Cobolt Systems Ltd - Blindshell Classic 3 


BlindShell Classic 3 User Guide
BlindShell Classic 3 is a button phone for blind and visually impaired people. The phone is controlled via the physical keypad, touchscreen or by voice commands. Feedback is provided by the built-in synthetic voice, vibrations, and additional acoustic signals.
Important notice: If you let your phone’s battery discharge completely, it may appear that the phone is not able to charge at all. In such a case, leave the phone on the charger for several hours. Afterward, the phone should start charging again. Leaving a discharged battery in the phone for a longer period of time might lead to damaging the battery. Such a case is not covered by the phone’s warranty. We recommend you remove the battery from the device when you are not using it for more than a week.
Getting started
Package contents
BlindShell Classic 3 phone.
Battery - a flat rectangular object.
Earphones - on one end of the earphones, there is a 3.5MM connector (jack), the other end has two earbuds.
USB wall charger - standard USB charger, input 100V~240V AC, 50/60Hz, output 4.7V-5.3V DC 0-2A.
USB cable - a USB Type-C cable, with standard male USB Type-A on the other end.
Charging cradle - a stand for charging the phone. There is also an adhesive pad that enables the cradle stick on a place.
NFC tag (3x) - a sticker for object tagging. These tags can be read by a phone application.
Lanyard - a strap that can be attached to the phone. It comes with a little hook that helps you to push the lanyard through the lanyard hole.
Phone description
Front side of the phone
The front side of the phone consists of the following parts. They are listed as they are placed on the phone from top to bottom.
Earpiece - line-shaped protrusion used as a speaker during a phone call.
LCD screen - the smooth area of the phone used for displaying information.
Keypad - buttons used for controlling the phone and inputting text.
Microphone - placed in between the buttons of the keypad. Used for voice input.
Loudspeaker - line-shaped notch used for voice and audio output.
Rear side of the phone
The rear side of the phone consists of the following functional parts. All of them are located in the upper part of the rear side.
Camera - highlighted by a tactile edge. Used for image taking in phone applications.
Camera LED flashlight - the round-shaped notch next to the camera. It assists the camera in low-light settings.
SOS button - the round-shaped button under the camera. Used in emergencies to call an assigned emergency contact.
Edges of the phone
On the top edge, there are:
Earphones socket.
LED flashlight and light sensor.
On the bottom edge from left to right, there are:
Lanyard hole.
USB Type-C connector - used for charging the phone and connecting the phone to a computer.
Opening slit - used for taking the back cover off the phone.
On the left side edge, there are volume buttons used for controlling the volume of the voice and audio output.
On the right side edge, there is a side action button used for opening favorite applications list and invoking voice control.
Taking off the back cover
To remove the back cover of the phone, hook your fingernail into the opening slit located on the bottom-right edge of the phone and pull the back cover away from the device. When returning the back cover on the phone, make sure all edges of the cover fit the phone.
Inserting SIM card, SD memory card, and battery
To insert a SIM card, SD memory card, or battery, take off the back cover first. When the back cover is off, the rectangular hollow space in the phone is the battery compartment. Slots for cards are placed in this space.
Inserting SIM cards
The phone has two micro SIM card slots placed in the upper part of the battery compartment. Next to them, on the right side, there is a slot for an SD memory card. To insert a SIM card, place it in a way that card contacts are facing downwards, and its beveled edge is its upper left corner. Then slide the card into the slot.
Removing a SIM card
To remove a SIM card from a slot, place a tip of your finger on the edge of the SIM card, push down on it and slide your finger with the SIM card out of the SIM card slot.
Inserting an SD memory card
The SD memory card slot is the right slot in the upper part of the battery compartment. To insert an SD memory card, place it in a way that card contacts are facing downwards and slide it into the slot. Push the card to overcome small resistance. Click sound will signal that the card is fixed in the slot.
Removing an SD memory card
To remove an SD memory card, push the card into the slot until the clicking sound signals that the card is released. Then slide the card out of the slot.
Inserting the battery
To insert the battery, locate a protrusion on the edge of the battery. This protrusion should point towards the top corner of the battery compartment. Slide the battery from the top to the bottom into its compartment, it should fit snugly.
Removing the battery
To remove the battery, use a groove located in the top right corner of the battery compartment. Pull the battery upwards.
Charging
The phone can be charged via a USB cable or charging cradle. To use the charging cradle, connect the USB Type-C cable to the cradle's socket, which is on the back-bottom part of the cradle. Place the phone in the cradle. The phone's USB socket should be face down. The rear side of the phone should rest on the cradle.
Turning the phone on
To turn on the phone, long press the back button. The back button is the red slash-shaped button placed on the right in the second row of buttons. The phone will play a start-up melody after a while. The phone is ready when it starts speaking. Registration to the mobile network may take up to a minute after the phone turns on.
Controlling the phone
Volume
Volume buttons are on the left side edge of the phone. The volume up button increases the current volume of voice or audio output. The volume down button decreases it.
Navigation
Navigation buttons are in the upper part of the keypad. Their usage is to navigate through phone menus and item lists.
Moving through menu or list of items
Menus or lists of items are designed as cyclic lists. That means if the last item is reached, moving to the next item jumps to the first item of the list. And vice-versa, while being on the first item moving to the previous item jumps to the last item of the list. A beep tone lets you know you are at the first or last item. The bottom of the screen displays an indication of position in the menu. Navigation in a menu or list of items follows:
To move to the next item, press the down button.
To move to the previous item, press the up button.
To enter a menu item or select the item, press the confirm button.
To leave the current menu or item list, press the back button.
Tip: Long press the up button to jump to the first item in the menu. To jump to the last item, long press the down button. It is possible to jump to a specific position in the menu by pressing the relevant numbers on the keypad. Multiple digits are accepted.
Find function
The long lists of items may have a find function as the last item of the list. It can be quickly accessed by pressing the up button while being on the first item of the list.
Down button
The down button is the line-shaped button placed in the middle in the second row of buttons. The down button does the following:
Press to move to the next item in a menu.
While writing a message or other text input, press to move to the next character.
While being on the main screen, press to open the main menu.
Up button
The up button is the line-shaped button placed in the middle in the first row of buttons. The up button does the following:
Press to move to the previous item in a menu.
While writing a message or other text input, press to move to the previous character.
While being on the main screen, press to open the main menu.
Confirm button
The confirm button is the big green dot-shaped button placed on the left in the second row of buttons. The confirm button does the following:
Press to enter a menu item, select list item, confirm actions or accept calls.
While being on the main screen, press to open the main menu.
Back button
The back button is the red slash-shaped button placed on the right in the second row of buttons. The back button does the following:
Press to go back in a menu, cancel actions, reject or hang up calls.
While writing a message or other text input, press to delete the previous character. Long press to delete the whole text.
Anywhere else, long press the back button to return to the main screen.
If long pressed for fifteen seconds, the phone will restart.
Action buttons
Action buttons trigger the same specific action anywhere on the phone.
Left action button
The left action button is the dot-shaped button placed on the left in the first row of keypad buttons.
Short pressing the left action button
Press to open a state menu where you can find information about the state of the phone, such as time and date, battery level, information about networks, or missed notifications.
Long pressing the left action button
Long press to open a quick menu where you can easily access various settings and functions. When it is possible, a copy text option is available.
Copy/paste text
When it is possible to copy a text from the screen, the quick menu contains item Copy text. To copy a text, select this option and then you can edit the text to be copied. Confirm to copy the text. To paste the text, long press the left action button while writing and select paste text option.
Right action button
The right action button is the dot-shaped button placed on the right in the first row of keypad buttons. Press to repeat the last utterance or to stop the reading voice. Long press to spell the last utterance.
Side action button
The side action button is the oblong button on the right side edge of the phone. The following actions can be performed:
Press to open your favorite applications list.
Long press to invoke voice control.
While writing a message or other text input, long press to invoke voice dictation of the text.
Numeric keypad
The numeric keypad consists of four rows of convex buttons. The first row contains buttons one, two, and three. The second row contains buttons four, five, and six. The third row contains buttons seven, eight, and nine. The last, fourth row, contains buttons asterisk (star), zero, and hash (number sign).
Asterisk button
The asterisk button is the left button in the bottom row of the numeric keypad. Long press the asterisk button to lock the phone. To unlock the phone, long press the asterisk again. This feature can be disabled in Settings.
