How to customize your Sidekick 3 background
Here is a quick and dirty tutorial about how to customize your Sidekick 3 background in 10 easy steps, which is ever so necessary as the default ones from T-Mobile are atrocious.
Step 1 ) Plug the USB cable that came with your Sidekick 3 into your computer and into your Sidekick.
Step 2 ) Navigate to the drive where your Sidekick was mounted. (In most cases your computer will auto-detect and you may choose to browse the files in the folder, however you may need to double-click My Computer and then access the letter drive the Sidekick was assigned to)
Step 3 ) Once on the Sidekick drive on your computer, make a new folder called Themes
Step 4 ) Now make another new folder inside of the newly created Themes folder, calling it whatever you want the name of your custom theme to be.
Step 5 ) Select the main picture you want to use for your theme, this image should be a PNG or JPG file and must have dimensions of 240×138.
Step 6 ) Select the picture that you want to use for your sub-categories. (For example when you click Instant Messaging or Organizer on your Sidekick 3) Again, this image should be a PNG or JPG file and must have dimensions of 240×138.
Step 7 ) Open any text editor program, Notepad will do just nicely, and copy and paste the following into a blank file:
# ThemeName #
string Name(en_US) ThemeName
bitmap ring-background FileNumberOne.png
bitmap ring-folder-background FileNumberTwo.png
- Substitute the name of the folder you created in Step 4 with ThemeName
- Change FileNumberOne to the name of the image you selected in Step 5
- Change FileNumberTwo to the name of the image you selected in Step 6
- Save this file as Theme.txt
Step 8 ) Copy all of the files (2 images and Theme.txt) into the folder created in Step 4
Step 9 ) Make sure all of the files transferred to the folder and unplug your Sidekick 3 from the USB cable
Step 10 ) Go to backgrounds on your Sidekick 3 and select your newly created one and enjoy!
Example of my Sidekick 3 background:
I would like to know how to put my own ringtones onto the Sidekick3.
I have done it all the time with my other phones but I just can’t figure it out on this phone.
And also, I have no idea how to send pictures through text on this phone either, I only know how to send them through email on this phone, how do I send them through text?
@ Jason – you can find a number of tutorials on how to create transparent images here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=create+transparent+image&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
As for the screensaver, not really sure what you’re referencing, unless you mean background, in which case this post outlines how to do that.
@ Andrey – You have to buy ringtones through the Sidekick (I think it’s the top menu option). As for picture messages, according to the Sidekick 3 features page on T-Mobile.com the Sidekick 3 does not have picture messaging capability (but as you mentioned you can send via email):
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?tp=tb2&device=7a083f08-7f33-4941-ba63-d6904503dc71
Thanks… When I said screen saver i meant the Sidekick 3 logo when u have key guard on appreciate all the help…
Jason
to change your screen saver on you sidekick go to settings, then down to key guard & security and it’ll have the sidekick 3 logo on the top left corner. just click it and choose the picture logo and from there you’ll be able to select what ever photo you want as a screen saver =;-)
jon –
I made the sound file, and I put it in the folder of the theme. After googling around. I coverted it to Wav, file is 30k, everything is in the text file, just not working when I open or close. Theme works fine, so does icons, all .png works best. I have photoshop, so that makes it a lot easier. Any ideas on the sound?
ok so how do i know if:
Step 9 ) Make sure all of the files transferred to the folder and unplug your Sidekick 3 from the USB cable
?
NOTE*You must have both an open and close sound for it to work.
@ Ian – thanks for posting your resolution to the sound problem for all to see.
@ Justine – just go into the device when it’s plugged in via USB and go into the folder and make sure all the files are on the Sidekick.
Jon,
I followed your instructions for changing the SK3 backgroung and it worked, thanks.
But, I can not get rid of the people!!!
I have tried all the combos of your value line.
Could you spell it out like you did for the background change.
Thanks
E/S
I love this site, it has helped me so much customizing my sk3, but i was wondering aside from the girl and guy on the phone selection, is there any way to remove the other icons (i.e. email, text messages, address book, etc). I want it to be just like the phone, and remove the picture and not the words, so if you have a code like that, could you post it up please?
i tried the other codes you had
bitmap chooser-category-im-large {im-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-im-small {im-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-games-large {games-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-games-small {games-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-apps-large {phone-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-apps-small {phone-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-pim-large {pim-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-pim-small {pim-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-sms-large {sms-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-sms-small {sms-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-multimedia-apps-large {mutlimedia-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-multimedia-apps-small {mutlimedia-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-network-games-large {network-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-network-games-small {network-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-services-large {services-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-services-small {services-icon-small.png}
bitmap chooser-category-midlets-large {midlets-icon-large.png}
bitmap chooser-category-midlets-small {midlets-icon-small.png}
and only a few changed. the IM, Games, Apps, and Organizer were the only ones to change. nothing else changed. am i doing the codes wrong or are the codes wrong. (everything in the {} i changed to mypic.png)
One quick question. Is it possible to change the titles that show up such as “Phone” and “Address Book” to something different?
