Help changing information in contacts

[Android Question]

I am unable to change information on my contacts. The information is grayed out

 

[Hadron]

All of the information on all of your contacts, or just some fields grayed out?

Note that if the contacts are stored in the SIM (1990's style) then most fields will be unavailable (the SIM has very limited storage, and was only designed to hold name+number). So if that's the case, copy them to the phone and you'll be able to add more information.

 

[Mrstan64]

I go to edit and the fields are grayed out. I cannot change anything. Inadvertently, when they transferred my information to the new phone it didn't go well. I want to change a number, but as stated it is grayed out.

 

[Hadron]

Curious - I don't even know how to lock a contact like that (at least not without using root privileges and a terminal emulator, which I'm sure they didn't do).

So just to understand the situation, can you add contacts, or is the phonebook completely locked?

And are the contacts stored as Google contacts, and if so is contact syncing enabled? If yes to both, if you edit a contact in GMail (via a browser) does the contact on the phone get updated?

 

[Mrstan64]

I got the phone that way. The salesman transfered the contact list, but I can't change the info like phone numbers under the edit tab.

 

[Crashdamage]

I think Hadron was right that the sales guy put your contacts on the SIM card, which no one should do anymore.

You need to get your contacts saved to your Google account (aka Gmail). To do it follow these steps. This is a kinda general guide, they might be somewhat different on your phone. The user manual will also explain this. Also, your phone may have a 'Convert SIM contacts to Google contacts' function built-in. If so, you can use it to skip 1-4 below.

1. Open the Contacts app. Tap Menu (3 dots in the corner).

2. Select Import/Export contacts. It may offer some choices. You want to select Export from SIM or similar terminology.

3. It may offer a choice of file types. For this job, choose CSV. Export to file.

4. From the Contacts menu, select import and import as Google contacts. Do the import of the CSV file you created.

5. In the main phone Settings > Accounts > Google > tap the account name and make sure Sync contacts is checked.

From now on, as long as when you add a contact, be sure it's saved as a Google contact and it went will be automatically uploaded for backup and easy restoration when you change phones.