Hash button
The hash button is the right button in the bottom row of the numeric keypad. Long press to open a menu with sound profile options (silent, vibration, loud, airplane mode).
Text input
Text input by numeric keypad
While writing a message or other text input, the numeric keypad buttons are used to input text, numbers, and special characters. Each button, except the hash button, contains a group of characters. You can cycle through the group of characters by pressing the respective button multiple times.
For example button two contains characters A, B, C, and number 2. To enter the letter B – press the button twice. To enter the number 2 – press the button four times or long press the button.
Button one contains punctuation special characters.
The asterisk button contains the rest of the special characters.
Button zero contains the number 0 and space.
The hash button changes the capitalization of the letters and switches between numeric and alphanumeric keyboard entry.
The long press of the hash button opens a menu with emojis. Press the confirm button to input the selected emoji.
To move in the text, press the down or up button. To select between moving by character or by word, press the left action button.
Tip: The writing of a specific character can be finalized by pressing the down button. This allows writing another character of the same button immediately (without waiting for the click sound, which indicates that the character was entered).
Text input by voice dictation
While writing a message or other text input, voice dictation can be invoked by pressing the side action button. After a beep tone, start dictating the text. After each dictated segment, the phone slightly vibrates. At this moment, text dictation can be manually finished by pressing the confirm button, back button, or the side action button. Voice dictation finishes automatically if no text is dictated for a few seconds.
Time input
While entering time in applications such as Alarm, Calendar, or setting phone's time, use numeric keypad buttons to input four time digits. The first pair of digits represents hours and the second pair of digits represents minutes.
Voice control (Luna Voice Assistant)
The phone can be alternatively controlled by voice commands using Luna Voice Assistant. You can ask Luna to open installed applications on your phone, dial contact or send a text message. If AI features are enabled, Luna provides extended features in interacting with the phone and applications, can answer trivia questions or search for you in the Internet browser. You'll be asked if you want to use AI features at the first start of Luna (you have to provide consent) or you can enable it later in the phone's settings.
To invoke Luna, long press the side action button. After a beep tone, start dictating the command or question.
When you have a conversation with Luna, you can navigate in received answers and your commands using navigation keys.
To repeat the whole Luna's answer or to get other conversation details, press the confirm button.
To ask another question, long press the side action button again.
Luna without AI features has the following functionality:
Opening any application by simply saying its name. For example, to open the application messages, invoke Luna and say "messages".
Dialing contact from the contact list. For example, to call Michael, invoke Luna and say "call Michael".
Write a message to contact from the contact list. For example, to write a message to Michael, invoke Luna and say "send message to Michael". Afterward, the text can be input by the numeric keypad or voice dictation.
Luna with AI features has the following additional functionality:
Enhanced interaction with installed apps. For example, to create a new note, invoke Luna and say "I want to create a new note". Luna will guide you through creating a new note. Or ask for search a term in the Internet browser.
Answer trivia questions. For example, you can ask "What is the highest mountain in Europe?"
And much more. Explore how useful assistant Luna can be!
Note: Luna requires an internet connection if offline speech recognition is not enabled. Offline speech recognition has to be supported by the language. More details can be found in the Settings chapter. An internet connection is required to use AI features.
Screen Reader
Screen Reader is a function that allows you to navigate in third-party applications on the BlindShell phone, through a keyboard or touch screen. Screen Reader focuses on the elements of the app and reads them aloud. These elements could be text fields, labels, buttons, etc. To navigate over these elements, use navigation buttons or explore by touch feature.
Button 1 - Default navigation
Button 2 - Navigation by Headings
Button 3 - Navigation by Control elements
Button 4 - Navigation by Links
Button 5 - Navigation by Words - explore one word at the time
Button 6 - Navigation by Landmarks and Containers
Button 7 - Manual scrolling up
Button 8 - Toggle automatic reading
Button 9 - Manual scrolling down
Button 0 - Speak title of window or application
Button # - Opens this help
Touchscreen
Touchscreen is enabled in third-party apps where the Screen reader is on and other BlindShell apps that support this feature. The control is explained in the app’s manual if it supports touchscreen control. For third-party apps, touchscreen control is enabled by default as an additional control besides a physical keypad. It helps conveniently control these apps by gestures and explore by touch function.
Gestures
To scroll, use two fingers to swipe across the screen. If you reach the start or end of a page, a high-pitched tone will sound, similar to when using the buttons. When scrolling towards the screen, short tones will indicate movement. The lower you scroll, the deeper the tones become. The higher you scroll, the higher the tones will be. If an app has horizontal scrolling, swipe sideways with two fingers to navigate.
To confirm the selection of an item, double tap on the screen.
Explore by touch
Explore by touch feature lets you to get an understanding of the app's layout and quickly navigate to controls within the app. To explore the screen and move between items, place one finger on the screen and move your finger. Voice output announces the item selected by the Screen reader. To select an item, double tap on the screen.
SOS button
Long press the SOS button to call the assigned emergency contact. If no contact is assigned to the SOS button, then the long press of the button opens a menu for assigning an emergency contact.
External keyboard
The phone can be alternatively controlled by an external keyboard connected via the phone's USB-C connector. The external keyboard layout can be changed in the keyboard settings.
External keyboard navigation
The Up and Down arrow keys have the same function as the Up and Down buttons of the phone.
The Enter key has the same function as the Confirm button.
The Escape and Backspace keys have the same function as the Back button.
The Cmd or Win keys have the same function as the Side action button.
The Menu key has the same function as the Left action button.
Press the Ctrl key to read the current text.
Press the Alt key to spell the current text.
Press the Volume up and Volume down keys to increase or decrease volume of the phone.
External keyboard writing
Press the Enter key to enter a newline.
Press the Ctrl and Enter keys at the same time to confirm the text.
The F1 key has the same function as the Asterisk button.
The F2 key has the same function as the Hash button.
When NumLock is enabled, numerical keypad can be used to input numbers.
File transfer from PC to BlindShell
Windows machines
The phone should be recognized as an external device. Afterward, files can be copied via any file explorer application from the computer to the phone. If the device is not recognized by the computer, please install the latest updates and check if there is an MTP driver present.
Apple machines
To copy files from a Mac device to the phone, Android File Transfer software is required. This software can be downloaded here: https://www.android.com/filetransfer/.
Linux machines
The phone should be automatically recognized by the computer. Copy the files to the phone with a file explorer application.
BlindShell functions
Main screen
The main screen is a starting point when using the phone. It provides the current time information and brief information about the number of missed notifications such as unread messages, missed calls, etc., if there are any. The following actions can be done from the main screen:
To open the main menu, press the confirm button, up button, or down button.
To dial a number, press the appropriate numbers on the numeric keypad and dial by pressing the confirm button.
To activate the quick dial, long press the relevant number on the numeric keypad. If no quick dial is assigned to the number, the long-press opens a menu for assigning a quick dial.
To open call history, long press the confirm button.
To return to the main screen from anywhere on the phone, long press the back button.
Call
The Call menu item allows making phone calls to numbers or contacts in the contact list. It also contains call history and call settings.
Answering an incoming call
To answer an incoming call, press the confirm button.
To reject or hang up a call, press the back button.
Caller's name announcement
To announce the caller's name, press the right action button. The automatic caller's name announcement can be turned on in the sound and voice output settings of the phone. When dual SIM is used, it is announced which SIM card is receiving the call.
Dial contact
The Dial contact menu item opens the list of contacts. Move through the list and press the confirm button to dial the selected contact. While going through the list of contacts, type the letter on the keypad to move to the contacts starting with that letter.
Dial number
The Dial number menu item opens a place where you can input numbers. Type the phone number and press the confirm button to initiate the call.
Call history
The Call history menu item contains a list of all incoming and outgoing calls and their details. Press the confirm button on the selected call item to open a menu with the following options:
Dial the contact/number.
Write a message.
Information about the length of the call.
Save the number to contacts (if it is not already saved).
Add the number to the existing contact (if it is not already saved).
Block number.
Delete the call from the call history.
Delete all history. This will delete all calls from the call history.
Call settings
Call statistics
The Call statistics menu item opens a list of call statistics of the last month. The last item allows setting a monthly cycle start day. It sets the starting day of the month from which the statistics are recorded.
Blocked numbers
The Blocked numbers menu item opens a list of contacts and phone numbers that are prevented from making phone calls to your device. To add a new blocked number or contact, select the Add blocked number item. To unblock the number or contact, press the confirm button on the selected number or contact.
