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The Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth wireless keyboard. Other brands of Bluetooth keyboard also work with the 5800.
How to use Bluetooth wireless keyboards with the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
(Thanks to Steve Litchfield for pointing out how to do this!)
Officially the Nokia 5800 doesn't yet support wireless Bluetooth keyboards. Unofficially though it DOES support them, and it's extremely easy to use a keyboard with the 5800 after you've installed it.
Like all Nokia smartphones, the 5800 is compatible with the "HID" standard for Bluetooth keyboards, and you can use any brand of keyboard which conforms to this standard (which most Bluetooth keyboards do). You can use both Nokia-brand and other brand keyboards. If you're unsure whether a keyboard works with the 5800, just try installing it using the instructions below. You might be surprised how many wireless keyboards will work with the 5800.
Bluetooth keyboards are very handy accessories for a smartphone because they let you type on the phone using a full-size keyboard. This greatly increases your typing speed, in fact it lets you type just as quickly as on a full size computer or laptop. You can use Bluetooth keyboards to enter text in virtually any phone application, and you can also use it to enter text on websites, forums, e-mails etc. There's no lag in the typing speed, the letters appear on the phone's screen instantly.
Like most Bluetooth devices, the effective range of a Bluetooth keyboard is about 10 metres or 10 yards. That makes such a keyboard very useful if you're using the 5800 when connected to a television set, because you can control the phone remotely while sitting on the sofa. (Click here to find out how to connect the 5800 to a TV.)
There are two steps to installing a keyboard on the 5800. They're slightly complicated because this keyboard support isn't official yet, but you only have to do these steps once. After you've done them, the keyboard can connect to your phone automatically whenever it's switched on.
How do I know if a wireless keyboard is compatible with the 5800?
The Nokia Wireless Keyboard application should work with most Bluetooth keyboards. If a keyboard's compatibility list includes any Nokia devices, it should work with the 5800 even if the 5800 isn't on the list.
If you've already got a wireless keyboard and want to test it for compatibility with the 5800, just try installing it using the steps below. There's absolutely no risk or possible harm in the installation process, so try it and see what happens.
Where can I buy a Bluetooth keyboard?
Most electronics shops should have them in stock, just search their websites with the keywords "Bluetooth keyboard". You can also get second-hand keyboards on auction sites such as eBay fairly cheaply. As we said before, you do not have to use a Nokia keyboard, third party keyboards should work too.
Note that there are many different kinds of Bluetooth keyboard, some of them fold up and can be carried in a pocket, while others are the same size as desktop PC keyboards.
The Nokia Wireless Keyboard application installed on the 5800, its icon is in the bottom right corner
Step One: Install Nokia's Wireless Keyboard application
To make the 5800 work with Bluetooth keyboards, you'll need to install the Nokia Wireless Keyboard application. Here's how to do that:
1. Open the phone's web browser (click here if you want to see our web browser tutorial).
2. Go to this address:
http://nds1.nokia.com/phones/files/software/Nokia_Wireless_Keyboard_S60_31.sis
(Make sure you use this exact address. The address is case-sensitive, so make sure you use lower case and upper case letters exactly as above, including a capital S on "S60".)
3. Select "OK" to download the file.
4. When it's downloaded, select "Options" and then "Open".
5. Select "OK" to begin the installation.
6. The phone will warn you that the app isn't compatible. Don't worry about this, just select "Yes" to continue.
7. Select the phone's own memory (C:), then select "OK".
8. Select "Options" and then "Delete". This won't remove the actual keyboard application, it'll just get rid of the installation file.
9. Select "Options" and then "Exit".
(Alternatively, if you prefer, you can download the keyboard application onto your computer and then transfer it to your phone for manual installation. You can get the application file by right-clicking on the link above and selecting "Save As". For more details on how to transfer files between your computer and 5800, click here to see our USB file transfer tutorial. For more details on how to install application files, click here to see our 5800 applications tutorial.)
The Wireless Keyboard application successfully connected to a Bluetooth keyboard on the Nokia 5800
Step Two: Pair your keyboard with the 5800
Bluetooth Pairing is the process where two Bluetooth-compatible devices (such as a phone and a keyboard) talk to each other and let each other know that they have permission to connect.
