Contact not Showing in Contacts List (only in Recent Contacts)

Question

Contact not Showing in Contacts List (only in Recent Contacts)

I have an odd thing going on with an iPhone 3GS running iOS 4.

A few days ago I added a contact by dialing the number in Keypad and touching the add contact button. Because it is a company I gave it a company name (but not a name or lastname).

A couple of days later I tried calling the contact but I couldn't find it either alphabetically or by typing the contact's name. It was not in the Contacts App or in the Contacts List in the Phone App.

I had to ask for the number again but as soon as I dialed it, the phone gave me the name, meaning the contact DID store (somewhere).

I called it and now I have that contact on my recents list. However, it still is not showing in either contact list.

Recent: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/photo1.PNG

Recent>Info: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/photo2.PNG

Contacts: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/photo3.PNG

Contacts>Search: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/photo4.PNG

I sync my contacts, mail and calendar with Google Sync, and Google Contacts strangely shows the number for the contact that I'm looking for, but it does not show the name (or company name of the contact) or the address or anything else at all...

Gmail with the number and no other contact info: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/Gmail.jpg

For some weird reason, the iPhone also gave it a contact image that has buildings in it (instead the usual grey person). This is a separate issue but when I try creating another contact with only a company name, it does not give that a buildings image... I can't make it do it again ¿? (Shown here: http://sites.google.com/site/osadezu/stuff/photo2.PNG )

Any ideas what is going on?

Thanks!

iPhone 3GS, iOS 4, Syncing with Google Contacts

Posted on Jun 25, 2010 1:59 PM

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Answer 1

MagicEd

Level 1

0 points

Jul 6, 2010 4:23 PM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I'm having the same problem....I think.

1. I add a new contact to my iphone and it doesn't appear in the Contacts listing, but when I do a global search (slide left from the home screen) it appears.

2. It's also not syncing to my pc.

Did you manage to get a resolution?

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Answer 2

Jul 7, 2010 8:06 AM in response to MagicEd

Not really, I did find out that the contact does show in contacts for a moment but it is then taken away or hidden somehow... (Google Sync?)

A friend tried to recreate the issue but he didn't find a problem he syncs with MobileMe...

Do you sync your contacts only with iTunes? or use any other service?

I also found that the buildings icon only shows when you give it a company name when adding via the dialpad (dialing the number and hitting the plus sign) but not when you use the plus sign on the Contacts "app"... So there is definitely something in the phone handling the info differently in those two places.

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Answer 3

MagicEd

Level 1

0 points

Jul 7, 2010 10:44 AM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I'm syncing over the air btw. I found if I did a sync w my usb cable it added the 'missing' contact to my contact list. It's a workaround, but not a solution.

I just use iTunes. Incidentally, when I creat a contact on my phone by adding it through the contact list, it's all good. It only seems to be happening when I add a contact any other way. E.g. find something on the map and then add it to the contact, add a contact from a recent call, add a contact from a new MMS conversation, etc.

Message was edited by: MagicEd

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Answer 4

Jul 7, 2010 2:47 PM in response to MagicEd

Over the air with MobileMe?

I also sync wirelessly with Google Sync via MS Exchange. No workaround for me because I never sync contacts with iTunes (or any other way directly with the computer).

Message was edited by: Yonosoymuggle

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Answer 5

Me220

Level 1

4 points

Jul 7, 2010 8:52 PM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I am getting the same problem. The items I put directly on my iPhone only show up when I do global search or when I dial the number. But I can't edit or find the contact in my contacts list. I sync through itunes using Google contacts, and I don't understand how I can lose contacts that I create on the iPhone.

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Answer 6

Jul 9, 2010 7:42 PM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I have the same problem, some of my contacts do not show up , however when they call me their name is shown on the screen exactly like I stored it in contacts. When the call is over the name is in the recents, but

There is no view in the contacts list so I cannot find the number. I have maybe 100 or so in this category.

I have upgraded, reloaded, sync wireless and usb and I also use mobileme.

I have gone back when they call of the ones I can remember and manually changed the name and reentered in add contacts within contacts but from recents adding falls into this category.

The names and contact info is stored somewhere. Also tryed to add sim card contacts no luck, manual says no storage on sim, thought it was worth a try. It is stored somewhere.

Let me know if you find out more.

thx

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Answer 7

Jul 15, 2010 10:16 AM in response to gio44it1

I don't think they do... We're alone in this.

I even read online that Apple censored some posts that were too bad for iPhone 4, so I guess they only read it if the issue risks their saving face ¿?

http://www.examiner.com/x-22397-Providence-Business-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m7d1 3-Apple-takes-down-forum-threads-about-negative-Consumer-Reports-iPhone-4-review ?

