Managing Contacts

[downsized]

Again, forgive me as I am (obviously) a newbie.

I bought a touch about 2 months ago, and have been delighted with it, so much so that I pre-ordered a 3GS.

My question is (and I have spent some time searching for a solution here, to no avail)...I run a small business and have well over 500 contacts on my Outlook. I have added "Categories" to them, so that friends and family account for only about 35 Contacts, the rest being clients.

When I sync my contacts to my touch (and in 8 days to my iPhone), I get all 500 contacts!

Is there a reasonable way to only transfer the 35 family and friends, without transferring the other 465 (or so) contacts???

I appreciate all reasonable responses.

[trnsilver]

Wow, that's a great question...not stupid at all.

I would possibly suggest setting up a separate contact list on something other than Outlook, using that to sync to your contacts and keeping the Outlook sync for your calendar.

Would that work for you?

[shutter13]

If your using Outlook, the iPhone supports groups, and you can specify which groups to sync.

Look on your info tab next time you sync your touch and see if you have your groups set up correctly, it should look kinda like this.

http://www.naturecoastphotography.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/ScreenHunter_01_Jun__11_16_07.jpg

[downsized]

If your using Outlook, the iPhone supports groups, and you can specify which groups to sync.

Look on your info tab next time you sync your touch and see if you have your groups set up correctly, it should look kinda like this.

http://www.naturecoastphotography.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/ScreenHunter_01_Jun__11_16_07.jpg

Thanks Shutter.
I've tried that, but iTunes will not allow me to uncheck the "all contacts" button.

[shutter13]

My contacts are sync'd to the cloud so don't necessarily go by that screen shot. Do you have groups where you see my groups? If I were to check off the sync contacts with outlook, I would then be able to choose which groups I wanted to sync.

[LuvKeane]

from another soon to be newbie, does the iPhone read the phone numbers saved on the SIM card itself?

[downsized]

No, the groups are blank. When I "uncheck" Outlook, I get a warning that it will effect all devices (even though at this time I have only one).

[trnsilver]

Oh didn't know you could do groups!

down, do you already have these groups categorized?

[shutter13]

from another soon to be newbie, does the iPhone read the phone numbers saved on the SIM card itself?

Yes, you can import SIM contacts. Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendar
Scroll down to Import SIM Contacts.

No, the groups are blank. When I "uncheck" Outlook, I get a warning that it will effect all devices (even though at this time I have only one).

If the area is blank you have groups set up wrong in Outlook.

http://www.naturecoastphotography.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/ScreenHunter_01_Jun__04_08_58.jpg

Right click your "Contacts" Group and select New Folder, Name it and it will show up under the "My Contacts" Category. Drag the contacts you want into that new group, that is where they will stay, they won't all be in "Contacts" and then also in the other group. Hope that last part was clear.

[downsized]

Oh didn't know you could do groups!

down, do you already have these groups categorized?

Yes, in the old Outlook Express, I could create different folders for clients, friends, family, and local businesses, but Outlook does not allow that, so the best that I could come up with is to use "Catagories"....each and every contact has been catagoried...but it seems that "catagory" is different than "group".

[downsized]

Yes, you can import SIM contacts. Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendar
Scroll down to Import SIM Contacts.



If the area is blank you have groups set up wrong in Outlook.

http://www.naturecoastphotography.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/ScreenHunter_01_Jun__04_08_58.jpg

Right click your "Contacts" Group and select New Folder, Name it and it will show up under the "My Contacts" Category. Drag the contacts you want into that new group, that is where they will stay, they won't all be in "Contacts" and then also in the other group. Hope that last part was clear.

Got it! Superb! Thank you!

[downsized]

Use care here, boys and girls...as iTunes truly means "Sync"!

Any and all contacts that you have deleted from your iPhone (or in my case...this week...your Touch) WILL BE DELETED from your computer, as well as from the apple product!
Thank God I am a belts and suspenders type of guy, because iTunes happily deleted over 450 e-mail addresses from MY COMPUTER! (thankfully, I did a backup before I did the sync!)

Scroll down to "Advanced" and click on "Replace info on this iPod" and check "contacts""....otherwise, your e-mail addresses are toast!
You'll have to do this each and every time you sync!
Now, in fairness, iTunes warns you that over 5% of your computer content will be changed before it does it, but if you click "NO" then your contacts do not go to the iPhone!....but us newbies (me, at least) have a hard time understanding that!

[Leah]

I'm a newbie to iPhone. I am not synching to Outlook. My contacts are only in the iPhone. In order to get them there, I had to put 1/4 of them at a time onto my memory card from my old Nokia, and I now only have them in the iPhone. Every Friday I have to send important text messages to some of them. They were in different groups in the Nokia. Please tell me there's a way for me to make groups in the iPhone. I can't go through all the names every week to send out the messages!

By the way, when "copying" the contacts it did something else counterproductive. If for example Jones Susan had 3 numbers listed in the Nokia, they were separated in the iPhone as Jones Susan, Jones Susan1, and Jones Susan2. Is there some easy way of getting them back where they belong?

[shutter13]

I'm a newbie to iPhone. I am not synching to Outlook. My contacts are only in the iPhone. In order to get them there, I had to put 1/4 of them at a time onto my memory card from my old Nokia, and I now only have them in the iPhone. Every Friday I have to send important text messages to some of them. They were in different groups in the Nokia. Please tell me there's a way for me to make groups in the iPhone. I can't go through all the names every week to send out the messages!

By the way, when "copying" the contacts it did something else counterproductive. If for example Jones Susan had 3 numbers listed in the Nokia, they were separated in the iPhone as Jones Susan, Jones Susan1, and Jones Susan2. Is there some easy way of getting them back where they belong?

There are several apps in the app store that will allow you to make contact groups on the phone itself.

When you say memory card, I am assuming you meant SIM card, that may just be the way the contacts were stored to the SIM. I think with the 3.0 you will find it easier to copy and paste the numbers to consolidate to the first contact.

[Leah]

[quote=shutter13;462087]There are several apps in the app store that will allow you to make contact groups on the phone itself.

How does one get to the app store?

I am overseas, on another provider.

[shutter13]

There is an icon on the iPhone for the app store, in addition you can access it through iTunes.

[Leah]

There are several apps in the app store that will allow you to make contact groups on the phone itself.

When you say memory card, I am assuming you meant SIM card, YES

that may just be the way the contacts were stored to the SIM. I think with the 3.0 you will find it easier to copy and paste the numbers to consolidate to the first contact. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE 3.0 :frown:

[shutter13]

3.0 will be available, through iTunes, to download on Wednesday ;)