Pairing is slightly complicated, but you only have to do it once for a particular pair of devices. After they've been paired, they will connect easily next time, and you can set them connect automatically if you like.
Here's how to pair a Bluetooth keyboard with the Nokia 5800 using the Wireless Keyboard application:
1. From the main standby screen, press the white menu button.
2. Select "Applications".
3. Select "Wireless Keyboard" (the icon may be at the bottom of the screen).
4. Now switch on your Bluetooth keyboard. Make sure it is switched on, and make sure it is very near your phone before you proceed to the next step.
5. On the phone, select "Options".
6. Select "Find Keyboard".
7. If the phone asks, say "Yes" to switch on the phone's Bluetooth connection.
8. Select "More Devices".
9. When the phone finds your keyboard, select it from the list.
10. The phone will now start the pairing process. Select "OK".
11. Enter a passcode of your choice, perhaps something simple like 1234.
12. Select "OK".
13. On the keyboard, enter the same code and then press the keyboard's Enter or Return key. If you're using the Nokia SU-8W, make sure you press the green "FN" key first to put the top row of keys into number mode.
14. If the pairing process fails, try again by going back to point 5 above.
15. If the pairing process succeeds, select the correct language to match your keyboard's layout.
Your keyboard should now be connected and ready to use, you can use it straight away to navigate the phone's menus without touching the phone. If you're using Nokia's own SU-8W keyboard you will be able to select menus using the two blue "soft key" buttons, and the SU-8W's swirly menu key has the same effect as the 5800's white menu key.
The 5800's Bluetooth aerial is located inside the phone in the area indicated by the blue box above. If you're having trouble pairing the phone with a keyboard, try to make sure this area is uncovered and near to the keyboard.
How to make the keyboard connect to your 5800 totally automatically
If you switch off your keyboard and switch it back on again, the phone will ask for your permission to connect to the keyboard. If you find this annoying, you can make this connection totally automatic using the following method:
1. Go to the Wireless Keyboard application as described above.
2. Select "Options".
3. Select "Settings".
4. Select "New Connections". Select "Notify" if you want the keyboard to connect automatically and tell you about it. Select "Don't Notify" if you want the keyboard to connect automatically without telling you about it.
5. Press the red button to return to the standby screen.
Now whenever you switch the keyboard on near your phone, it will automatically connect to the phone and be ready for use.
Important Note: The phone's Bluetooth connection has to be switched on if you want the keyboard to connect to it. You can switch Bluetooth on or check its status by tapping next to the phone's battery indicator, selecting the Connectivity icon (the two horizontal arrows), and then selecting the "Bluetooth" section.
How to stop the Wireless Keyboard app starting automatically when you switch on the phone
After you've installed it, the Wireless Keyboard application will activate itself when you switch the phone on. The reason it does this is to allow the keyboard to connect to the phone automatically whenever you use it.
However, if you want to stop the Wireless Keyboard app launching automatically, do the following:
1. Go to the Wireless Keybaord application (for example by holding down the phone's white menu key).
2. Select "Options".
3. Select "Settings".
4. Select "Application Auto-Start" so that it says "Off".
5. Select "Options" and then "Exit".
Note that if you switch off the automatic start option, you will have to manually start the application if you want to use the keyboard.
To switch the app's auto-start option back on, use the above steps but select the "On" option instead.
How to use a different keyboard
If you want to use a different Bluetooth keyboard, just install it in exactly the same way as described above.
How do I know if my phone's Bluetooth connection is switched on?
When the 5800 has its Bluetooth on you'll see a little angular "B" logo in the top right corner of the screen, next to the battery indicator. You can switch off the Bluetooth connection by selecting the little "B" logo, selecting "Bluetooth" from the menu that appears, and then changing the "Bluetooth" option to "Off".
How do I know when the keyboard is connected to the 5800?
The Bluetooth "B" logo will have a pair of arrows next to it when the phone is successfully connected to the keyboard. The lines indicate an active Bluetooth connection.
Bluetooth keyboards can be used to enter text in practically any application on the Nokia 5800. Note the active "B" Bluetooth logo in the top right corner next to the battery indicator.
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