Notes in contacts do not transfer when sharing the contact on iPhone

Sorry this discussion is old but my reply is for anyone looking for solution that works on an earlier iOS (eg: OS X), like I was when I found this thread: the helpful answer here didn't help me (using Outlook 2011). So the workaround I found, without needing to cut/paste to 'rebuild' contacts, is to drag and drop the contact/s from Outlook to the Desktop, to create vCards that include Notes (and then can be sent via email).

I have exactly the same problem pgonzales ...

I select a contact with info in the notes field and I select 'share contact' then I select 'email'.

This sends the e-mail with an attached contact card to someone and when they open the contact either on their iphone or in their Outlook, the notes field in the contact is empty.

Has anyone got an answer to this please, as I use Notes comprehensively.

😕

interestingly, i just ended up on this page because i wanted to make sure that when i share a contact, that the notes field is DEFINITELY NOT included.

I, like many people I'd imagine, make personal notes about contacts that i would most certainly not wish to share with other folks when i forward their contact details - i'd imagine therefore that this is the default behaviour.

Per ameldrum1, "I, like many people I'd imagine, make personal notes about contacts that i would most certainly not wish to share with other folks when i forward their contact details - i'd imagine therefore that this is the default behaviour."

This is correct action for the reason stated. The key here is that we are "sharing" a Contact and thus want only the typical business card info to be sent.

I applaud Apple - again!

Is there a way to change the default? In other words if I do want to share the notes how does one go about this if at all possible?

D

You're right that the Notes field doesn't get included when you share a contact using iPhone/iPad.

However, it DOES get included when sharing the contact card using the Contacts app on the Mac. It's really irritating, because I have inadvertantly shared things like credit card numbers and ID numbers. Ouch!

I think the work-a-round may be this:

1. On the computer: Contacts:Preferences:select vCard: check or uncheck "Export notes in vCards." Just don't forget which you have selected. Otherwise if you share the contact you run the risk of sensitive information being exported. DANGER: If you select the "Share the current card" icon in the lower left corner, the notes go, regardless of preferences. You must export the vCard and then attach to an email to avoid sending the notes.

2. The other way is to share or attach the vCard to an email, irrespective of the preferences setting. Open the card within the email before you send it. Edit out the notes. Send. No effect on your original.

3. On the iPhone: I like that it doesn't send the notes. I can simply copy them and paste them in to the text of an email and include if they are critical. Don't see an easy solution if they are large and you are sending text vice email.

In all cases, before sending a contact from the computer I would open it within the email or message and make sure what is in or not in the notes!

All the best....and Merry XMAS

I want the notes transferred because I only share contacts between my own devices: 2 iPhones, 3 iPads, and 2 Windows PCs with Outlook 2010. The PCs are the "masters" and syncing with my iPhones works great and it does transfer all notes. And using multiple Contacts Folders in Outlook also works fine when specific folders are selected.

The challenge is when you only want some Contacts to be shared. I.e., I have some 3500 contacts on my iPhone and my wife only needs some of those on her iPhone or our iPads.

Air Drop would be the most efficient if only there was an option to Include or Exclude the Notes field.

In Outlook 2010 on Windows 7, i can "Forward" any Contact to anyone or to another PC running Outlook. Three (3) Forwarding Options are given: Forward as n Internet format vCard, Forward as a "Business Card" or Forward as an Outlook Contact. Forwarding as an Outlook Contact picks up everything in the Notes area including Text, Images, URLs, etc. But Apple devices will NOT see the data in the Notes field.

I can forward as an "Outlook Contact" from any of my PCs to the one PC/Outlook 2010 Being used to subsequently Sync with my iPhone 5S and Notes are picked up by either device during syncing.

But I want to easily share a contact or twenty of them without having to use the cloud syncing..because I don't want all contacts on some of my devices. Having the "Notes" excluded by iOS' sharing function is like dropping paragraphs within a PDF or text file attached to an email message or shared between iOS devices with "Air Drop". Cutting and pasting to reassemble data to build a complete Contact record seems awkward if not plain hokey.

Ken in AZ wrote:

. . . Having the "Notes" excluded by iOS' sharing function is like dropping paragraphs within a PDF or text file attached to an email message or shared between iOS devices with "Air Drop". Cutting and pasting to reassemble data to build a complete Contact record seems awkward if not plain hokey.

Exactly. I hope everybody who sees this the way Ken and I do requests an enhancement through www.apple.com/feedback

When sharing contacts on the iPhone, Apple wisely chose to default the behavior to NOT share the notes. There are many apps (Contact Sheet is just one of them) that will let you share the notes, or just the contact fields you choose, in one or more contacts.

Apple walks a fine line between simplicity and power with the reasoning that when things are simpler they will be used more thoroughly thereby making up for the lack of complex option sets that end up being almost never used. If you only need to share the notes from one or two contacts it is probably easiest to just copy and paste them into an SMS or an email.

Thank you! This is exactly what was wrong.

Whoa - did not know that about Contacts shared from computer! I see next comment suggests way to turn that off.