Quick replies
Quick replies can be sent when declining a call. To use this function, you need to turn on this option in the call settings. After you decline a call, you will be given an option to send a quick reply. You can choose a quick reply you created or pre-defined replies. Choose a quick SMS reply when declining a call - You can enable or disable this option here. Quick replies - You can create a new quick reply or choose from pre-defined quick replies by selecting the reset to default option. These quick replies can be edited or deleted by pressing the confirm button.
Recording a phone call
To record a phone call, press the confirm button during an active phone call. Select the Start recording call menu item. To stop recording, press the confirm button and select Stop recording call. The recorded phone call is saved in the BlindShell/recordings folder and can be found in the Records list of the Voice recorder application.
Turn on speakerphone during a phone call
To turn on the speakerphone during a phone call, press the confirm button during an active phone call. Select the Turn on speakerphone menu item. To turn off the speakerphone, press the confirm button and select the Turn off speakerphone. The automatic speakerphone can be turned on in the sound settings of the phone.
Mute microphone during a phone call
To mute the microphone during a phone call, press the confirm button during an active phone call. Select the Mute microphone menu item. To unmute the microphone, press the confirm button and select Unmute microphone.
Read recent messages
To read recent message during a phone call, press the confirm button during an active phone call. Select the Messages menu item.
Answering second incoming call
The second incoming call during an active call is signaled by repeated beeps. Press the right action button to announce the caller's name of the second incoming call. Press the confirm button to answer the second call and hold the current call. Press the back button to hang up an active call.
Conference call
Conference call allows you to create a group call. While in an active call, press the confirm button to enter the call menu. To add another call to the conference, navigate to the option Place another call. While calling another number, the previous call will be put on hold. To add the new number to the conference call, choose in the menu Add call to the conference. This action will add the call to the conference.
Messages
The Messages menu item allows writing messages to numbers or contacts in the contact list. It also contains past conversations (incoming and outgoing messages), SMS templates, drafts, and messaging settings. BlindShell supports receiving MMS messages that contain text only (e.g. MMS group messages).
Note: While writing a message, press the right action button to read back the whole message and the number of remaining characters to the next message.
Write SMS to contact
To write SMS to contact, open Write SMS option and then choose Select contact. The Select contact menu item opens the list of contacts. Move through the list and press the confirm button to select the contact. Write the text of the message and send it by pressing the confirm button.
Write SMS to number
To write SMS to number, open Write SMS option and then choose Enter number. The Enter number menu item opens a form menu with the following items:
Number - enter the recipient's phone number.
Text - enter the text of the message.
Send message - select to send the message.
Write SMS to multiple recipients
The Write SMS to multiple recipients menu item opens a form menu with the following items:
Recipients - add recipients of the message. More recipients can be added. To delete the recipient from the list, move to the recipient in the list and press the confirm button.
Text - enter the text of the message.
Send message - select to send the message.
Conversations
The Conversations menu item opens the list of conversations with contacts and numbers. Select the conversation to list incoming and outgoing messages to related contact or number. Press the confirm button on the selected message item to open a menu with the following options:
Reply - opens text input. Type the message and press the confirm button to send it as a reply.
Forward - allows forwarding the message. Select a contact, number, or e-mail address to forward the message to.
Call - dials the contact or the phone number.
Delete - deletes the message.
Delete conversation - deletes all incoming and outgoing messages of this conversation.
Save as a new contact - saves the number to contacts (if it is not already saved).
Add to contact - adds the number to the existing contact (if it is not already saved).
Numbers in this message - lists numbers contained in the text of the message. Press the confirm button to perform an action with the selected number.
SMS templates
The SMS templates menu allows you to send predefined messages to a contact or a number. Predefined messages can be created in message settings.
Drafts
The Drafts menu item opens the list of messages saved as drafts. A draft is an unfinished message which was not sent. Press the confirm button on the selected draft to finish it, send it, or save it as a draft again.
Messaging settings
The Messaging settings menu item opens the menu to set notifying about message delivery, edit SMS templates or to turn on and off sending messages with diacritics.
Contacts
The Contacts menu item allows browsing contacts, adding new ones, or editing existing contacts. It also contains setting up the quick dial and backing up and importing contacts.
Contacts list
The Contacts list menu item opens the list of contacts stored in the phone and SIM card. While going through the list of contacts, type the letter on the keypad to move to the contacts starting with that letter. Press the confirm button on the selected contact to open a menu with the following options:
Dial - calls the contact.
Send message - opens a text input of the message. After text input, press the confirm button to send the message to the contact.
Send e-mail - opens new e-mail form, the field Recipients is pre-filled with contact's e-mail address (only available when contact has e-mail address filled).
Edit contact - opens a form for editing contact's details.
Assign ringtone - opens a list of ringtone melodies. Move through the list and press the confirm button to assign a ringtone to the contact. This melody will play during an incoming call from this contact.
Send contact as a business card - opens a menu to select either a contact or a phone number, to which the current contact will be sent as a business card.
Delete contact - deletes the contact from the contacts list.
Add new contact
The Add new contact menu item opens a form for adding a new contact. The following contact information can be stored: first name, surname, mobile phone number, home phone number, work phone number, another phone number, e-mail address, and postal address. Select the Save contact menu item to save the contact.
Contact settings
The Contact settings menu item opens a menu with the following options:
Sort contacts - changes contact sorting, the contacts list can be ordered alphabetically by given name or by surname.
Display order - changes the order of reading the contact items. Either a given name or a surname can be announced first.
Single button dialing - The Single button dialling allows setting quick-dial contact for each number on the keypad. The quick dial is used for quick dialling of up to 10 selected contacts. To assign a quick dial contact to a number, move through the list of numbers (0-9) and press the confirm button on the chosen number. To remove a quick dial of the number, select the assigned number. An emergency contact for the SOS button can be assigned here, too. While being on the main screen, long press the number on the keypad to quickly dial the assigned contact.
Import contacts from file - The Import contacts from file menu item will import of contacts from the file to the phone's contacts list. To import contacts, copy .vcf file to the root folder of the SD memory card, if present, or to the root folder of the internal phone's internal storage. The file has to be named Contacts.vcf. If Contacts.vcf is present in both storages, the file located on the SD memory card will be used. Contacts in the Contacts.vcf file identical to contacts already stored in the contacts list will be skipped during import. After the contact import finishes the Contacts.vcf file is renamed to Contacts-imported.vcf.
Backup contacts to file - The Backup contacts to file menu item runs a backup of contacts to Contacts.vcf file. If the SD memory card is present in the phone, the Contacts.vcf file is created in the root folder of the SD memory card. If no SD memory card is present in the phone, the Contacts.vcf file is created in the root folder of the phone's internal storage.
Copy contacts from SIM.
Delete all contacts.
Applications
Aids
Beepers
Beepers help to find personal objects such as keys, bags, wallets, apparel, etc. Simply place the beeper on the object and use the BlindShell phone to ring the beeper in case of need.
This function requires the beeper device. The beeper can be purchased separately from your BlindShell distributor. To turn on the beeper for the first time (or after inserting a battery), long press the button on the beeper. The beeper beeps multiple times when turned on. To set up the beeper, open the Beepers application on the BlindShell phone. Use this app to find the beeper or edit its properties.
Add (pair) the beeper
To pair the beeper with the phone, select the Add beeper menu item. Then press the button on the beeper repeatedly. When the beeper connects to the phone, you will be prompted to enter a custom name for the beeper.
Find (ring) the beeper
To ring the beeper from the phone, select the Find beeper menu item and select the beeper from the list. When the phone connects to the beeper, the beeper starts ringing. To stop the ringing, press the confirm button.
Edit the beeper
To delete (unpair) the beeper or edit its name, select the Beepers list menu item and select the beeper from the list.
Color indicator
The Color indicator application allows detecting the colors of objects. It uses the camera of the phone which is located on the rear side of the phone, above the SOS button. To detect the color, point the camera to the object (approximately 10 centimeters far from it) and press the confirm button to announce the color.
Important notice: The Color indicator application is highly dependent on the ambient lighting and does not perform well in low-light conditions. In these conditions, the result of the color indications may not correspond to reality.
Tip: To increase the accuracy repeat the process several times and pick the color which was announced in the majority of the detection.
