Help How Do I Delete PHONE Contacts?

[dja1980]

My mom recently upgraded to a D2, and when switching phones, a Verizon rep. copied all her contacts from her old phone to her new phone. Since Android has the ability to sync Gmail contacts, I exported her phone contacts and imported them to Gmail online.

The problem is that now her phone seems to be confused on what data to use (contacts physically stored onboard vs. Gmail contacts online). We have changed the view under Contacts to only show Google contacts, but that doesn't solve the problem.

Since she no longer needs the contacts physically stored on her phone, how do we delete those WITHOUT deleting the Google contacts also... where are they physically stored on the phone?

 

[Dragoro]

Open the contacts app. Select phone contacts from drop down menu. You should be able to delete those contacts without affecting your gmail contacts.

 

[dja1980]

Thanks for the reply!

That's what I was thinking, but those contacts appear to also have Google data incorporated. If they were stored on the SD card, I would just mount to PC and delete from there... but I don't see them on the SD.

Basically, the goal would be to select "phone contacts" from the drop-down menu and see NOTHING there.

 

[Dragoro]

Hmm maybe try just deleting one of them and see if it actually affects your gmail contacts. Youll know one way or another that way.

 

[dja1980]

True... actually, I suppose I could export the Google contacts through Gmail online to have a backup copy.

Does anybody know where the phone contacts are actually stored within the phone?

 

[Dragoro]

You can delete em just by going to your contacts app, selecting phone contacts and then long press on the contact you want to delete.

 

[cableguynoe]

Try this.
Select the contact. Hit MENU and then Unlink.
This will unlink the Gmail contact from your phone contact. Then you will have 2. Delete the phone contact.

Unfortunately, you will have to do this one by one

 

[Dragoro]

Try this.
Select the contact. Hit MENU and then Unlink.
This will unlink the Gmail contact from your phone contact. Then you will have 2. Delete the phone contact.

Unfortunately, you will have to do this one by one

Grr Guides always put it better than I do lol.

 

[cableguynoe]

Grr Guides always put it better than I do lol.

It's what we do

 

[dja1980]

Thanks guys! I was hoping to solve this with just a few clicks... oh well. I'll give this a try.

 

[Redflea]

Another alternative, may be faster, depending on how many contacts there are.

Go to Gmail on browser and backup contacts from account on web (i believe there is an export option).

Delete all contacts from Gmail account on web.

Go back to phone and delete all contacts on phone.

Restore contacts to Gmail account, contacts sync back to phone.

Saves the one-by-one if you have a lot of contacts.

 

[dja1980]

Thanks, Redflea... I mentioned the export option above, but I'm a little concerned about losing the manually added Google pictures. Do you know if exporting Google Contacts online includes pictures? I will be digging my own grave if I lose those!

 

[Redflea]

no idea, never used it, if the format is csv or similar I kinda doubt it.

Did you try viewing the "Phone" group on the phone and just deleting a contact from there, and seeing if it deletes the linked contact? It might not (I would actually hope it would not) but you never know...

 

[dja1980]

I haven't had a chance to play with her phone since posting... hopefully this week.

 

[imtheconvict]

i had this problem i have an eaiser solution...first make sure all your contact are on your gmail account then un sync them on your phone then go to manage appliactions all once there find backup assistant clear data and cache do the same thing for contacts your phone will now have not vzw backup assistant settings or any contacts. now go online to verizonwireless.com/backup assistant login it will show all your contacts delete them.(who wants to use the verizon one anyway its garbage) now go back to your phone and sync up with google again they should all be there and sync with google not verizon unless you enter your pin in backup assistant again.

 

[dja1980]

i had this problem i have an eaiser solution...first make sure all your contact are on your gmail account then un sync them on your phone then go to manage appliactions all once there find backup assistant clear data and cache do the same thing for contacts your phone will now have not vzw backup assistant settings or any contacts. now go online to verizonwireless.com/backup assistant login it will show all your contacts delete them.(who wants to use the verizon one anyway its garbage) now go back to your phone and sync up with google again they should all be there and sync with google not verizon unless you enter your pin in backup assistant again.

I gave this a try, and it worked!

The option to clear data and cache was grayed out under Manage Applications->Backup Assistant, but I was able to create a Backup Assistant account online and delete the contacts from there. I originally started manually deleting the Phone Contacts by the "unlinking" method mentioned above, but once Backup Assistant tried to sync with the contacts I deleted from Backup Assistant online, it took care of the rest! So now when I go to Display Group and select Phone Contacts, they are empty... but Google Contacts are full... success!!!