Stock Messaging App

[WozzaTT]

I'm sure this has been asked many times but for anyone using the stock messaging app is there a way to get rid of all the unwanted contacts it brings up from Facebook? It seems anyone who I have as a friend on there is showing up in my contacts list, sometimes several times.

It makes selecting a contact to send a text to a right mission. I was happy enough with Handcent until today but due to MMS problems I thought I'd give the stock app a go.

 

[JohnnyBravo1000]

Do you have Facebook synced with your phone? If so, you could unsync it. This would remove the Facebook contacts from your contacts list.

 

[WozzaTT]

Do you have Facebook synced with your phone? If so, you could unsync it. This would remove the Facebook contacts from your contacts list.

Thanks Johnny. That's certainly a step in the right direction I think. I've unsynced my Facebook contacts but they are still showing in the contacts list so I need to figure out how to delete them I guess. I shall persevere!

 

[Luffer]

The contact sync is the single most annoying "feature" of Android. Once I'd done this I found no way to remove them other than to delete them all manually. As it had imported ALL my facebook contacts I had literally hundreds! The only way I found of sorting the whole mess out was to factory reset the phone. Massively inconvenient and now I have to be careful never to sync it again!

There doesn't seem to be any way to un-sync once you stop the sync if that makes sense.

 

[WozzaTT]

The contact sync is the single most annoying "feature" of Android. Once I'd done this I found no way to remove them other than to delete them all manually. As it had imported ALL my facebook contacts I had literally hundreds! The only way I found of sorting the whole mess out was to factory reset the phone. Massively inconvenient and now I have to be careful never to sync it again!

There doesn't seem to be any way to un-sync once you stop the sync if that makes sense.

Agree it's a very annoying feature - I'm not bothered about using Facebook on my phone anyway so I might just remove the account completely. I've no idea how to delete all the contacts I don't want manually.

The contacts list is a right mess for the stock messaging app, the same applies if I click on Phone to call someone. Much easier (for me at any rate) to access a contact from People and call or message them from there. Oh - and I've gone back to Handcent!

 

[Luffer]

Yup, it's exactly this sort of inconsistency that really frustrates me. Why do I need different "contact" screens for different apps. "Messages" uses one, "People" uses another, "Phone" a third. Where is the consistency? Each one is different, grrrr! This sort of design is what really makes the iPhone such a joy to use! Even thought I despise everything Apple stand for, I can't deny that aspect.

Why can't a single contact list be used by ALL apps! "People" works well, why can't that be called on each time? I particularly hate the "Phone" contacts where I have to use the phone keypad to type the letters.... Eurgghh!!!!

I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall with Android a lot of the time. The OS is a master-class in how NOT to design a UI!

 

[WozzaTT]

Couldn't agree more!! Thankfully the phone is so customisable that these issues can be worked around but the different contacts lists is a joke.

The GF has an Iphone and although I think I prefer my Desire I'm sometimes envious of how the Iphone does everything so 'cleanly' and smoothly. I'd soon get bored of it though I reckon!

 

[Luffer]

I had an iPhone 3G for 18 months and mostly it was fine. But my Desire is better in most aspects.

It strikes me though that Google are great at search and advertising but appalling at software development!

I get the impression they said to developer A: "Go into office 1 and develop a phone app" then turned to developer B and said: "Go to office 2 and write us a contacts app" and finally said to developer C: "Get in office 3 and code me a SMS app". Then they locked the doors to the offices and removed all contact to the outside world until they had finished.

They repeated this process for every feature on the phone and then just threw it all together at the end. There was no design discussion, no collaboration just a whole bunch of random "stuff" thrown together.

I mean, surely the code base could be a lot smaller if the different modules could be reused. Why code THREE different contact lists when you only need one?

 

[dndxn]

Hi Guys, To get rid of the facebook contacts is a simple case of removing the check box for facebook contacts within the "View" option menu when your in the "people" app.

 

[WozzaTT]

Hi Guys, To get rid of the facebook contacts is a simple case of removing the check box for facebook contacts within the "View" option menu when your in the "people" app.

