How do I sort the 'Custom Labels' in my contacts on iPhone?

I have over 240 of 'Custom Labels' in my iPhone's Address Book (Contacts). Selecting 'Custom Label' produces a list of previously created Custom Labels presented not in alphabetical order, but in the chronological order I created them instead. Resultingly, it takes a tremendous amount of scrolling to locate a previously created custom category (e.g. Service; Desk; Account; Driver; Model#; Mod#; etc.). Selecting 'Edit' only gives me the option to DELETE the custom name. Inexplicably, if I DO delete a custom level, it is still there the next time I return to the Custom List — huh?


Does anyone know how to SORT the Custom Labels list?

Does anyone know how to PERMANENTLY delete a Custom Label item?

iPhone 13 Pro

Posted on Mar 24, 2022 1:52 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 24, 2022 3:20 PM

To SravanKra: Thank you for your very quick response to my inquiry. The only client I use for my Contacts (Address Book) is iCloud.


But yes, you are surely correct about the 'Custom Labels' being stored 'On the Cloud'. The proof is that the instant I create a Custom Label on one of my Apple devices (MacBook Pro, iPhone or iPad Air), it is instantly synchronized not only with all of my other Apple devices but my iCloud website version of the Address Book, as well. But the problem remains that none of those devices nor the iCloud website offer the capability to SORT the existing unsorted list or even 'DELETE' an item already on the list. Apparently the list is generated spontaneously based on the information currently in my Address Book. But unlike Photos, where DELETING a photo will delete it from all devices, DELETING a Custom Label in the Address Book is a 'Zombie' experience — it's still there the next time you return to the Custom Label List, as long as that Custom Label is assigned to an entry. If, after deleting a custom label, I change the Custom Label to another category, the next time I return to the Custom Label List, it's finally gone. Kind of awkward and arcane to be sure.

All we can hope is that someday the Apple 'Contacts' Designers direct some of their energies in the direction of Custom List management. This problematic situation has been around since the days when 'Contacts' was called 'Address Book'. To use Apple 'Contacts' is to know this problem, so perhaps, those Apple Designers don't really use Apple 'Contacts' themselves? And/or are never involved in the User feedback process?


Although your above suggestion didn't lead to any apparent resolution for me, if you have any other suggestions, I'd welcome them!

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 24, 2022 3:20 PM in response to SravanKrA

To SravanKra: Thank you for your very quick response to my inquiry. The only client I use for my Contacts (Address Book) is iCloud.


But yes, you are surely correct about the 'Custom Labels' being stored 'On the Cloud'. The proof is that the instant I create a Custom Label on one of my Apple devices (MacBook Pro, iPhone or iPad Air), it is instantly synchronized not only with all of my other Apple devices but my iCloud website version of the Address Book, as well. But the problem remains that none of those devices nor the iCloud website offer the capability to SORT the existing unsorted list or even 'DELETE' an item already on the list. Apparently the list is generated spontaneously based on the information currently in my Address Book. But unlike Photos, where DELETING a photo will delete it from all devices, DELETING a Custom Label in the Address Book is a 'Zombie' experience — it's still there the next time you return to the Custom Label List, as long as that Custom Label is assigned to an entry. If, after deleting a custom label, I change the Custom Label to another category, the next time I return to the Custom Label List, it's finally gone. Kind of awkward and arcane to be sure.

All we can hope is that someday the Apple 'Contacts' Designers direct some of their energies in the direction of Custom List management. This problematic situation has been around since the days when 'Contacts' was called 'Address Book'. To use Apple 'Contacts' is to know this problem, so perhaps, those Apple Designers don't really use Apple 'Contacts' themselves? And/or are never involved in the User feedback process?


Although your above suggestion didn't lead to any apparent resolution for me, if you have any other suggestions, I'd welcome them!

Apr 5, 2022 2:35 PM in response to dperugini

In the course of my research, I found a couple of things:

  1. This issue goes all the way back to iOS 5. Someone reported the problem back then, and there was no response. I have seen others ask the same question almost every year since then.
  2. The support people have no idea what you are talking about when they are asked "How do I sort the CUSTOM LABELS in the Contacts on my iPhone?" I just spent an hour with a support person, and just like everyone else, said to go to Settings/Contacts and select "Sort Order" or "Display Order". But all this does is sort the contacts, NOT the CUSTOM LABELS. Then after I said that's NOT what I want to do, he said that the contacts are sync'd with an email account. I told him my mail provider is Gmail. When I went to my Gmail account online and looked at the settings for my account, there is something for labels, but these are NOT the CUSTOM LABELS in my iPhone -- they are labels used for grouping emails.

I don't use iCloud as an account. So, as far as I can tell, CUSTOM LABELS are specific to the Contacts app on the iPhone.

<rant>

The Contacts app developers should be fired for allowing this frustrating lack of productivity to continue since 2011.

OR, the documentation producers should be fired for not providing clear, concise directions on how to sort them.

</rant>

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How do I sort the 'Custom Labels' in my contacts on iPhone?

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