[misquote]

I'm in the Northeast and our Verizon BB's come with a data only plan, phone contract not required. I lock the phone option with an IT policy from BES. You can still make emergency calls with the phone disabled through an IT policy, but I'm not sure you can if you remove the phone as NJBlackBerry described.

[Nashkat]

Misquote is correct with disableing it in the IT Policy.

Here is the IT policy:
Allow Phone

"Specify whether the phone functionality on the BlackBerry device is available to the user.

Set this rule to False to hide the phone icon on the BlackBerry device and prevent the user from making any calls other than emergency calls from the BlackBerry device.

Warning: If you set or modify this rule, or add the user to a custom IT policy that does not include this rule, the BlackBerry device resets when it receives the IT policy update.

If you do not set this rule, a default value of True will be used.

This rule applies only to Java-based BlackBerry devices version 3.6.0 and higher."

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by Nashkat

Set this rule to False to hide the phone icon on the BlackBerry device and prevent the user from making any calls other than emergency calls from the BlackBerry device.

So I'm guessing that it doesn't prevent incoming calls?

[Nashkat]

Originally Posted by aristobrat

So I'm guessing that it doesn't prevent incoming calls?

No it does not.

Your origional post had the better solution for completly removing the phone all together:

"To the OP: on our BBs without a voice plan, we used the Desktop Manager to delete the Phone application to prevent the folks from making calls."

Sorry I missed that the first read thru....was still on the first cup of java.

[BrianM]

With our devices that don't have a voice plan (Verizon 7250), they are disabled via IT Policy from the BES. Was told that use of the phone without a plan would cost 45 cents/min.
We did not remove the phone app using the Application Loader because incoming calls go straight to voicemail, Blackberry never rings. But if someone leaves a voicemail, you get stuck with the icon on the handheld. Haven't found out yet how to access the voicemail to clear it out.

[misquote]

You can access the voicemail by calling the cell phone and pressing the "#" key when the recording starts. You will then be prompted for the voicemail password. This doesn't use minutes, as opposed to checking from the cell.

I prefer this option to the desktop manager strip-out because you can always re-enable the phone without having to touch the BB. You also allow the end user to make emergency calls, which are toll/minute free.