How to Remove and Clean a Blackberry Trackball

This is a how to guide on removing and cleaning the trackball on all models of Blackberries with them.

Sometimes the trackballs get stuck from pressing too hard and putting it slightly out of alignment, or grime. The first thing to try is to put slight pressure on the silver ring around the trackball and make sure it is seated properly as they sometimes pop out of the joint. You can put pressure on it with your fingernail or use a small screwdriver, and apply gentle pressure on the North, South, East, and West area of the silver ring. Then try rolling the ball around back and forth to get it centered. If that doesn't fix the problem then you might try cleaning. It sounds difficult but it isn't.

To Clean:

1. Using either your fingernail or tiny glasses repair screwdriver pry off the trackball faux chrome plastic cover. Do this gently and very carefully, it's lightweight plastic so you don't want to break it.

2. Under the silver cover you will see the white plastic housing the ball sits in, this is the trackball assembly. Look for lint and other grime around the outer edge of your trackball assembly. Also write down how everything looks to help you remember when you put it back together.
3. Carefully pry up the small metallic retaining clip that sits over, and holds the trackball assembly in place. Be very careful with this ring, it's very small and you wouldn't want to lose it. Also, this clip bends pretty easily, make sure you don't bend or distort the piece.

4. Remove the trackball assembly. If you use a magnetic tip screwdriver you can place the tip on the assembly and it will attract the magnetic rollers.

5. Put the trackball assembly in a safe place while you work. Note the metal tab appears to be pointing down, this is the side that should be towards the keypad, or lower half of the blackberry when putting it back together.

6. Get some alcohol and a Q-tip. You can also use canned air if you have it. Use the air on the phone and then swab the internals with your Q-tip. You should have a small amount of alcohol on the Q-tip, do not soak it! Then hit the internals with the canned air one more time to get rid anything that was dislodged by the swabbing, and dry any residual alcohol. Also swab the trackball assembly itself, and hit it with the air to dry.

7. Reassemble the trackball unit. Place the assembly in with the two side tabs on the left and right, put the bottom of the assembly with the tab pointing down. Then place the small metal retaining clip into place with the tabs to the top and bottom. Gently press this into place with your screwdriver tip and you will feel it click.

8. Final step. Place the faux chrome plastic trackball housing over the assembly with the tabs facing left, right, and down. Gently press this into place with your thumbnail. It is best to put the bottom tab into place first and then press. On trial and error I do not recommend using the screwdriver to push this into place as you may scratch the plastic.

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