Localization
The Localization application aggregates data from GPS, WiFi networks, and mobile networks to estimate the nearest physical address in the current vicinity. The whole process of estimating the location may take up to 30 seconds.
To send the estimated location via SMS message, move through the list of obtained information and select the Send message with position item.
Important notice: The accuracy of the location estimation may vary. You should not rely on the result absolutely, but take the accuracy into account.
Important notice: This function requires an internet connection.
Magnifying glass
The Magnifying glass application allows you to zoom objects.
To zoom in on the object, point the phone's camera toward the object. To zoom in, press the down button. To zoom out, press the up button.
Press the confirm button to open a menu with the following options: Turn screen pause on/off, Turn inverse color on/off, Turn flashlight on/off.
NFC object tagging
The NFC object tagging application helps to identify objects that are otherwise hard to tell apart by touch - like bags or boxes with spices, cosmetic and household cleaning products, bottles, cans, and so on. Simply place the NFC tag sticker on the object and scan it with the phone.
This function requires NFC tag stickers which are included in the phone's package. Stickers can be also purchased separately from your BlindShell distributor.
Tag an object
To tag an object, place the NFC tag sticker on the desired object.
Select the Add tag menu item and bring the tag close to the back of the phone. Then type or record object description.
Read object tag
To read a tag, select the Read tags menu item and touch the tag to the back of the phone.
Edit object tag
To edit or remove an object tag, select the tag in the Tags list.
Books
Book reader
The Book reader application supports reading audiobooks in mp3, m4a, and m4b audio formats, as well as EPUB, Daisy and books in txt files. To list a book in the Book reader, download a book in the Library application or copy the book files to a BlindShell/Books directory of the phone's internal storage or SD memory card. The folder or file in this directory is recognized as a single book in the Book reader.
To read a book, select the book in the Books list and select Read from the beginning or Continue reading, if the book has been already read.
To pause the playback, press the back button.
To resume the playback, press the confirm button while paused.
In an audiobook, to move to the next/previous chapter or part of the book, press the down/up button.
In a text file book, to move to the next/previous utterance, press the down/up button.
Playback menu
To open the playback menu, press the confirm button while playing. The playback menu has the following options:
Jump to a percent of the book - select and enter the percent of the book that the book reader should jump to (number 0-99).
Play next chapter - plays the next chapter/part of the book, if there is any.
Play previous chapter - plays the previous chapter/part of the book, if there is any.
Add a bookmark - creates a bookmark of the current position in the book. Enter the name of the bookmark or leave empty input to set the current timestamp as the bookmark's name.
Move in book (only in audiobook) - sets the down and up button to rewind forward and backward the book by 10 seconds. If the down or up button is not pressed for 10 seconds, these buttons start working as usual.
Playback speed (only in audio book) - changes the audio playback speed.
Speech rate (only in text file book) - changes the book reader rate of the speech.
Speech language (only in text file book) - changes the language of the text to speech in the book reader.
To make the reading experience more comfortable, the buttons of the numeric keypad have the following functions:
4 - Plays the previous chapter or part of the book, if there is any.
5 - Plays or pauses the reading of the book.
6 - Plays the next chapter or part of the book, if there is any.
7 - Decreases the playback speed or speech rate.
8 - Sets default playback speed or speech rate.
9 - Increases the playback speed or speech rate.
0 - Adds a bookmark.
Communication
E-mail
The E-mail application is an e-mail client that allows managing one existing e-mail account.
Log in to an e-mail account
To log in to an e-mail account, enter e-mail address, SMTP server address, IMAP server address, password, and select Save. Information about the SMTP and IMAP server addresses can be found on the website of the e-mail provider.
Important notice: In some cases, you need to explicitly allow third-party applications to remotely access your e-mail, or you have to enable IMAP access for your e-mail account.
Log out of an e-mail account
To log out of an e-mail account or change login credentials, go to e-mail Settings and select Edit account.
Tandem
The Tandem app enables communication with other users through chat, calls, video calls, and remote control assistance. All communication is encrypted. You can communicate with other BlindShell phone users as well as with smartphones running Android or iOS. Simply send them an invitation, and they can install the Tandem app.
Adding a New Contact
To start communicating with others, you need to add a new contact. You can do this in two ways:
Accepting an invitation:
Accept the invitation received via SMS from another user.
Open the invitation from the received SMS (in the menu "Use information from text" -> URL -> "Open in Tandem app") or from the notification that appears after receiving the invitation.
Creating an invitation:
Create an invitation and send it via SMS to a phone number or to a contact in your phonebook. Steps to create the invitation:
Open the main menu and select Add New Contact.
Choose a contact or enter a phone number.
An SMS with the invitation will be sent to the selected contact.
After creating and sending the new invitation in the Tandem app, you need to wait until the other party accepts it. Once they accept, you can start using all communication options with this contact.
Contact List
The contact list contains all the contacts that have been created by sending or accepting invitations. A contact can be in one of three states:
Waiting to accept the invitation: The invitation has been sent, but the contact has not accepted it yet. Until they accept, you cannot communicate with them.
Active: After the invitation has been accepted, you can communicate with the contact: Start a chat Making a call or video call. Initiate remote control.
Contact was disconnected: This state occurs if the other party removes the connection. You cannot send new messages or communicate in any way. You can only view chat history or delete the contact.
Chat
In the Chat section, you can send and receive text and voice messages with your contact. To start a chat:
Select the contact from your contact list.
Choose the Chat option.
In the menu, select New message.
Calling
For calling or video calling, use the Call or Video call function. To start a call:
Select the contact from your contact list.
Choose either Call or Video call.
Wait for the other party to accept the call.
During the call, you can adjust the following settings (press confirm button):
Switch between earpiece and speakerphone.
Turn the camera on or off.
Mute or unmute the microphone.
Remote Control
The Remote Control function allows another user to remotely control your phone or, conversely, you can control theirs. This feature is especially useful if you need assistance with phone settings or specific functions. When you initiate remote control, your phone is controlled by another user. To start remote control:
Select the contact from your contact list.
Choose the Remote control option.
Wait for the other party to accept the request.
The other party can now control your phone remotely.
To end remote control, press the back button and confirm the termination.
Contact Management
In the Contact Management section, you can perform the following actions:
Rename: Change the name that appears for this contact.
Delete: Delete all data associated with this contact, including chat history.
Resend invitation: Only available if the contact has not yet accepted your invitation.
Settings
In the Settings section, you can delete all stored data from the app.
Media
Camera
The Camera allows capturing images using the integrated camera of the phone.
A periodic clicking sound indicates that the camera is opened and ready to take a picture.
To take a picture, point the camera towards the object or scene and press the confirm button.
The shutter sound indicates that the picture has been taken. Then select save or view the image.
You are prompted to record a short description when saving the image. This description identifies the image in the gallery.
FM Radio
The FM Radio allows playing FM radio stations. Earphones have to be plugged in to use the FM Radio, they serve as an antenna.
To play a radio station, select the Play radio menu item.
To automatically tune to the next/previous radio station, press the down/up button.
To add the radio station to favorites, press the confirm button while playing and select Save to favorites. Take the same steps to remove it from favorites.
To tune the frequency precisely, press the confirm button while playing and select Manual tuning. The down and up button now move the frequency by 0.1 MHz. Take the same steps to switch back to automatic tuning.
To enter a specific frequency, press the confirm button while playing and select Enter frequency.
Images
The Images application allows browsing images captured by the Camera application or stored in the phone.
To browse images captured by the camera, select the Camera images menu item.
To browse copied or downloaded images on the phone, select the Other images menu item.
The voice description is played while browsing the images.
To zoom in on the image, press the confirm button while browsing the images and select Zoom in. Take the same steps to zoom out. Zoom in can be done by pressing the hash button, zoom out by the asterisk button.
To see image information, change the recorded description or delete the image, press the confirm button while browsing the images and select the respective menu item.
Share image
To share an image, press the confirm button while browsing the images and select the Share image menu option. That opens a menu with the following options:
Share image by e-mail - opens a new e-mail with an image added as an attachment.
Share image by text message - The image will be encrypted and uploaded to BlindShell servers. The recipient will receive a text message with a link to this image. This function requires an internet connection.
Charges and privacy:
We do not use MMS to facilitate this function. You will be charged a standard SMS fee by your mobile provider (and for the data transfer if you use mobile data).
