Did you know the iPhone Contacts application does more than storing phone numbers? No? Then, you need to start using the Contacts app to its full potential. Let us tell you how you can unleash the hidden power of this app.
Organize Contacts into Groups
Do you have a music group or book club group you need to text for an upcoming meeting? Cannot remember all the names of the group members? This is where grouping contacts come to the rescue. iPhone users can easily manage the grouped contacts either via the Contacts app on the Mac or in iCloud using the Groups feature. Then, the groups sync across devices for easy access.
Groups are perfect for sending messages to multiple family members, colleagues, or other groups of friends enjoying shared activities. Thanks to groups, you don’t have to worry about accidentally excluding someone.
You can create a contact group on your iPhone by opening the Phone app > Contacts tab > Lists > Add List > choose which account you want > add a name to the list > tap done. You can repeat the process to add several names to the group.
Merge Contacts
Don’t let duplicate contacts take up a lot of space on your iPhone. The Contacts App is capable of automatically detecting and merging duplicate contacts. You can check this by tapping All Contacts from the Lists screen. If there are any duplicates, you will see a message saying how many duplicate contacts were found.
Sometimes, the duplicate contacts remain on your phone and go undetected. You can manually merge. How to merge all contacts on iPhone? Once the duplicates are discovered, you can tap the View Duplicates link to view those contacts and then tap Merge All > Merge Duplicates to merge them into one contact. Or, if you want to leave the duplicates in place, you can tap Ignore All.
Add More information to the Stored Contacts
The Contacts app lets you fill out more information about a contact beyond the person’s name, number, and email address. This will ensure you have more information about your saved contacts, such as their addresses, alternate numbers, birthdays, anniversaries, and other information you may want to add. By adding more information, you can use Siri to quickly call or message the contact from your list.
Have Multiple Contact Lists
All your saved contacts are stored in a single list by default. But you can divide them into different lists, such as friends, family, colleagues, etc. Launch the application and choose the Lists link > tap Add List and enter a name > tap Done.
You can repeat the process as required. If you want to rename a list, choose the list > press down on it > tap Rename. Similarly, if you want to remove a list, press down on it and select Delete.
You can add people to your new list by tapping one from the Lists screen and then choosing Add Contacts. You can choose the individual contacts you wish to add and tap Done.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the contacts to add them to the list. This can be done by opening the main contacts list and pressing down on the contact name. Then, drag it and add it to a specific list.
If you want to remove a contact from a list you created, open the list, swipe the contact’s name to the left, and tap Remove.
Please note that removing someone from a created contact list doesn’t remove them from the main contact list.
Create a Contacts Card Worth Sharing
It is important to have a contact entry for yourself so you can treat it as a digital address book. This contact card can be shared with people so they can quickly save your information on their devices. But you must be careful not to give out sensitive details. Information like relationship connections, contacts, and addresses are usually private. So, if you are hesitant to give them away, you can create a contact card for yourself that can be shared with new acquaintances.
In the Contacts app, make a new entry of yourself with public-friendly details. You can add things like your work number and social media handles. You can even write a description of your first meeting in the notes area and then send it. This will ensure you never forget the beginning of how you met someone. Also, you can add a photo. Finally, share the contact card by choosing Share Contact or AirDrop it.
Wrap-Up
The Contacts app on your iPhone is much more powerful than what you imagined. The app can help you store names and numbers, along with other intimate details. This will ensure you never forget another birthday or anniversary of your close friends and family. By adding more details, you can better use Siri to quickly send a text or call one of your contacts.