Sprint Instinct FAQ's and Tips

Here is a copy and paste of Sprint Instinct's FAQ's from their baw forum:

How can I improve the battery life on my Instinct?

Change the Dimming option from 15 to 8 and off from 30 to 15.
Make sure email isn't auto checking.
Set your applications such as news reader and weather to not automatically update (only refresh manually)
To do this, go to the Web screen, push the "Tap to Add" button. On the SelectServices screen, push the little "gears" icon. Set the "Auto UpdateData" option to "Off"
Turn off Bluetooth unless you need it.
Turn off sound feedback when touching buttons.
(optional) Turn off Haptic feedback when touching buttons.

Poorcoverage area may also affect your battery life, if your phone isconstantly going in and out of roaming, you may try setting yournetwork options to "Sprint Network Only"

What is the current phone firmware?
BH29 was released with MR-3; BJ20 will be released with MR-4.

When will standard Java apps that need a keyboard be supported (Like Opera, Google Maps, etc)?
Java keyboard and input controls are part of the LCDUI update releasing in MR-4.

Is there a way to lock the screen during a phone call?
No, the phone currently cannot be locked either manually or automatically during a phone call.

Why does my phone sometimes beep 3 times?
The 3 beeps indicate that a text message has been received while thescreen is locked. The only way to prevent the beeping is to set theringer volume to Silence All or Vibrate.

What are the current version numbers for all the software/firmware on the phone?
PRL: 60613
SW:ES.M800 BH29
HW:M800.08
MCL: 5.5.28
OBIGO: Q7.0-1.6 B

Email: 6.9.1.283
Voicemail: VN.4.1.0.19
Navigation: 2.1.0.21
Music: 2.2.39
SprintTV: 3.0.49
Live Search: 1.70.1
Pocket Express: 1.1.5


How can I view attachments on the Instinct - does it support PDF, PPT, etc?
The Instinct can read some word documents using the Notes application; other attachments can be saved to the SD Card and copied to your computer later for viewing by desktop software. In November 2008 we plan to update the viewers on the phone to handle PDF, PPT, XLS and other file types.


How are the software updates being pushed?
Sprint will push updates to the base software of the phone (the ROM) on occasion. We will post a notice to this forum when it is ready. After a period of time, we will turn on automatic updates to the phones, sending a notice to update your software directly to the phone. The updates will take place over the air and should not require you to visit a store. Application updates are controlled by the vendors of the applications and will be pushed out in a similar fashion - as you launch each app, you will get a notice that an update is available. You can always check for system updates by going to Main, Settings ,General, Update Software.

Does the Calendar synchronize with Outlook or other calendars?
No. The calendar on the Instinct has only basic functionality. However, a new version of Sprint Mobile Email Work is due out in November that will add Outlook synch capability.

How do I get birthdays to repeat every year on the Calendar?
When setting up the Birthday Event or any repeating event, the End datehas to be set to however many years in the future you want the Birthdayor event to be repeated. Next, set the Repeat to "EveryYear". For example, if you want someone's birthday to show up everyyear on the calendar until May 1, 2011, enter that date as the Endtime.

How do I set up outbound email (SMTP)
Follow the information in this post to set up Sprint Mobile Email when you are blocked from sending mail through your ISP on the Instinct

Can you send text messages to a group?
No. You can add multiple numbers to a text message, but there is no way to create a group of addresses.

Is there a way to run Flash on the phone?
There currently is no flash player for the Instinct. Adobe has not developed one that runs natively on the hardware, and the Java-based flash player is in early alpha; no word from the developers on that project when orif it will be ready.

What is the largest MicroSD card the Instinct can support?
According to GallifreyRebel's tests in this thread, the Instinct supports the latest 16gb MicroSDHC cards

Where can I find free streaming radio stations for the phone?
Sprint TV and Radio offers many free radio stations; for those looking for additional stations, see this thread; also the Buzz team has a phone friendly list of URLS at http://www.buzzaboutwireless.com/cms/rtsp.html

Where can I get software / games / apps for my Instinct?
Sprint offers many games and some applications through the Digital Lounge - Click Home - Fun - Shopping on your handset to browser and buy! Third party applications not offered through Sprint, including free apps, are being discussed on the Instinct-Samsung.com forum. (Registration may be required; this forum is not affiliated with Sprint.)
Forum users have also started a free and fee-based app store at http://instinct-software.com/ (not endorsed by or affiliated with Sprint.)

How can I put my own music on my phone as a Ringtone?
This process is not supported by or endorsed by Sprint. Use at your own risk. Go to http://rumkin.com/tools/sprint/index.php(on your computer) and click the first Browse button and find theringtone. You don't have to enter your phone number. Give it a name(second box) and click Upload. Wait for it and it will give you anumber. Now go to http://rumkin.com/tools/sprint/jump.php on your phone and enter the number. it will download and you have the ringtone in your ringtone folder.


How can I create my own ringtones?
Forum user smotrs has created a good writeup using free software in this forum post:
http://forums.buzzaboutwireless.com/baw/board/message?board.id=Samsung_Instinct&message.id=22964#M22964

Visual Voicemail - why do I have to dial in to delete messages
Visual Voicemail - why do people get a fast-busy or ring-no-answer when they get my voicemail?
Visual Voicemail - why don't I get notification of new messages?
These issues are related to a new product having some growing pains. We have exceeded our capacity on the current Visual Voicemail platform. We are installing new servers, switches and upgrading the entire system. Improvements should be seen going forward; we anticipate a resolution of the problems before the holiday season. Until these issues are resolved, if you receive a lot of voicemail,you should call your voicemail (dial 1) on occasion to empty a possiblyfull inbox, which would prevent you from receiving new voicemail.

How do you send a voicemail & messages to an email address?
MarkBugs post here details the process:
A. Select Voicemail from Main screen
B. Push + sign at top of screen.C. Select either Recent List or Manual Entry (bottom of screen):
1. Recent List: Click on an email in the list presented. or 2) . Manual Entry: Select "Enter Email Address". Enter email address on keyboard.
D. The voice recording screen is then displayed and will immediately be recording your voice.E. Push the stop button when done recording.F. Review the message if desired.G. Add extra addressees if desired by hitting the + sign next to the adressee name.H. Select Send to send the voice Email.


Can I listen to my Instinct music on my car stereo and still receive phone calls?
Yes, if you have an auxiliary input jack on your car stereo, you can use an ordinary male-male 3.5mm audio extension cable to connect he Instinct to it. Make sure to get at least 6 ft. of cable so you can freely move the phone around as necessary. Music should pipe into your car stereo through the cable perfectly. Turn the Instinct volume all the way up and use the car stereo volume controls instead. If the music doesn't sound good or is staticky, you probably have a cheap or faulty cable. Consider getting a gold-plated one... they are inexpensive online. Make sure to use a cable with only 2 contact rings on each tip (rather than 3), because this will allow you to use the microphone on the handset when a phone call comes in. When you answer an incoming call, you will begin a handsfree conversation with the other party's voice on the stereo speakers. Your voice should be picked up by the Instinct's microphone, even if it's on your lap.

Is there a way to charge the Instinct from my PC with the USB cable, but also continue to receive phone calls?
Yes, just press the Voice Command button one second before plugging the USB cable into the phone. This will keep the Instinct from turning off the phone capability.

How to Add Album Artwork to Your Songs
Forum user Rennat created a video. To read more about it and to get the link to YouTube go to: http://www.instinctinsight.com/comments/browseThread/thread_id/75147