This post may not be here next time you look :P

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Answer 8

Jul 21, 2010 6:07 PM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I have the same thing going on!!! HELP!!!

I JUST upgraded my iPhone 3GS to iOS 4 but I've had the issue since the last time I synced a couple of weeks ago. I can't figure it out. I was hoping that iOS 4 would fix the issue but no luck.

I am missing MANY of my contacts but same thing... If I look up the number somewhere else and start dialing, or if they call ME, their names show up. But if I do a search or look through the list, they're not there!

Also, thankfully, from advice here, I've found that I can do a global search and the contact comes up. But that is a PAIN too! I've been having to email people for their numbers because I wasn't finding them as contacts in my phone.

I've only been syncing with iTunes with a USB.

PLEASE Apple support people - help us with this!

Thanks for any help anyone might have.

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Answer 9

Jul 21, 2010 7:24 PM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I have been having the same problem with I contact I imported off an email so I started to experiment. I "re-created" the contact straight from the contacts app. Once I did that, iOS automatically linked the hidden contact with my newly created one. Now I have a contact that appears in my contacts list, but now shows it as two linked contacts. Additionally, iOS labeled the contact I imported off the email as "MobileMe." Sure enough, when I logged into MobileMe the imported contact was there and visible. I changed the default setting under Settings->Mail, Contacts and Calendars->Contacts->Default Account from "[my mobile me account]" to "From My Mac." After making the switch, imported contacts now appear in the contact list as they should.

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Answer 10

Jul 22, 2010 8:22 PM in response to IMbrewski

I found the lost contacts...

I went and disabled Contacts, Calendar and Mail Sync altogether. It warned me it would delete ALL my contacts if I continued. I continued and my Google Sync contacts WERE deleted but there in the Contacts app were the two contacts I had been loking for. ¬¬

This does not solve the issue of course. Can somebudy please tell me why does the phone store these contacts apart and why are they not shown unless you empty the other address book?!

Oh and a quick tip: make sure you're holding your phone right.

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Answer 11

Jul 25, 2010 3:55 AM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I have the same issue I thought I was going mad, 3GS running iOS4 - if I enter a contact on the phone via saving a number that has called me it just disappears but if I do a global search on the phone it is there just doesn't show in contacts list or sync with gmail contacts. If I directly enter a contact onto the phone starting from within contacts in the group contacts using the + key the contact shows in the list and syncs fine. The only way round this have found is to add these missing ones to favorites so I can find them easily, but this is an annoying bug.

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Answer 12

emi172

Level 1

0 points

Jul 25, 2010 5:42 AM in response to Yonosoymuggle

I had this issue for a while until I discovered something today.

Normally I would add the contact directly from the messages app. But it doesn't appear anywhere in the address book. I decided to manually add the contact fin address book. After I click save and then click edit again to edit the contact, I noticed "Linked Cards" option or something like that all the way in the bottom. (Looks like this: http://www.tipb.com/2010/07/06/ios-4-feature-linked-contacts/)

It has the option to unlink with Exchange. I assume that the contacts you saved from the messages app are saved in Exchange, rather than the iPhone's address book, despite already turning off sync contacts under the Exchange preferences.

So I decided to delete my Exchange account and guess what happened? All the contacts that I saved directly from the messages app disappeared. Instead I only see their mobile phone numbers.

I'm gonna temporarily removed my Exchange account until I see a fix to the issue or an option to save in the iPhone's address book instead of Exchange.

I'm using a 16GB iPhone 3GS running on iOS 4.0.1

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Answer 13

Jul 27, 2010 12:21 AM in response to Merged Content 1

Hihi,

I have resolved this problem but i am not too sure if it works for all of you.

What i did was, i went to do a restore of my iphone, as a new iphone. Then i sync my previous items again. And it worked!

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Answer 14

Aug 1, 2010 6:30 PM in response to jessicaquek

Hi jessicaquek - after your restore if you add a contact from the call list, does it now appear in contacts correctly? My problem is not with sync as such but when adding a contact from a call list or text message - it disappears into nowhere and can only find by doing a search of the whole phone.

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Answer 15

Aug 1, 2010 9:40 PM in response to vgenburgos

I posted this on the other thread with the same issue:

I have this very same problem. New calls that come in on my recent call list that I want to label and add to my contacts aren't added, but they turn up in a spotlight search.

However, when I sync to iTunes they are added by going to the INFO tab and clicking on the box that reads "Add contacts created outside this group to (name of your contact list)"

Yes, this is lame to have to go through all this -- and I dont remember having this problem in the past, but that's the only workaround I"ve discovered.

I hope they fix this.

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