what happened to "custom label" option?

Question

what happened to "custom label" option?

Hi folks,
The label next to info in Contacts used to be quite customizable. At the bottom of the standard offerings was "custom label". But I don't see this anymore. If it isn't completely clear what I mean, use this example. I am a doctor. I call other doctors' offices. They have a main number which I might label with the standard "main" or "work". But then they have a back line for direct access to a nurse or receptionist, which I used to label "direct" or "backline". Then I might have a number for the oncall partner, and another for the practice administrator ("oncall" and "admin" respectively).
I do not see any options for customized labels any longer in iOS 4.0.2. I am working in my "All Contacts" list, not some special subset. The custom labels I added in the past remain, thank heavens. But I want to add more. Is there a setting I've overlooked? has Apple for some bizarre reason abandoned this feature??
-- Josh

MacBook Pro 17" 2.6 gHz, Mac OS X (10.6.4), 4 gb RAM, 500 GB HD, AExpress, iPhone 4 iOS4.0.2, iPhone Developer

Posted on Sep 24, 2010 10:45 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 27, 2017 2:32 PM in response to Joshua Steinberg

I am having this same exact problem. My old contacts can be customized, any new ones cannot. I am waiting for a return call from a second senior tech. It looked like we had found a "work around" solution...if you go to the phone keypad & enter the number first & then hit "+", "create new contact", all the customization options were there. Problem is, after the contact is created with your customized preferences, it doesnt last. If you save it, then go back to your contact list & look up the contact you just created, the number's label reverts back to "home" as the label, and if you try to customize it, the custom label list is gone again. Even the senior tech doesnt understand why....it's odd and frustrating. If I get an answer from the second senior tech I'll pass it on to you.

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Answer 2

Sep 24, 2010 10:53 AM in response to Joshua Steinberg

Nothing has happened to it - it is still available.

When adding a new contact, the default label for the phone number entry is mobile.

Select the label - mobile to reveal all standard labels included and and custom labels available below the the standard labels.

At the bottom of the custom labels window - the last selection is Add Custom Label.

The same applies when editing or adding a new phone number for an existing contact.

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Answer 3

GZukes

Level 4

1,590 points

Sep 24, 2010 10:58 AM in response to Joshua Steinberg

Josh,

OS 4.1 has customized labels, so I suspect 4.0.2 has it too. While editing a contact, press the label of the phone number you want to change. Scroll to the bottom of the list that comes up. The last entry should be "Add Custom Label".

GZukes

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Answer 4

Sep 24, 2010 2:08 PM in response to GZukes

Gentlemen,
Thanks for your help, but I'm not seeing what you're seeing. I took screenshots, but apparently I can't upload pics here like I can at the Apple Developers' forum. Anyway, I was using iOS 4.0.2, now I just upgraded to 4.1. But I still have NO option at the bottom of the standard label list for "custom label" the way I used to have months ago (probably when I was on iOS 3.1.3 is when I'm sure I last saw it). Is there a setting elsewhere that might limit customizability? I know that "custom label" used to be at the bottom of any such list, but it just ain't there now. I know others have had this problem since I searched this forum before posting and there were no responses aside from "me, too" and "no, it's there, look again". I suspect that different people are seeing different behaviors.
-- Josh

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Answer 5

Sep 24, 2010 2:16 PM in response to Joshua Steinberg

Hi folks,
I figured it out, although I don't yet have a complete solution.
I have an enterprise link to Lotus Notes for email and calendar. Unbeknownst to me, contacts syncs along with that. I checked my Settings preferences and found that new contact entries were set to default to the Lotus Notes business system. And of course Lotus Notes has a limited set of label fields without customization option. All contacts that I created for a while defaulted to being linked to Lotus Notes corporate account, even though they were indistinguishable from any other contact on my iPhone. When I look at contacts that I am sure pre-date getting my Lotus Notes account link, they offer the full set of options for labels including custom label. Now it all makes sense.
Of course, the new question is obvious... how do I make contacts that I added for the last several months stop being and behaving as restricted Lotus Notes contacts and be/behave as general All-Contacts entries which sync to my Mac and offer full customization of labels?
-- Josh

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Answer 6

Oct 18, 2010 8:31 PM in response to Joshua Steinberg

usually i just look for answer and not able to contribute much, my wife had the same issue using Windows live email. Found that there is a setting that defaults to Exchange, which if you change to the phone itself, the custom option returns when creating a new contact from here on out.

Settings --> Mail,Contacts,Calendars --> Default account --> select "On My Phone"

On my phone, using Yahoo, there is no "Default Account" option. If yours has it, then problem solved!

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Answer 7

makoto3

Level 1

4 points

Feb 12, 2011 7:58 AM in response to Joshua Steinberg

Having the same issue here using Exchange at work but my iPhone was already set to iPhone as "default account" in settings. My initial work-around was to create a new contact with the same name which created a new option at the bottom of the contact with different data (One for Exchange and the other for the iPhone). Creating the new contact allowed me to create custom labels again for that contact (for the newly created one) and I copied all info over to the new one and deleted the old. I am still not sure if it will go back to "not being able to add custom labels" after it syncs to my Exchange server again but atleast I was able to enter what I needed. A lot of effort for something so seemingly fixable.

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Answer 8

Oct 27, 2011 12:43 PM in response to Joshua Steinberg

This is kind of crazy, but we were playing around with this issue and found a resolution.

Add a new contact under the same name (same spelling etc) and add the new number under that name.

It will have the additional labels and be locked with the old name. There won't be 2 contacts with the same

name in your contacts. It will actually combine it with the original contact and display it accordingly.

Pretty cool huh?!

Good Luck,

Jay

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Answer 9

Jan 20, 2012 6:28 AM in response to WasabiJay

This worked. Thanks!

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Answer 10

Muggster

Level 1

0 points

Aug 10, 2012 2:06 PM in response to Joshua Steinberg

I deleted my custom labels, which are deleted the entries in the address book. How can I restore the custom labels?

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Answer 11

Sep 24, 2014 5:29 AM in response to Joshua Steinberg

Hi Folks,

Old post I know, but I came across it looking for an answer. If you are still stuck with this on iOS 7 then this is what I did:

In contacts click 'Groups' and have only 'All from My Mac' ticked.

Click 'Done' and add a new contact. Click on phone label and you should get a custom option at the bottom.

Go back to 'Groups' and re-tick all the groups you require.

The groups may vary depending on where you sync your contacts from but I'd assume if it's not an email address and is sync'd with something that has a customisable contacts list on it then it would be that.

J

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Answer 12

Nov 19, 2014 3:06 AM in response to Joshua Steinberg

I Had the same problem tonight and found the answer myself what you have to do is go to your contacts mail and clalender in setting and go to all your mail account you have addEd and turn off the contacts in all the emails and then you will be able to change the label in contacts. When turning them off you will have to delete th contacts from the phone when prompt to turn it off before you do all that download a app that backups and restore your contact.and when you turn them off then restore your contact and you will be able to editing them.

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