Creating categories

I can't believe Apple still hasn't addressed this, the perfect opportunity would have been with the most recent iOS6. IPhail....

I know! Very aggravating!!!

I was having the same problem. I have all my contacts in MS Outlook categorized and in groups. But that doesn't help at all. Good news...I found the solution.

1. If you'd like to use your MS Outlook contacts to sync to iPhone...make sure to delete all contacts in iPhone first by syncing it with your iTunes in PC. Uncheck the 'Sync Contacts with Outlook'...a pop up window will ask to remove contacts previously synced to your iPhone...click 'Remove Contacts'...then hit 'Sync'. Close iTunes application. Now go login to iCloud.com and delete all your contacts. This way it doesn't messes up and download it to your iPhone.

2. Open MS Outlook...I assume you already have your contacts categorized/color-coded. Now right click on 'Contacts' then select 'New Folder' (rename it). This will create a folder under 'Contacts'. Now drag the cards/lists to that folder you've created. It's easy by selecting multiple cards/lists if they're already categorized/color-coded and then drag them into the folder at once.

3. Once you've organized your contacts...open iTunes, and 'Sync Contacts with Outlook' and select the groups you wanted to sync.

I've included a screenshot below.

Hope this helps.

Ugh... I was SO excited when my company switched from Bberry to Apple and I received my iPhone 5 a couple of days ago. Today I installed our corporate MS Outlook exchange app (Airwatch) that allows our Outlook to synch with the iPhone and - viola! - my contacts and calendar meetings/events started synching.

So imagine my dissapointment to find that all of my meetings and events (and I have a LOT of them), which I painstakingly categorize by COLOR so as to my easily and visually discern what I am doing, with whom, and when, DID NOT SYNCH OVER. Really?

I have 4 kids (color coded) and many different work groups (color coded) and was simply assuming this would naturally "flow" over to the iPhone.

I THINK you described a similar problem... for those of us counting on the Corporate exchange app, did you find any workable solution?

Thanks... Phrustrated in Philly!

I have a similar problem.

In my case, my organization is using Microsoft's new "Office 365" suite of hosted collaboration solutions, which includes email.

With this solution, iTunes is removed from the equation altogether ... my iPhone syncs my email/contacts/calendar/tasks wirelessly by pulling data directly from Microsoft's server (just like Blackberry). The Outlook client on my PC works the same way. In short, there is no communication between my Outlook client on my PC and my iPhone ... both devices talk independantly to the same source - the server.

Unfortunately, while this has greatly simplified setup and ease of use, I too cannot figure out how to make the "groups" function work on my iPhone and reconcile with my CATEGORIES that appear in my Outlook client.

Does anyone else have any experience with using the iPhone in this manner with Office 365?

There is a way to organize both contacts and notes straight from the iPhone.

It's kind of tricky but here is a link where I explain how to do it for notes. I had the same question and I figured it out on accident. So I am sure it could be beneficial for others too.

https://sites.google.com/site/iphonetipsandsecrets/

Also for the contacts groups I can create groups with an app called "Groups" that does a pretty good job.

I am all about doing everything from my iPhone and not having to use a computer. :) I'm almost there.

We all need these categories. I've been asking apple support for support of outlook categories since iPhone 3Gs came out. (That was my first iPhone). They always advised to post the request in http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html and I've been doing that continuously. I've had everyone in my company put the request in. But it hasn't been sufficient. I find it ridiculous that apple hasn't put this in without any suggestions or requests from the users. The folder grouping they have created only allows a one dimensional grouping of contacts. So an individual can for example be only Your "Friend" or Your "Co-Worker" or "client" or "Soccer Player" based on which folder you put them in.

But categories give you a multi dimensional grouping because you can add multiple categories to them. Anyone who uses categories knows this. I don't know why apple doesn't or doesn't see that as an important feature to add.

We need to rally everyone to go to that link above and request "Add outlook Categories support".

APPLE DEVELOPERS that read this please add Outlook Categories support.

Thanks,

Frustrated iPhone user