All images sent through this function are end-to-end encrypted using a secure cipher (AES). The decryption key is contained in the text message and only sent to the recipient of your choice and never transferred anywhere else. Although the encrypted image data is stored on our servers, nobody (including the BlindShell company) can view the content of shared images without the key.
We store encrypted image data for at least 14 days after upload.
Internet Radio
The Internet Radio allows listening to internet radio stations from around the world.
To play a radio station, select the station in the station list.
To add the radio station to favorites, press the confirm button while playing and select Save to favorites. Take the same steps to remove it from favorites.
Note: This function requires an internet connection.
Music player
The Music player allows playing audio files stored in the phone's internal storage or SD memory card. Place audio files in the Music folder of the phone or memory card to list them in the Music player.
To play an audio file, select the file in the list of songs.
To play the next/previous audio file, press the down/up button.
To pause the playback, press the back button.
To go back to the list of songs, press the back button while paused.
To rewind forward, hold the down button while playing.
To rewind backward, hold the up button while playing.
To add the audio file to favorites, press the confirm button while playing and select Save to favorites. Take the same steps to remove it from favorites.
To delete the audio file, press the confirm button while playing and select Delete song.
YouTube
The YouTube application allows playing freely available audiovisual content posted on the YouTube site.
Important notice:
All YouTube videos are the work of independent authors. BlindShell is not affiliated with the YouTube platform or the content creators in any way and can not be held responsible for anything published on YouTube.
We access YouTube in anonymous mode. BlindShell does not require or support user login. YouTube Premium content or age-restricted content is not available.
The lists of your favorite videos, history, or channels stored in your BlindShell are not synchronized to other devices or your YouTube account.
Some videos or live streams may use incompatible video formats that can not be played back on your phone.
Playing a video
To search for a video or channel, select the Search menu item.
To browse recently viewed videos, select the History menu item.
To browse favorites videos, select the Favorites menu item.
To browse the newest videos by different categories, select the Categories menu item.
To open video options, select the video from the list.
To play the video, select the Play from the beginning or Resume playback in video options.
Settings
Video mode - sets the video image orientation. The portrait image is the default orientation of the phone, the video is centered on the screen. The landscape image rotates the video image 90 degrees clockwise and makes it fullscreen. Only the sound option disables downloading video image data to reduce the amount of data downloaded.
Video Player
The Video player allows playing video files stored in the phone's internal storage or SD memory card. Place video files in the Movies folder of the phone or memory card to list them in the Video player. To categorize your video files you can create folders for them (e.g. Family video or Music video).
Playing videos
Select All videos menu item to list all videos.
Select Albums menu item to list all folders with video files and then select specific album to list video files from this album.
Select Favourites menu item to list favourite videos.
To play video, select it from a list of videos.
While playing video, press the Confirm button to open context menu for the currently playing video.
Settings
Video mode - sets the video image orientation. The portrait image is the default orientation of the phone, the video is centered on the screen. The landscape image rotates the video image 90 degrees clockwise and makes it fullscreen. Only the sound option plays only the sound of video files.
Online
Internet Browser
The Internet Browser allows browsing web pages.
Internet Browser menu
To start browsing the Internet, select either the Insert URL or search menu item.
To return to the menu while browsing, press the back button.
To return to the already opened web page, select the Browse page menu item.
To reload the page, go back or forward in browsing, select the Navigation menu item.
Browsing
To navigate over the page elements, press the down or up button.
To click on the focused element, press the confirm button.
To make browsing more effective, buttons of numeric keypad have the following functions:
1 - Switch to navigation by default elements.
2 - Switch to navigation by Headings.
3 - Switch to navigation by Controls.
4 - Switch to navigation by Links.
5 - Switch to navigation by Words.
6 - Switch to navigation by ARIA landmarks.
7 - Jump to the top of the page.
8 - Switch on/off automatic moving through elements.
9 - Jump to the bottom of the page.
* - Go back in browsing.
0 - Speak the title of the current page and navigation mode.
# - Opens Help.
Find in page
To find text on the current page, select the Find in page menu item.
To move through search results on the page, press the down or up button.
To cancel search and move through default elements, press the number 1 button.
Settings
Earcon settings - sets which events will be announced by earcon (sound) while browsing a web page.
Search engine - sets the search engine used when searching on the Internet.
Show text overlay - shows transparent overlay over the page with the large text of the focused element.
Private mode - when selected, visited pages will not be saved in the history.
Use app for watching YouTube videos - when selected, YouTube videos will be opened in the BlindShell application.
Clean up Browser files - deletes the cache and temporary browser files.
Tools
Alarm
The alarm application allows creating alarms at specific times and days. To dismiss an active alarm, press the confirm button or the back button.
New alarm
To create a new alarm, select the New alarm menu item, which opens a form with the following options:
Set time - opens number input which accepts 4 digits as a time. The first pair of digits represents hours and the second pair of digits represents minutes.
Set repeating - opens a list of days of the week. Select the days the alarm should go off. If none of the days is selected, the alarm will go off daily.
Save alarm - saves the alarm and activates it.
Editing the alarm
Select the existing alarm from the list to open a menu with the following options:
Activate/deactivate alarm - an inactive alarm is stored in the phone but will not go off because it is no longer an active alarm.
Change alarm - opens a form menu to change the alarm's time and days.
Delete alarm - deletes the alarm.
Calculator
The Calculator allows performing basic arithmetic operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
To perform the operation, press the confirm button.
To choose a mathematical operator, press the asterisk button.
To input the decimal point, press the hash button.
Calendar
The Calendar application allows creating and tracking the agenda.
Adding new event
To add a new event, select Add new event menu item. This opens a menu form with the following items:
Title - the title of the event (requiredy).
Location - the location of the event, or more information about the event.
Start date - the first day of the event (required).
Start time - the start time of the event. The default value is the whole day event.
End date - the last day of the event.
End time - the end time of the event.
Repetitions - select if the event should be repeated periodically. Set the number of repetitions, the end date of repetitions, or unlimited repetitions.
Reminder - sets the reminder for the event.
Save event - saves the event.
Browsing the agenda
To browse the agenda, select the Agenda menu item. To edit or delete the event, press the confirm button.
Browsing the calendar
To browse the calendar by weeks and days, select the Browse calendar menu item. Select a year, month and week to see the number of events that week. Press the confirm button to browse events by day or by the entireweek.
Find event
To find an event, select the Find menu item and enter the name of the event.
Name days
The Name Days menu item allows browsing name days of the following seven days, finding the date by name, or finding the name by date.
Public holidays
To show public holidays on agenda, select the Settings menu item and set public holiday visibility to visible. To use this function, an internet connection is required to download the list of public holidays.
Flashlight
The Flashlight application turns on the camera's LED light.
Minute timer
The Minute timer is a basic countdown that plays a notification melody after a specified amount of time. When the minute timer is active, other phone functions can be used. To dismiss the alarm press the confirm button or the back button.
Setting the countdown
To set the timer, press the confirm button.
Select the Set time menu item to set hours, minutes, and seconds of the countdown.
Select the Activate menu item to activate the timer.
Pausing and canceling the countdown
While the timer is running, press the confirm button.
Select the Pause menu item to pause the timer at its current time or select the Cancel menu item to stop the timer and reset it to its initial time.
To resume the paused timer, press the confirm button and select the Resume menu item.
Notes
The Notes application allows writing notes.
To edit, send or delete an existing note, select the note in the notes list.
Stopwatch
The Stopwatch is a utility to measure elapsed time. When the stopwatch is active, other phone functions can be used.
To start the stopwatch, press the confirm button to open the menu and select start stopwatch.
To stop the stopwatch, press the confirm button while the stopwatch is running.
To resume the stopwatch, press the confirm button to open the menu and select resume stopwatch.
To restart the stopwatch from zero, press the confirm button to open the menu and select restart stopwatch.
To reset the counter and set time to zero, press the confirm button to open the menu and select zero stopwatch.
Unit converter
The Unit converter allows converting physical units.
To convert units, set input and output unit, value, and select Convert.
Voice recorder
The Voice recorder application allows taking voice memos or recording sound.
To save the recording, press the confirm button while recording.
To pause recording, press the back button while recording. To resume recording, press the confirm button. To save the recording, press the back button while the recording is paused.
To play, rename, share or delete the recording, select the recording in the records list.
Weather
The Weather application shows the current weather of the current location and a forecast for the upcoming three days.
