removing hyphens/spaces from phone numbers

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Level 1

54 points

removing hyphens/spaces from phone numbers

Hi there,

Is it possible to remove hyphens and spaces that are automatically and incorrectly inserted to iphone numbers when storing them or is this a feature that Apple think everyone MUST have?

Having many international phone numbers on my phone, the incorrect spaces and hyphens are a nuisance. It would be easier if the feature can be disabled or if the iphone checks the format for each international number prefixes. Not that difficult really!!! i.e. + 44 for the UK and if it's a mobile prefix, insert a space/hyphen after the 07xx bit or whatever, and then the city codes followed by a space/hyphen. That's it!

M

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.2

Posted on Apr 20, 2013 2:08 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 20, 2013 3:24 AM in response to Maz K

How the numbers are displayed is determined by the Region settings you've selected in Settings>General>International>Region Format. The hyphens are only for purposes of making the number easier to read. They don't affect how the number is dialed.

Submit your feedback with your request on how you'd like it to be directly to Apple using the appropriate link on the Feedback page:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Best of luck.

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Answer 2

Maz K Author

Level 1

54 points

Apr 20, 2013 5:35 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Hi Meg,

Thanks for your reply and the mention that Apple do take notice.

However, my post is not one of complaint. It was/is a query. If I wanted to complain, I would go straight to Apple and do that! I have the relevant email addresses of Apple in the US and I have got effective replies when I have complained about things in the past.

It is not my intention to complain in this post but to ask!

As I mentioned in the initial post "Is it possible to remove hyphens and spaces that are automatically and incorrectly inserted to iphone numbers when storing them or is this a feature that Apple think everyone MUST have?"

However, I thank you for your info, Meg.

KR,

Maz

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Answer 3

Maz K Author

Level 1

54 points

Apr 20, 2013 4:06 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply.

I do realise that the hyphens/spaces do not get dialled and are there to separate what the dialler thinks should be groups of numbers...

Also, region format has nothing to with solving the problem because I have it set to UK and it displays ALL my numbers using a UK format which is obviously silly when I have UK, French, UAE numbers etc. Why does the system display my UAE contact in a UK format???

Ideally I should be able to insert my own spaces.

No point in submitting feedback as Apple don't care what we want. I just wondered if there was an option to delete a silly Apple feature!

Thanks again,

Maz

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Answer 4

Apr 20, 2013 4:11 AM in response to Maz K

Maz K wrote:

No point in submitting feedback as Apple don't care what we want. I just wondered if there was an option to delete a silly Apple feature!

Nonesense. Concerted feedback campaigns have resulted in a number of changes, including the most recent one I can remember where the function of the slider switch on the iPad was made user selectable. However, if you just want to complain rather than take action, that is certainly your privilege.

Best of luck.

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Answer 5

Apr 20, 2013 5:16 AM in response to Maz K

Prior to 6.0 (or was it mountain lion), inserting the + let them align to the right, with 4 digits to the right, then 3, then whatever on the far left.

Now it aligns to the left, giving numbers that appear to be missing things, but are really there. As mentioned above, it does not affect the dialing, but you look at a number and for those of us who have a half century of looking at the digits, and have to put various country and city codes in front of them to dial from wherever we are, it makes it much harder to decipher.

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Answer 6

Apr 20, 2013 6:08 AM in response to Maz K

Maz K wrote:

As I mentioned in the initial post "Is it possible to remove hyphens and spaces that are automatically and incorrectly inserted to iphone numbers when storing them or is this a feature that Apple think everyone MUST have?"

No one here is able or allowed to answer your question about what Apple "thinks". No one here works for Apple and speculation is prohibited. But, a simple answer to your first question is "no". I apologize. I thought it was implied in my first response.

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Answer 7

Maz K Author

Level 1

54 points

Apr 20, 2013 9:31 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Sorry but I thought that I needed to clarify the use of the word incorrectly

I'm not presuming anything on behalf of Apple but stating a fact. The spaces and hyphens are incorrectly positioned. The groupings are wrong, i.e. mobile code 0776 xxx should not be split as 07-76x xx and so on. That was my point with the word incorrectly! The fact that the formatting of my phone numbers is incorrect is a fact and not a presumption, assumption or speculation.

I also apologise as I thought that this was implied in my first post.

Thanks,

Maz

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Answer 8

Maz K Author

Level 1

54 points

Apr 20, 2013 9:07 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Hi Meg,

Thanks for your input and absolutely - No one should presume what Apple thinks.

Kind regards,

Maz

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