That's never worked I'm afraid - I only have Google contacts ticked (and those with phone numbers only) but it still picks up all the Facebook nonsense.

 

[SUroot]

No, the people app view only works in the people app. The contacts list you access when you press phone or "to" in messages is not the people app.

Unfortunately, it shows each contact point for each contact, from each directory there.

so for Dave you will see 1 contact point for mobile, one for email, one for facebook mobile, one for facebook email. 4 Daves.

Its annoying, but I'd prefer this than picking one contact then the message going to whatever the contact has set as "primary", which could be a home phone for example.

I just text individuals so people app is fine for me.

 

[Luffer]

.... and this is the reason Android is so badly designed! As I said earlier, you only need ONE contacts module and for it to be consistent throughout the OS. If ever there was a way to immediately confuse users then this is it! When I go to the phone, I expect to see exactly the same contacts list that I do in the People app.

I've been using mobile phones and then smart phones ever since the beginning and have always been an early adopter. I adapt easily, but this confused the hell out of me and I still don't understand the need for it.

 

[SUroot]

I agree.

I just use teh people app for everything anyway, so it doesn't bother me that much.

 

[nx1977]

This issue is resolved on the latest Rom - currently only out for sim free

 

[WozzaTT]

Hi - I think I know the answer already but it's worth asking again!

Is there any way to set the stock messaging app so that you get a constant reminder that a text message has been received? I've missed quite a few already because the led light only flashes for a short time .

I uninstalled handcent as I was unable to send or receive picture messages with it, and the app was slightly laggy when quite a few messages were stored.

Looks like I'll have to go back to handcent if I want a constant flashing led as a reminder. Does chomp offer the same customization?

 

[Eris Ed]

WozzaTT, I use ChompSMS and I really like it. But I'm affraid the LED only blinks for about 5 mins after a message arrives (sent myself a text in the name of Android Science!)

 

[WozzaTT]

WozzaTT, I use ChompSMS and I really like it. But I'm affraid the LED only blinks for about 5 mins after a message arrives (sent myself a text in the name of Android Science!)

Hey Ed! Thank you - yep just installed it and did the same test. As you say, only blinks for a few minutes like the stock app. Really like ChompSMS otherwise, except for the adds and the fact I set it to have a blue led but it's stayed green.

Oh well - may have to go back to handcent I guess. I've come from a little Nokia 6300 which had the flashing blue leds on the sides which flashed until you read the message. Very handy if, like me, your phone is on silent on your desk all day at work.

EDIT: Have just noticed you can set reminders - that might be the way to go!

 

[Eris Ed]

Hey Ed! Thank you - yep just installed it and did the same test. As you say, only blinks for a few minutes like the stock app. Really like ChompSMS otherwise, except for the adds and the fact I set it to have a blue led but it's stayed green.

Oh well - may have to go back to handcent I guess. I've come from a little Nokia 6300 which had the flashing blue leds on the sides which flashed until you read the message. Very handy if, like me, your phone is on silent on your desk all day at work.

EDIT: Have just noticed you can set reminders - that might be the way to go!

I set the colour to blue too! Gutted when it didn't change....

I'm quite a text junkie so I check often and don't really need a reminder. One cool thing I found today is the customization settings: now I have new background images, fonts and colours for the main message list, and I've tinkered with the conversation appearance too! That's the best feature of the Desire and Android - you can make it YOURS

I think it's worth the small cost for the ad-free version, it was the first app I paid for.

 

[WozzaTT]

I set the colour to blue too! Gutted when it didn't change....

I'm quite a text junkie so I check often and don't really need a reminder. One cool thing I found today is the customization settings: now I have new background images, fonts and colours for the main message list, and I've tinkered with the conversation appearance too! That's the best feature of the Desire and Android - you can make it YOURS

I think it's worth the small cost for the ad-free version, it was the first app I paid for.

Agreed - the small cost for ad-free doesn't bother me either!

Had problems with Handcent and picture messages so just sent myself one using ChompSMS and although it seemed to come through ok I then got a notification bar message 'unable to download' but I think this was to do with the stock app. Ho-hum - I'll carry on tinkering!