Note: This function requires an internet connection.
Local weather
Shows weather for a location you are currently in. Forecast is visible for three days ahead.
Hourly forecast - an hourly forecast for each day is to be found by selecting the relevant day. Information such as temperature, wind speed or humidity for each hour can be seen.
Details - a more detailed overview of the weather for the given day. Such as sunrise, sunset, UV index or air quality index.
UV index
Ultraviolet index, which shows the intensity of solar radiation. The higher the UV index, the stronger sunscreen you should be using under the sun.
Air quality index
It tells how clean or polluted the air is in your location. The lower the Air quality index is, the healthier air is outside. Air quality index is available only for the current day, because it cannot be predicted and the data is taken "freshly measured".
Find a city
To search for a city, select the Find a city menu item, which opens search bar. Any city of any country can be found. Searched city can be also saved to favorites.
Favorites
List of saved cities can be found here or deleted.
Settings
Adjust temperature, wind speed and pressure to your liking.
Temperature - can be switched between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Wind speed - options such as kilometers per hour, meters per second, miles per hour and knots can be selected.
Pressure - millibars, hectopascals, millimeters of mercury or inches of mercury can be selected.
File manager
File manager is a tool for browsing and working with files and folders on your phone. Both internal memory and SD card can be accessed.
Browse files
In this mode, internal memory and SD card can be browsed. Each item contains information whether it is a folder or file. Files, if the type is supported, can be opened directly from the File manager in the appropriate application. Files or folders can be copied or moved to another location of your choice. Folders can also be renamed or deleted. All these functions are available in the menu by selecting the corresponding folder or file.
Copying, moving and pasting a file or a folder
Copy or move operations can be performed with each file or folder. To copy or move a file or a folder, open the folder or file menu and select copy or move. Then the file or the folder is saved to the clipboard. Then browse to where you want to copy or move the file or the folder and select copy here or move here from the folder menu. If you choose to copy, the original file will remain unchanged when pasted to the new location. If the move option is selected, the file or the folder will be moved from the old location to the new one.
Creating a new folder or a new text document
A new text document or a new empty folder can be created in the folder by selecting the More options menu item.
Archive manager
The Archive manager is a part of the File manager and allows working with archive files (ZIP files). An archive file can be extracted to a folder. To do so, open the archive file and choose Open in Archive manager. It is also possible to create a new archive file from a folder or file. Select file or folder and then choose Open in Archive manager or select Archive manager menu item respectively.
Text editor
The File manager contains a simple text editor. You can write and edit simple text documents in the Text editor. To open the file in the Text editor, locate the text document, open it, and choose Open in Text editor.
Settings
The File manager has settings that modify work with files.
Sort files and folders - sets the order in which the folders and files will be sorted (by name, by last modified, by size). By default, files and folders are sorted by name.
Show file extension - sets whether file extensions should be displayed.
Note: If Show file extension is enabled, extension of file can be edited afterward. Changing file's extension can cause a problem when opening the file. By default, extensions are not shown.
Install and manage applications
Here you can find and install all kinds of new applications into your phone, list applications that are installed on your phone, manage them or uninstall them. Settings related to applications updates can be found here, too.
BlindShell App Catalog
BlindShell App Catalog contains applications that were developed by the BlindShell and their control and interface fit the BlindShell phone environment. In the Catalog, you can browse recommended packages for you, search specific packages, check applications recently added to the Catalog, or browse all packages sorted into categories.
Third-party apps
In the third-party apps, you can find applications developed by other companies than BlindShell. Third-party applications are not verified or endorsed by BlindShell, thus BlindShell is not responsible for any issues resulting from the use of these applications and installation is at your own risk. Popular third-party apps for your localization are listed in the corresponding menu item, other apps can be found and installed via Search a third-party application menu item. The downloaded applications will be saved to the category of Third-party apps.
Installed packages
In installed packages you can find applications installed either from BlindShell App Catalog or Third-party apps. You can also open them here, read information about package, view history or changes, or manage advanced options, where you can delete temporary data or delete application data.
Delete Temporary Data: This option clears internal data saved by the application, excluding user data. It is useful if the app is behaving unusually.
Delete Application Data: This option removes all app data, returning the application to its original state as it was after the first installation.
Note: Preinstalled apps cannot be uninstalled but they may be deactivated in the Advanced options of the package. When the package is deactivated, it will not be shown in the Applications of the phone.
Update
Here you can see available updates for installed applications, update all packages at once, or browse the history of recently updated applications.
Settings
Automatic updates can be enabled here. You can choose to automatically update either only through WiFi or WiFI and mobile data. You can also choose no automatic updates - when selected, updates of apps have to be done manually through the Update menu item. Notifications about application updates can be enabled or disabled here. You can also be notified about new applications in the BlindShell Catalog.
Settings
Sounds
Profiles
Active profile
The Active Profile menu item allows setting the sound profile used for incoming calls, messages, and other notifications. To quickly access these settings, long press the hash button.
The following profiles are available:
Ringtone and vibrations.
Vibration only.
Ringtone without vibrations.
Silent without vibrations.
Airplane mode - suspends phone's radio-frequency signal transmission technologies (Bluetooth, telephony, and Wi-Fi).
Night mode
Night mode menu item allows settings the night and day profiles, which switch at a specified time.
Toggle the Night mode state by pressing the confirm button
To set start and end time of the Night mode, select the Start time or End time menu item.
To choose the night profile, select the Night profile menu item.
To choose the day profile, select the Day profile menu item.
You can still manually change an active the profile using the "Active profile" menu item or by long-pressing the Hash key from the main screen.
Volume
The Volume menu item allows setting the volume level for incoming calls, notifications, alarms, and the phone's sound feedback.
Melodies
The Melodies menu item allows setting a melody for incoming calls, notifications, and alarms. To set a custom melody, copy the melody file to the phone's internal storage. For ringtones use the Ringtones folder, for notifications use the Notifications folder, and for alarm use the Alarms folder.
Voice output
The Voice output menu item allows setting the properties of the phone's voice output. The following properties can be changed or set:
Speech rate.
Voice variant (only if supported by the language).
Language detection - when set, voice output is pronounced in detected language. Only if supported by the language
Voice output muting - when set, voice output is disabled.
Feedback
The Feedback menu item allows setting the additional feedback of sound and vibrations. This feedback supplements the voice output while operating the phone.
Sound and vibration
Only sound
Only vibrations
No sounds, no vibrations
Announcements
Incoming call caller announcement - when set, caller name is announced automatically during incoming call. Otherwise, press the right action button to announce the caller's name.
Locked keyboard announcement - when set, the phone announces that it is locked when any key is pressed multiple times when the phone is locked.
Menu position indication - when set, voice output is supplemented by information about the current position in a menu and menu items count (e.g., "two of five")
Battery level announcement on the main screen.
Announce when battery is running out of power.
Notify when battery is fully charged.
Notification reminder
The Notification reminder menu item allows setting a reminder of missed notifications. When there is any new missed notification, the phone plays a soft beep every five minutes. This periodic beeping dismisses when the new missed event is checked.
Automatic speakerphone
The Automatic speakerphone menu item allows turning on or off automatic speakerphone during a phone call. When turned on, voice output automatically switches to a loudspeaker when the phone is moved away from the ear during a phone call.
Main screen sound
An introduction sound on the main screen can be enabled or disabled here.
Keyboard
Keypad lock
The Keypad lock menu item allows setting the keypad lock. The keypad lock is intended to prevent unwanted presses of the phone's keys. The following options are available:
Manual keypad lock - the keypad can be locked only manually by long-pressing the asterisk key. To unlock the keypad, long press the asterisk key.
Automatic or manual keypad lock - the keypad is locked automatically after the screen timeout time or manually by long-pressing the asterisk key.
No keypad lock - the keypad lock is disabled.
Tip: To read back the current time when the keypad is locked, press the confirm button. The keypad remains locked.
Reading during deleting characters
The Reading during deleting characters menu item allows setting what is announced while deleting characters in a text input. The following options are available:
Read the last remaining character after deletion.
Read deleted character.
Repeating during writing characters
The Repeating during writing characters menu item allows setting the repeating of written text during text input. The following options are available:
Repeat word after you write space.
Repeat the whole text after you write space.
Don't repeat.
Capital letters signaling
The Capital letters signaling menu item allows setting how capital letters are signaled in a text input. The following options are available:
Signal verbally - announces "capital" when typing capital letters.
