My deleted contacts still show up when I want to send a text message

Rlnbci wrote:

I bet this isn't an issue with a droid.

It is, and Android and Apple are not alone in this. Even on your computer if you have a GMail account and initiate a new message, as you type in the address box it will auto-populate with any address you've ever sent a message to, even if they're not in your Contacts. So, choose wisely Grasshopper ...

Well this grasshopper along with all the others will not have any tough decision when competing developers are wise enough to fix this instead of accepting we all fail at personal security concerns so accept it. Nice business plan.

Competing developers? Well I guess you can try a Windows or RIM phone, but Android and iOS both exhibit this behavior.

I'm not denying that it can be a nuisance for old contact info to come up, but I'm sure that the intent is for the device to recall a contact that you've used before as a matter of convenience. Perhaps this could be a setting for you to opt in or out of, so if you have not done so provide your feedback at the link above.

In any case, I don't see how your personal security is impacted by this, unless you're trying to cover your tracks on who you're sending messages to. The information is retained within the device, not on any external server if that's what you're worried about.

Is there any way to try get this resolved. I feel like just posting these complaints here isn't really accomplishing anything (nor is saying "Just get a Windows or RIM phone). It seems like it should be something fixable, and it truly is annoying to have deleted contacts showing up... Apple support, or...?

This is not a fix, but you might note, that when you select a number that is currently in your contacts, the Name of the contact will show in the "To:"-field. When you select one of the old/cached numbers, it shows the Number without the name in the "To:"-field. In that way, it gives away it is a cached number, and not a number of a current contact.

Should at least prevent texting to the wrong number.

I agree that this is very annoying and unacceptable!! My quick work-around to help me from sending Text Messages to incorrect contacts (and wondering why they never got back to me!!!). I edited the contact and placed an asterisk * at the end of the contact name. Now when I send a text, I still get both contacts, but I can easily see which is the *correct* contact. It's ridiculous to have to implement this and Apple does not have a fix!!!

You can also change the Contact (with asterisk) to another fake name like "$$$" and send a message to this old number. Then you can delete this Contact. The message app cache memory will "store" this old number assigned with with "$$$" and will not bring up the number when you type a name.

Then why are you wasting everyone's time?? Restoring your iPhone as new is NOT an option dude! Why would you even mention something as ridicilous as that. I don't know about you, but most of us have hundreds of contacts in our phones can't just keep restoring our phones as new everytime we delete someone!

rezalution wrote:

Restoring your iPhone as new is NOT an option dude! Why would you even mention something as ridicilous as that. I don't know about you, but most of us have hundreds of contacts in our phones can't just keep restoring our phones as new everytime we delete someone!

At present, you have two options: restore as new, or live with it. There is nothing else anyone here can offer you. Sorry.

In fact im wasting MY time trying to help people like you. I don't have any problem with my iPhones but im trying to help. If you don't like it its your problem. And yes, restore IS an option. Its worth it? No, but IS an option.

The reason to mention that was to explain the issue about old deleted messages that "nmac9" mentioned.

Anyway you can try this workaround. Assign the old number to a fake contact like "$%#", send a message to that number and then delete it. The number will not comes up when you type the first letter of the contact that changed number.

Sorry for my English\

Sorry if im wasting your time.

Che

Cheon, you are not wasting anyones time! Thank you for posting the best available solution!

I would even say to the complaining poster, that I do not know of ANYONE that stores their contacts on their iPhone! Whoever would do that? I know litteraly hundreds of iPhone users, and to my knowledge ALL of them have their contacts online, most often on gmail, and simply sync the phone with these contacts.

That means that restoring your phone as new is as simple as putting in the login-information for your gmail/exchange/whatever-account, and all your contacts will be restored.

Wow...I wasn't trying to be rude to Cheon-I'm just shocked that this bug can't be fixed through an update. I am not complaining, but rather trying to get this bug fixed and actually HELP everyone with deleted contacts auto-populating! But apparently, some people consider re-entering hundreds of contacts back into their iPhones to be the solution! Jesper, I didn't know you could back up and restore your iPhone from your gmail or other account- if so then why are we even having this discussion? I thought you could only back up and restore using iCloud. If there is a way to back up and restore from gmail please tell me how!

rezalution wrote:

I didn't know you could back up and restore your iPhone from your gmail or other account- if so then why are we even having this discussion? I thought you could only back up and restore using iCloud. If there is a way to back up and restore from gmail please tell me how!

You don't back up to GMail, you can only back up to iTunes or to iCloud.

What they're referring to is keeping your contacts in GMail (or any other type of account that allows contact syncing to iOS). That way, if you have to Restore your device all you need to do is re-add whatever account you're syncing contacts from.

Feedback i just sent to Apple:

Hello, please can you fix the bug that brings up old contact names in recent calls and texts after you have altered the details in contacts. My Dad recetly passed away and it really upsets me when my Mum calls and it says Mum & Dad in my recent calls list.

Also it would be a bonus to choose which contact takes preference when a number is in multiple contacts as I have a big list that just says I.C.E. instead of my close family.

Thanks.

The ONLY way to remove the "Other" contact in the Messages app that no longer exists in your contacts is to restore as a new phone. Adding a contact with that # and renaming doesn't fix it.

I've talked to Apple about this and it is a known bug - one that hopefully can be resolved in a future release.