Will this work on SK LX?
i followed all of the steps but when i select the background i want it doesn’t show up… what di i do wrong
This website was amazing it helped so much just one question I have a my fav 5 plan and I was wondering if you knew the code to change that
I have the Sidekick LX and I have created few themes and they work great, that includes changing the background1 and background 2. changing the sound to open and close the screen, changing the logos (games, organizer, applications,phone messaging, and instant messaging) I have changed the bubbles behind the icons. and I have taken off the big icon of the phone.
But I would like to know:
1. how to change the other icons (catalog, email, phone, my faves, address book, web browser, camera, and music)
2. how to take off all the other big icons
3. how to use my music as ring tones without having to download it from the catalog.
If anyone knows the answers, I would really appreciate it.
I did everything in the instructions, however on my sidekick when I go to Backgrounds, I see my file that I created but when I choose it, it doesn’t show my backgrounds. Did I do something wrong?
no you “CAN NOT” use your own music as a ringtone, you have to use the catalog for rintones. **sorry
oh by the way, is there anyway to change the “T-Mobile” service logo in the top left corner?
jon,
check dis now all my frnds hav metropcs..
I tried 2 send dem pix on the email on fone
to therenumber@mms.metropcs.net y dosent it work is there a way 2 send pix 2 metro fones?
I can’t see da icons on aim mine’ or anybody elses for the past 3 days now I tried reseting the phone more than once and still nothin can you help me pleaseeeeeeeeeee
How do I delete a custom theme?
I tried doing that and it never showed up on my sidekick I tried a bunch of times it will show on my computer that it is on my phone but when i look under backgrounds on my phone it’s not there
i followed all the directions for how to set a picture as my background but when i go on my phone (ThemeName) come up but when i apply it my picture don’t come up can you please help me
I would love to change the icons, but could you please let us know which ones change which icons and if they work on the slide as well. Thank you.
im compleately lost…..
the 1 thing I wanna find out is when ur scrooling down to look for a application, there is a buble around the icon, I wanna know if dat bubble can be changed 2 sumding else (my friend has the lx nd istead of a bubble she has lyk a splash of paint) if so i wanna kno how. thanksz. hope u can help.
Dude.. thanks for the 411. Worked great, i sampled a whole mess of Amen breaks and now my sk3 is rockin. i dont understand why everyone has so many problems. i think you spelled the whole procedure out quite clearly. Resizing images and sampling/converting .WAV is kindergarden work. Awsome, A++ …. as for the bubble issue… you would have to find out what the bubble’s file name, size, and wether the transparency is pre-set (I.E. photosho layer) or if the sk3 creates the transparency. Possibly theres 2 images for the icons… 1 for bubble, and 1 for no bubble. Gonna play around when i get out of work=)
i have a sidekick 3 and i want to get the LX. the guy at tmobile said that i could find out how to take my starwars and transformers backgrounds and music from one to the other. is it really possible? i hate to lose those!
yeah i followed the directions and my theme name came up under backgrounds however when i select this option my background does not change? did i miss something here? please if anyone knows how to fix this please comment thanks
i did all this n it show up n errthin but when i go to set it nuttin change…
how do u change the thing were it says t-mobile?
Everything works but the people are still there
help?
question answered how to put multiple themes on sk3. After making the theme folder, click it and open it now here is where you would put your multiple themes, by making a new folder for each theme. Sometimes it doesnt work, but I have 4 of them that does, and the rest don’t, I may just need to change it, but the ones that don’t work can still be applied as theme, the audio doesn’t play. also here is a site that has themes with mp3 http://www.sk3themes.com/
i dont have a backround folder on my phone
I will try it out
looks like it’s working
I’ve looked everywhere and I cant find a way to get the people and other things like that that are on the sidekick3. I’ve got my own background, but the icon things are still there. How do I get rid of those?
how can i change the icons plx help me i have a sk3 plx
how do i remove the sidekick people (the girl with purple hair n the guy behind her) from my phone its annoying 2 see them dere pllz reply 2 my aol cuz i check it evry day
xxlababii09xx@aol.com dats my aol
i just figured out how to do trick the mobile into putting any image onto the hiptop when keyguard is activated..
first take a picture with your hiptop, then plug in the usb and find the picture.
in that same folder paste the image you want to have as your ss (i renamed it to IMG10044.JPG – though I am not sure you have to do this and i cbf confirming.)
then unplug and goto settings > keyguard and security and find your “photo image” =p
hope i helped people.
Could you please explain a different way of selecting themes and the whole notepad thing….also you said go to settings and then backgrounds i dont have a background option is there something that i am suppose to have downloaded on my phone?