The Contacts app is one of the most important ones on your Android device. After all, your smartphone is largely there to help you keep in touch with people (as well as idly browse the web and spend inordinate amounts of time playing games). With that in mind, you owe it to yourself to keep your lists of friends and family organized.
Android does offer you some assistance in this direction, though it’s not always clear what you can do or how you can do it. That’s why we’ve written this comprehensive guide, which includes links to some third-party apps you can make use of to help you along, whether you’re using a Google Pixel 3a or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e to do your communicating.
The Contacts app
The Contacts app (it’s been through several incarnations, but it’s called Contacts in Android Pie) gives you instant access to all of the contacts associated with your Google account. There’s a search button to the top right and a large blue Add contact button to the bottom right.
Tap to open the Favorites tab and you’ll see a list of contacts you’ve starred (whether on Android or on the web) as well as a list of frequently contacted people underneath. If the number of people you speak to is limited, this might be a better way into the Contacts app for you.
Select any contact to bring up the contact card — from here you can call, email or text them (if the relevant information is stored), see recent interactions (primarily text messages on a smartphone) and edit the contact on your device (via the pencil icon to the top right).
Customizing contacts
Tap the More menu button and choose Contacts — the subsequent screen lets you choose which contacts are shown in the app and which are hidden from view.
The options will include any apps with their own contact lists and sub-sections within those lists. In the case of your Google contacts, for example, you can opt to show particular groups that you’ve set up rather than everyone in your address book.
If you don’t see an account option that you think should be there, choose My account from the Settings menu. This will show all of the apps installed on your phone that support contacts integration: tap on any entry in the list or choose Add account to import one from elsewhere.
By customizing which groups of Google contacts you see on screen, as well as which other apps are allowed to show contacts, it’s possible to build up a much more personalized version of your contacts list, populated by the people you’re actually in touch with on a regular basis.
Third-party apps
If you want to spread your wings beyond the Contacts app supplied with stock Android, there are plenty of alternatives to pick from. Syncios Mobile Manager, for example, comes with excellent functions in adding new, editing, deleting, backing up and restoring phone contacts.
Part 1. Add New Contacts
Step 1. On the main interface of this Phone Contacts Manager, navigate to Contacts.
Step 2. Click on +New button to edit a new contact. You’re able to edit portrait, phone number, email, main page, address, date, IM, note of a contact. Enter information then save it. Syncios will sync this contact to your phone at the same time.
Part 2. Edit Contacts
Step 1. Choose one contact, the details of this contact will be displayed on the right side where you can find an Edit option. Click on it.
Step 2. You’re able to edit portrait, phone number, email, main page, address, date, IM, note of a contact. Make changes to any content you want then save it.
Part 3. Delete Contacts
Step 1. From time to time, we add new contacts then remove useless contacts. Select contacts then tap Delete button to remove contacts you don’t want any more.
Step 2. Click on Refresh to check if it’s deleted.
Part 4. Backup Contacts
Step 1. If you just need to backup and restore Samsung Galaxy S10 contacts, choose contacts from S10, then click on Backup to save contacts to computer.
Step 2. If you need to backup other phone’s contacts in order to restore them to Samsung Galaxy S10. Just connect another phone to Syncios, then choose contacts from the device and click on Backup to make a backup of another phone.
Part 5. Recover Contacts
Step 1. Click on Restore, then Syncios will show you all contacts backups you’ve saved before using Syncios.
Step 2. Choose one backup from the list, then click on OK to restore the previous backup to your phone.
Part 6. De-duplicate Contacts
Step 1. Remove some duplicated contacts will not be easy. You are not willing to check every contact on your phone. Just tap De-duplicate option.
Step 2. You are able to de-duplicate contacts in three different ways, Name Matched, Phone Matched or Exactly Matched. For instance, all of the contacts of the same name will be listed in group below after choosing Name Matched. You can choose them and click on Merge Selected to de-duplicate contacts.
It’s also worth mentioning the recently revamped Google Contacts on the web, currently being beta tested and set to roll out to everyone soon. With a clean, clear interface, it lets you tidy up your contact cards using a mouse and keyboard rather than having to peck at a touchscreen.
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