bilgefromdu
Level 1 (1 points)

Q: Apple Contacts is merging different contacts into a single contact

I have many contacts who happen to have the same first names. I don't know the last names of these people. Moreover, some of them are from countries that simply don't use last names (Some South Indians, Arabs, etc.) They are identifiable by the company they work in, or their job titles, or sometimes even by what I wrote in the notes of that particular contact.

 

The problem is: Apple is merging them into a single contact although they are different people. Sometimes the data gets so mixed up that I can't separate the people any more.

 

I tried typing in some dot or dash into the last name box so that it is no longer empty, and this may have worked, but I'm not exactly sure, and I don't want to have to type a dot instead of a last name just to satisfy my software.

 

I'm sure that same fisrt name people with no last name get merged into one identity. I've suffered many cases of that. I'm not very sure what happens when they have the same last name as well, but I'm pretty worried, because I know at least 7-8 people by the name of Khaled Muhammed - all different people.

 

Even if you're in UK / US, I bet you would know 10 David's and 12 George's, right?.. How do you all do it?

Posted on Nov 24, 2013 1:17 AM

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bilgefromdu

Q: Apple Contacts is merging different contacts into a single contact

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 24, 2013 12:55 PM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 10 (207,925 points)
    Applications
    Nov 24, 2013 12:55 PM in response to bilgefromdu

    I suggest you give each contact something as a last name, even if it's only a number.

  • by bilgefromdu,

    bilgefromdu bilgefromdu Nov 24, 2013 1:14 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Nov 24, 2013 1:14 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for the suggestion, but no, if I was happy to do something of that sort I would not have posted this question.

  • by shilushah,

    shilushah shilushah Jan 8, 2014 4:38 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 8, 2014 4:38 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    I have got a slightly different problem. Contacts has merged people from same company, even though they have different names, into on contact. Please does anybody know how to revert?

  • by redsailor,

    redsailor redsailor Jan 18, 2014 9:25 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 18, 2014 9:25 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    I have the same problem and its extremely frustrating, and has the potential for being embarassing. I went into contacts to call a friend, called 'Lisa Smith', and found I had two cell numbers for her. It seemed strange but entirely possible that I should have two numbers for her, so I called one, no answer and called the other, only to find that this was another friend who is listed in my contacts simply as 'Lisa', no last name - Contacts had merged the two simply because they had the same first name and I had no last name listed for the second person.

     

    I have only had this problem since I did the last update to iOS 7.0.4 and I would hope that Apple sorts this quickly.

  • by Henryneo,

    Henryneo Henryneo Apr 23, 2015 12:57 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 12:57 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    PLease has anyone solved this problem. I also have the same problem. Iphone is merging contacts with the same firstname and no surname

  • by wizcreations,

    wizcreations wizcreations Sep 27, 2015 1:09 PM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Sep 27, 2015 1:09 PM in response to bilgefromdu

    I am having this same problem with Contacts in OS X Yosemite.  My dad and I have the same name.  I have tried adding a suffix to one name and using a middle name for only one of us but Contacts merges us because our first and last names are the same, despite the fact that EVERYTHING else is different.  The software doesn't even ask me if I want to merge them.  Is there seriously not a fix for this?

  • by kdotten,

    kdotten kdotten Oct 30, 2015 9:23 AM in response to wizcreations
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 30, 2015 9:23 AM in response to wizcreations

    Yes, this is extremely embarrassing and having fallen victim to it, I'm looking at a Nexus because this issue is unacceptable, especially now seeing it's been an issue for at least 2 years!?  I have an account executive with a full entry named Lauren Lastname who has been getting a ton of personal messages in a group thread that included a friend with only the first name as Lauren.

  • by stokemeister,

    stokemeister stokemeister Dec 9, 2015 11:49 AM in response to wizcreations
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2015 11:49 AM in response to wizcreations

    I'm having the same problem.  One contact is syncing with Facebook, another from iCloud. I trying renaming/adding distinguishing elements but it always reverts and merges them.

  • by hsaade,

    hsaade hsaade Feb 16, 2016 11:25 PM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 11:25 PM in response to bilgefromdu

    any solution for this problem???

  • by Bizeebee,

    Bizeebee Bizeebee May 15, 2016 3:46 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    May 15, 2016 3:46 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    Hi !

     

    I understand when two contacts of the same first name merge to one contact. But is it possible that two different chats with these two persons ( which merged), come up as one chat when downloaded( from icloud) on another iPhone with the same apple id ?

     

    Your feedback's will be appreciated !

  • by keithfrombremerton,

    keithfrombremerton keithfrombremerton Jun 2, 2016 1:35 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 2, 2016 1:35 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    I went from 296 contacts from fb gmail and icloud and now down to 30 from all three sources and now I can't change the contacts. Almost to the point I'm gonna call it quits cuz apple care couldn't even help me figure it out. I was trying to merge duplicates from all sources but somehow it merged into three different contacts now with a total of 30 contacts. I now have a bunch of numbers emails fb names addresses filling up every drop down menu on the three contacts I have that got merged. Very frustrating and overwhelmed. Not to mention my mail being on one device and not others. Along with pictures and music

     

     

    Can anyone help me out pls)

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jun 2, 2016 8:55 AM in response to keithfrombremerton
    Level 9 (69,630 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 2, 2016 8:55 AM in response to keithfrombremerton

    You might want to consider starting a new discussion. Since this one is a couple of years old, less people are likely to look at it. You can link to this one.

  • by Cheryl53719,

    Cheryl53719 Cheryl53719 Aug 9, 2016 6:37 AM in response to bilgefromdu
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 6:37 AM in response to bilgefromdu

    It doesn't matter if she has last names - I had last names on all of mine and it still happened.  What a nightmare - i do not remember everyones telephone number - this is a mess!