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Contact/addressbook issues

A

Alcoid

Newbie
I am having issues with the contacts/addressbook on my Alacatel 918D and was wondering if someone can recommend a fix. On my N+kia, I used to move old contacts from the phone to the sim card, but configure the phone to show contacts from the phone only. That way, the dead weight would be out of the way, but for incoming calls the phone would still recognize them.

With my android phone...
- ...it isn't even possible to copy single contacts from phone to sim - all I can do is import or export the entire set.
- ...when I send a text message, my phone shows me ALL contacts (phone and sims) even though the phone is configured to show the phone contacts only. According to Alcatel, this is Android behavior and the way it should be.

Can anyone recommend a solution for these issues? Maybe there's a "better contact app" or something that will kill both birds with a stone, but of course I'm also open for separated alternatives.

Many thanks in advance!
 
Actually it showing both SIM and phone contacts is NOT and Android feature. You should be able to configure it to show only one.

Note however that new smartphones aren't really designed to use SIM memory anymore. Especially Android when it is designed to work with your contacts backed up to Google instead of your phone. I actually already deleted all my SIM contacts years ago, and keep them backed up online or on my PC, since SIM contacts are very limited.
 
Try "Contact2Sim", a good application for old phones but it only copies contacts over 1 by one unless you buy the Pro version which let's you copy all from the phone at once without you doing them all yourself.
 
Thanks for the replies.

@chanchan: I am entirely aware that the trend goes towards mining data that could als be kept privately, and finding ways to charge connection fees for online data that could also be stored locally. Unfortunately, that doesn't help me with my problems.

@SkyJackpot: Unfortunately, "Contact2Sim" works quite the opposite way - you need to buy the pro version for individual contact management. Normally, donating 5 bucks for a helpful, well-made app is a no-brainer to me, but at this point I fail to accept that I need to pay extra fees for the most basic of phone functions.
 
You can store it locally, i.e. "Phone Only", but not have anything saved on SIM. Basically move all your contacts to phone only and delete everything off from SIM, then back them up on your PC. Quite easy actually.
 
chanchan05 said:
You can store it locally, i.e. "Phone Only", but not have anything saved on SIM. Basically move all your contacts to phone only and delete everything off from SIM, then back them up on your PC. Quite easy actually.
Click to expand...

It may be easy, but it is absolutely not what I need:

On my N+kia, I used to move old contacts from the phone to the sim card, but configure the phone to show contacts from the phone only. That way, the dead weight would be out of the way, but for incoming calls the phone would still recognize them.
Click to expand...
 
Arrange the contacts in your phone into groups, then put the old contacts in their own group. You can toggle group visibility in Android. The old contacts group can be made invisible, but getting a call from them will still show names.
 
chanchan05 said:
Arrange the contacts in your phone into groups, then put the old contacts in their own group. You can toggle group visibility in Android. The old contacts group can be made invisible, but getting a call from them will still show names.
Click to expand...

This would be great, but it seems like I can only specify a group I want shown, but not a group I want hidden. Also, when I want to send SMS, I am still shown that contact data of everyone and their Grandmother. Please let me know if I have overlooked something.
 
Uh, yeah, put a check on all the groups you want shown, then don't put a check on the group you want to be NOT shown. That's the same thing. The group not selected would be hidden.

As for the SMS, not sure. I use Go SMS Pro and it only shows me contacts which I have set to be shown. The SMS app for every Android manufacturer differs so I can't help you with that unless you probably replace the SMS app with Go SMS Pro.
 
I'm afraid when I open the contacts app, there are no boxes to be checked, I can just select the group I DO want to display. Or am I looking in the wrong place?

I had already tried GO SMS, but on my phone, it shows the same extended list of contacts that I get with the original SMS app. So then I'm assuming it's a "feature" of Alcatel and not of Android.
 
You are looking at the wrong place. On my Samsung, I can go to contacts>menu button>display options>my google account> then I have a list of my groups which has checkboxes beside them, then I check which groups I want to have displayed, and leave the ones I don't want displayed unchecked. Basically you need to get into the settings menu of your contacts app.

As for Go SMS, it will just show the contacts you have enabled in your contacts menu. Since you haven't disabled any groups in your contacts app, it will still show everything just like your contacts app.
 
chanchan05 said:
You are looking at the wrong place. On my Samsung, I can go to contacts>menu button>display options>my google account> then I have a list of my groups which has checkboxes beside them, then I check which groups I want to have displayed, and leave the ones I don't want displayed unchecked. Basically you need to get into the settings menu of your contacts app.
Click to expand...

I see where the misunderstanding is. Like I said, I want to store my data locally. Uploading them on someone else's (=Google's) servers and then paying for a data plan just to be able to access and manage them doesn't make any sense to me.
 
I was describing my phone. You can do it as well and keep it locally. Your phone has three storage areas for contacts: Google Account, Phone (My Contacts), and SIM. You store it on Phone, not Google Account. Basically, Phone storage gives you all the same options as storing it on your Google Account but it does not sync and stays local on your phone. In your case it should become Contacts>Menu>Display Options>My Contacts>checklist.
 
I am afraid that my phone doesn't give me those options. When I go to Contacts>Menu>Display Options I can choose to display phone contacts (yes or no) and SIM contacts (yes or no). These two don't give me the option to ex- or include groups as discussed above. At the bottom, I have a more differentiated menu for Google, where I can choose to ex/include "System group: my contacts" as well as "all other contacts".
 
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