Signal with higher-pitched voice - changes the pitch of voice output when typing capital letters.
Don't signal - signaling of capital letters is disabled.
Reading of characters during writing
The Reading of characters during writing menu item allows settings if characters will be read during writing. The following options are available:
Read characters - announces all characters during writing.
Don't read letters - announces other characters than letters.
Don't read any character - reading of characters during writing is disabled.
Emoticons list
Edit emoticons list - Emoticons can be deleted or moved up or down in the list Add - Search to add emoticon Delete all - This action will delete all emoticons Reset to default - After resetting to default, the list of emoticons will be set to default.
Dictation mode
The Dictation mode menu item allows choosing offline or online speech recognition. The following options are available:
Use online speech recognition when network available - uses online speech recognition when available, otherwise offline speech recognition is used.
Always use offline speech recognition - online speech recognition is disabled.
Note: This menu item is available only for languages with offline speech recognition. Supported languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian.
External keyboard layout
The External keyboard layout menu item allows setting which external keyboard layout is used.
Note: This menu item is available only when external keyboard connected.
Display
Brightness setting
The Brightness setting menu item allows changing the display brightness. A higher level means a brighter screen but a shorter battery life. A Screen fully dim means the screen is turned off - this may support privacy and extend battery life.
Screen timeout
The Screen timeout menu item allows setting a period of inactivity. After this period, the phone goes into sleep mode to save battery power. To wake up the phone from sleep mode, press any key. When the automatic keypad lock is enabled, the phone keypad is also locked. In this case, long press the asterisk button to unlock the keypad.
Color scheme
The Color scheme menu item allows selecting different color schemes of the phone's environment. The first color denotes the text color, the second is the background color. The following options are available:
White on black.
Black on white.
White on blue.
Black on yellow.
Yellow on black.
Blue on white.
Yellow on blue.
Blue on yellow.
Red on black.
Black on red.
Gray on black.
Black on gray.
Main menu style
The Main menu style menu item allows changing the graphic appearance of the main menu. The following options are available:
Icons and text.
Only text.
Icons only.
Text size
The Text size menu item allows changing the font size used in the phone's environment. The following options are available:
Normal text size.
Huge text size - this option may break the word wrapping, and a single word may occupy multiple lines.
Notification LED light
The Notification LED light menu item allows setting if notification LED light at the front of the phone should be used to indicate notifications. LED light colors distinguish different types of notifications:
Missed calls are indicated by a red light.
Missed SMS messages are indicated by a blue light.
Other missed events are indicated by a green light.
Networks
WiFi
The WiFi menu item allows connecting to a WiFi network.
To enable WiFi connection, select the Enable WiFi menu item.
To connect to a WiFi network, select the WiFi network in the Network list and then select Connect to network. If the WiFi network is protected by a password, enter the password.
To connect to a hidden WiFi network, select the Connect to hidden network menu item. Then enter the SSID (name) and password.
To connect to a WiFi network that requires login, proceed to the Internet Browser and fill in the login details.
WiFi hotspot
The WiFi hotspot allows to share mobile data over WiFi.
To activate a WiFi hotspot, select the Turn on the WiFi hotspot menu item.
Activation of the WiFi hotspot will disconnect the current WiFi connection.
To deactivate the WiFi hotspot, select the Turn off the WiFi hotspot menu item.
To change login details for the WiFi hotpot network, select the Settings menu item.
Note: This menu item is available only when a SIM card is present in the phone.
WiFi connection via text file
WiFi connection can be established using a text file stored in the phone's internal storage.
Copy a text file named wifi.txt to the root folder of the phone's internal storage.
Write the name of the WiFi network on the first line of the file.
Write the network password on the second line of the file.
The password in the file will be automatically used when connecting to this specified network.
Bluetooth
The Bluetooth menu item allows connecting and managing Bluetooth devices.
How to pair a new device
Enable the pairing mode on the Bluetooth device. Some devices are in the pairing mode by default when turned on and out of signal. Other devices have a special key or combination of keys that will trigger the pairing mode. This is device-specific and can be found in the manual of the device.
Turn on Bluetooth and select the Scan for devices option. The scan may take up to half a minute, then the nearby devices are listed.
To pair a device, select the device in the list. Pairing may take a few seconds.
Some devices may require entering a verification code. In this case, enter a code provided by the BlindShell phone to the external Bluetooth device.
To unpair a device, select the device in the Paired devices list and select Unpair device.
Connecting and disconnecting a device
A newly paired device is usually connected automatically. To connect (or disconnect) a device manually, select the device in the Paired devices list and select Connect device (or Disconnect device).
Important notice:
Before you can connect a paired device, you usually need to turn it on by a switch on the device. Some devices may turn themselves off after a period of inactivity.
There are a vast number of Bluetooth devices on the market. BlindShell cannot guarantee compatibility with every device available. Your BlindShell vendor might be able to give you advice or offer you a tested model.
Due to possible radio interference and due to the nature of the Bluetooth protocol itself, there is no guarantee that a device will be found during the scan procedure. If the device is not listed or cannot be paired, make sure it is still in the pairing mode and then try the procedure again. If the problem persists, make sure there is no strong source of interference in your area, like another Bluetooth device, a WiFi router, or other radio devices.
Mobile network
Mobile data
The Mobile data menu item provides administration of mobile data. The device uses the best possible connection type currently available. For information on the current connection type, see the phone status information (press the left action button).
Mobile data switch menu item allows turning the mobile data on and off.
APN settings menu item allows configuration of mobile network access points.
Mobile data usage menu item provides detailed information about mobile data usage.
Note: This menu item is available only when a SIM card is present in the phone.
Pin code
The Pin code menu item allows activating, deactivating, or changing the PIN code. When enabled, the PIN code is requested at the phone startup.
Important notice: If you enter the PIN code incorrectly three times in a row, your SIM card will be temporarily blocked and a PUK code will be requested. If you enter the PUK code incorrectly ten times in a row, your SIM card will be blocked permanently.
Note: This menu item is available only when a SIM card is present in the phone.
Call forwarding
In call forwarding you can choose in which cases you’d like to forward a call to another SIM. You can choose forwarding call to other number in case you are busy or when call is unanswered.
Advanced call settings
In advanced call settings, you can set up various of options. SIM 1 or 2 can be chose to set voicemail or call waiting.
Connection test
The Connection test menu item runs an internet connection test. The result provides information about internet connection quality and BlindShell server availability.
SIM cards
The SIM cards menu item allows managing preferred SIM cards for outgoing calls, outgoing messages, or data transfers.
Note: This menu item is available only when two SIM cards are present in the phone.
Favorite applications
The Favorite applications menu item allows managing the list of favorite applications. This list is quickly accessible by pressing the side action button. To add an app to favorites, select the Add favorite application menu item. To remove an app from favorites or change its position in the list, select the application by pressing the confirm button.
Tip: To switch between applications, use the side button. For example, if you have your email and another app saved in favorites, you can quickly jump from the email to the other app and return to the original one using the back button.
Screen Reader
List item announcement - It announces the order of items below each other in the 3rd party application as follows example: 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3.
Grid item announcement - It announces rows and columns for certain items in 3rd party application, such as photos in the album.
Luna voice assistant
This menu item allows changing properties of Luna voice assistant.
Luna with AI features - if enabled Luna will use AI to provide extended features in interacting with the phone and applications, can answer trivia questions or search for you in the Internet browser. To enable, you’ll be asked to consent with the terms and conditions.
SD Card Format
Formatting an SD card means preparing it for use by erasing all existing data and setting up a new file system. This process makes the card ready to store new files.
Before formatting, make sure to copy any important files to another device, as formatting will erase everything on the card.
What can the SD Card Format be used for:
To erase all data: Formatting completely deletes all files on the SD card.
To fix errors: If your SD card has errors or is not working correctly, formatting can often fix these issues.
Note: This menu item is available only if SD card is inserted.
Date, time and time zone
The Date, time and time zone menu item allows turning on and off automatic time and date, changing time format and time zone.
To enable automatic time and date, select the Time and date menu item. When enabled, time and date are automatically set from the network. The SIM card has to be present on the phone.
To manually set the time and date, disable automatic time and date first.
Language
The Language menu item allows changing the default language of the phone.
System update
The System update menu item allows updating the phone's software. The updates bring new features, enhance current features, and fix bugs. A new update is announced via notification.
