Managing Contacts

downsized · 06-11-2009, 03:59 PM

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 · 06-11-2009, 04:04 PM

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 · 06-11-2009, 04:06 PM

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.

downsized · 06-11-2009, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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

shutter13 · 06-11-2009, 04:17 PM

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 · 06-11-2009, 04:22 PM

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

downsized · 06-11-2009, 04:22 PM

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 · 06-11-2009, 04:25 PM

Oh didn't know you could do groups!

down, do you already have these groups categorized?

shutter13 · 06-11-2009, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by LuvKeane

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.

Originally Posted by 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).

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

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 · 06-11-2009, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by trnsilver

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".