If you don't happen to be one of the lucky BlackBerry 10 owners that was issued a new software update, you aren't totally out of luck. After doing a bit of research, we found that even if you aren't on a carrier that has pushed a new OS version, you can still manually update your device software using BlackBerry Link or the BlackBerry Software updates page from the web. The process isn't 100% guaranteed to work for everyone , but it's worth a shot if you want to load up the latest OS.

There are two ways to try to force a software update on your device. This can most times be done with the SIM installed, however if you are having trouble finding any updates you may want to try removing the SIM card and then giving it a go.

Also, be sure to do a full backup of your device before you try to update the OS. Your device will restore to the factory defaults and you'll lose all of your date. You'll also need to reinstall any sideloaded Android apps you had previously after the update. Note here too that I did this with a factory unlocked device. If your device is locked to a carrier there is a good chance this process won't work for you. As always - use caution when updating your device OS. If you break anything it's not our fault :-)

Update from the web

The first method is to use the BlackBerry Software Upates page from the web. You'll need to be on a Windows PC for this one as well.

Plug your BlackBerry 10 device into your PC, then fire up your web browser and head to the BlackBerry Software Updates page. Scroll down a bit and you'll see Updates on the web.

Click the Check for updates box and if any new software is available to you, you can then proceed with the update. Keep in mind it may take a while for the update to complete - so go grab a snack and wait it out.

If nothing shows, you may be out of luck but you can still try the method below instead.

Update using BlackBerry Link

Make sure you have the latest version of BlackBerry Link installed.

Connect your BlackBerry 10 device. Once it's recognized by BlackBerry Link, click the gear icon to access the settings page.

From here you should see the option to reload device software. Click the button to start the process. Your device may reboot a time or two in between.

If any new software is found, you'll see a prompt and can begin the installation. As above, make sure you backed up your device first and you have some time to kill as the update will take a while.

If neither of these options work for you, you can always try tracking down a SIM card for the carriers pushing out the updates. Rumor has it that even unprovisioned SIM cards will let you grab an OS update OTA on your device.