To manually check for updates, select the Check for update menu item. If an update is available, select Download update and then Install update. To install an update, an internet connection is required.
Important notice:
The update process takes several minutes. You will be informed about the progress of the update. During the update, the phone speaks in a robotic voice.
Do not turn off your phone or do other actions with your phone during the update process. Doing so might result in damaging the phone's software, making it necessary to send the phone for repair.
The last option is Show history of changes. This section contains information about software versions and changes.
About phone
The About phone menu item provides technical information about the phone such as software version, storage usage and network information. Also allows access to a Service menu with a factory reset and backup option.
Software versions
Informations about system version, ROM version or GIT are stored here.
Network details
Informations about SIM, WiFi IP address or Bluetooth MAC address are stored here.
Service menu
The service menu is a feature that simplifies certain service operations. For the service menu, the phone has to reboot in a special mode, outside of the ordinary operating system. The service menu is not a part of the BlindShell system and receiving calls and other standard phone functions are not available. To leave the Service menu, select the Restart phone menu item.
Backup data
The Backup data function will create a file containing internal user data. The backup function does not save data stored on an SD memory card if present.
To backup data, insert an SD memory card or USB C flash drive into the phone. If both are present, the backup file will be saved on the SD memory card.
Select the Backup data menu item.
Select backup type, following options are available: Full backup will save users preferences of applications and phone settings, including media stored in the internal storage of the phone. Full backup without media does the same excluding media stored in the internal storage of the phone.
The backup file will be generated with the timestamp and the ".backup" extension.
Restore data
The Restore data function allows restoring user data from a backup file previously created using the Backup data function. The backup file has to be stored on an SD memory card or USB C flash drive inserted in the phone.
Important notice: Your data will be overwritten by the Restore data operation.
Factory reset
The Factory reset menu item will perform a so-called factory reset of the phone. During this operation, all user data will be wiped and the phone will return to its original state.
Backup Phone and Application Data
The backup feature allows you to create and restore backups of application data. Backups are saved to the SD card, from where they can be restored later. They can also be transferred via the SD card to another BlindShell Classic 3 phone for restoration.
Creating Backups
If the backup feature is enabled, backups are created automatically in the background approximately once per day.
To create a backup manually:
Confirm the "Manual Backup" menu item.
To back up all applications, select "Backup Everything."
To back up a specific application, select the "Select Application" menu item.
Backup Packages List
To view or manage backup packages, confirm the "Backup Packages List" menu item.
After selecting a backup package in the "Backup Packages List," you can:
View individual backups in the package by confirming the "Contents" menu item.
Restore all backups in the package by confirming the "Restore" menu item.
View the storage structure and sizes of backups in the package by selecting the "Storage Usage" menu item.
Restoring Backups
To restore a backup of an application:
Select the "Contents" menu item.
Select the desired package.
Confirm the package and choose the "Restore Backup" menu item.
To delete a backup of an application:
Select the "Contents" menu item.
Select the desired package.
Confirm the package and choose the "Delete Backup" menu item.
Data Migration
Data migration is a one-time operation designed to transfer user data from a BlindShell Classic 2 to a new BlindShell Classic 3. It involves creating backups on the BlindShell Classic 2, transferring them along with a list of installed applications, and restoring the data on the BlindShell Classic 3. Data is transferred using Wi-Fi Direct technology.
At the start of the migration, you can choose whether to transfer the contents of the media folders in the phone's internal storage (e.g., Music, Movies, Documents, Podcasts). Media data can also be transferred separately (e.g., using a computer via MTP or the File Manager to transfer files to an SD card). Including media data in the migration package significantly increases its size, requiring more free space on both devices and extending the transfer time.
Important Notices
BlindShell Classic 3 must be connected to the internet for a successful migration. BlindShell Classic 2 does not require an internet connection.
Both devices must be charged to at least 25% or connected to a charger to start the migration.
Restoring application backups from BlindShell Classic 2 will overwrite any existing data for those applications on BlindShell Classic 3.
Free space is required to create the migration package. If an SD card is inserted, it will be used for this purpose.
If you have many apps with large amounts of data or include internal storage media, the process may take longer. In extreme cases, the migration process can take up to an hour.
Only application data smaller than 150 MB will be transferred.
Data transfer uses Wi-Fi Direct technology on the 5 GHz band. Transfer speed may vary depending on local Wi-Fi interference and environmental conditions.
Third-party applications (except Popular apps) will not be automatically installed on BlindShell Classic 3. However, if a third-party app supports backup functionality, its data will be included in the migration package. These backups can be restored manually after reinstalling the app on BlindShell Classic 3.
Performing Migration
1. Place the BlindShell Classic 2 and BlindShell Classic 3 phones next to each other.
2. On the BlindShell Classic 3:
Connect the phone to the internet (via Wi-Fi or a SIM card with mobile data). A Wi-Fi connection or unlimited mobile data plan is recommended, as downloading applications may exceed data plan limits.
Launch "Migrate Data from BlindShell Classic 2" in the "Settings" menu and confirm your intention to proceed.
3. On the BlindShell Classic 2:
Dial *#123# from the main screen and confirm the "Migrate Data to BlindShell Classic 3" option.
Confirm your intention to proceed.
4. Monitor the creation of the migration package on the BlindShell Classic 2. Progress for individual applications will be displayed.
5. Devices will automatically connect and data transfer will commence.
6. Observe the transfer of the migration package from the BlindShell Classic 2 to the BlindShell Classic 3.
7. After the transfer is complete, a success sound will play on the BlindShell Classic 2.
8. On the BlindShell Classic 3:
Monitor the extraction of the migration package into the phone's storage.
Observe the download and installation of applications.
Monitor the restoration of application data.
9. Once the migration is complete, the BlindShell Classic 3 will restart and be ready for use.
Manual
The Manual menu item contains this document structured in sections.
Open BlindShell manual - A whole manual can be found here. After pressing the confirm button, options such as Contents and Search will be displayed.
Browse application manuals - Manuals to a certain application can be found here.
Global search - Search globally through the whole manuals by keywords.
Turn off the phone
The Turn off the phone menu item will turn off the phone. The confirmation of this action is required.
Missed notifications and information about phone status
To show status information about the phone, short press the left action button. This action is available anytime while using the phone. The list contains the following information:
Notifications - select to list missed notifications.
Current time and date - select to open the Calendar application.
WiFi state - select to open WiFi settings.
Bluetooth state - select to open Bluetooth settings.
Network state - select to turn on/off mobile data.
Battery state.
Quick menu
Long press the left action button to display a quick menu where you can easily access various settings and functions. When it is possible, a copy text option is available.
Favorite applications
To quickly access favorite applications, press the side action button. This opens a customizable list of applications that have been added to favorites. To add an app to favorites, select the Add favorite application menu item. For further adjustments, such as ordering the applications in the list, go to the phone's settings.
Technical specification
Connectivity
GSM (2G): 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA (3G): B1/B2/B4/B5/B8
FDD-LTE (4G): B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B17/B20/B25/B26/B28/B66/B71
TDD-LTE (4G): B38/B40/B41
VoLTE
Bluetooth: 4.2
WiFi: 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
GNSS: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou
FM radio receiver
NFC
Hardware
Dimensions: 135.2 x 54.6 x 16.7 mm
Weight: 100 g (phone), 49 g (battery)
Display: 2.83" (480 x 640)
Memory (RAM): 3 GB
Internal storage: 32 GB (user accessible 22 GB)
External storage: micro SD memory card up to 128 GB (FAT32)
Camera: 13 MP
SIM Card: Dual micro-SIM
Battery: 3000 mAh
Loudspeaker: 1.5 W
Microphone: Dual microphone, noise reduction
3.5 stereo audio jack
USB Type-C
Buttons: SOS, Volume, Side action button
Indication LED
Camera LED flashlight
LED flashlight
Sensors
Magnetometer
Barometer
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Proximity sensor
Light sensor
Certifications
CE, FCC, IC, ICASA, ACMA, RoHS, HAC, UN38.3, MSDS, IEC 62133
HAC: M3/T3


Cobolt Systems Ltd
The Old Mill House, Mill Road,
 Reedham, Norwich, Norfolk, 
NR13 3TL, England
Tel: 01493 700172  
Fax: 01493 701037
Email: sales@cobolt.co.uk
Website: www.cobolt.co.uk