Which information and in what fields should contact information be added?

Biffos · Feb 11, 2020

What is the best way to add contacts? So where within a contact should one add informations like about whether it is a mobile phone or a landline? Add this behind the name? So it is recognizable in the main contact page?

And what format should the telephone number have? Always with the country code? So +1 for the USA for example: +11763338720. Without delimiters?
Or with:
+1176-3338720
or
001176-3338720
or
0011-763-338720
or
+1176 3338720 (a space)
or another one?

svim · Feb 11, 2020

Try opening your Contacts app and if you tap on someone's listing the resulting window should show whatever info you initially entered with a pencil icon at the top that will open up an editor. You can add or delete phone numbers from there, or add/alter their identifier (Home, Mobile, Main, Fax, Custom, etc.); edit email addresses, and their identifiers; edit addresses and their identifiers; and a 'More field' link to expand the editing window to add miscellaneous notes and such.

Please clarify what you mean by 'main contact page'. Is this regarding the Phone or Contacts app on your phone or the web interface tied to your email account? Also, is your phone Contacts app set up to sync with your online email account? Some people don't do this for various reasons.

I've never had issues using just area code + the seven digit number. I thought the need of a +1 delimiter went away with landline phones quite a while ago. But just to confirm, you're calling from within the US? If not, than yes country code delimiters are necessary whenever it involves calling from a different country.

Biffos · Feb 11, 2020

Very sorry for my bad expression.

Try opening your Contacts app and if you tap on someone's listing the resulting window should show whatever info you initially entered with a pencil icon at the top that will open up an editor. You can add or delete phone numbers from there, or add/alter their identifier (Home, Mobile, Main, Fax, Custom, etc.); edit email addresses, and their identifiers; edit addresses and their identifiers; and a 'More field' link to expand the editing window to add miscellaneous notes and such.

Yes, it is like this here.

Please clarify what you mean by 'main contact page'.

The page showing up after clicking the contacts icon of the Smartphone. Which shows all the contacs alphabetically. So one sees the name of each contact (by scrolling down or up). Usually I want to know whether a contact is a mobile number or a landline. If I add this information to the name I can see it. If I don't I would have to open the contact first. I would like to avoid that and instantly see see kind of number, mobile or landline. But, to enter those information to the name, is that a good idea? I guess, it is not.

Also, is your phone Contacts app set up to sync with your online email account?

No, it is not.

I thought the need of a +1 delimiter went away with landline phones quite a while ago.

If one would call to another country it would be important, I guess.

But just to confirm, you're calling from within the US?

No, I do not. Calling within th US you do not need the country code, I assume, or within another country. If you travel to another country you would need the country code to the US, I would say. Ah sorry, you say it in the last sencence.

svim · Feb 11, 2020

What phone model do you have and which version of Android is it running?
Different manufacturers and carriers will alter some things as far as the user interface of the launcher and some apps.
Also, what version of Contacts app is on your device? (It might be in the app's Settings menu, in 'About Contacts', or look into the Settings >> Apps menu and open the Contacts app entry)

Hadron · Feb 11, 2020

If you ever travel abroad it is useful to have the country code as part of the number - makes it much easier to call from abroad (i.e. it works without having to edit the number). As I do travel internationally I include country codes in all of my regular numbers (there are special numbers which can't be dialled from abroad this way).

"Best" is subjective: many of my contacts have several numbers and I prefer to store all of these under a single contact rather than have my already long contact list bloated by multiple entries for each person. So yes, I have to tap the contact and then select the number (e.g. home/work/mobile) but I prefer this to the clutter of one contact per number. If you prefer the other way then make the number type part of the name so you can see it from the contact list.

Spaces or hyphens: do whatever you find most readable. The phone won't care. Though if you put no deliminators it may add its own, so if you have a preference I suggest you do it the way you prefer.

Biffos · Feb 11, 2020

I have a Sony Xperia X F5121. Android 8.0.0. Is here a signature or such I can enter the model?

It is called "Kontakte" here, the contact version: 1.7.10

Biffos · Feb 11, 2020

As I do travel internationally I include country codes in all of my regular numbers (there are special numbers which can't be dialled from abroad this way).

I assume the format for the country code to be used should be +1 or +44, not 001, 0044 etc. Sometimes the country code automatically is shown (and added if adding it to a contact) of a caller's number, sometimes it is not.

"Best" is subjective: many of my contacts have several numbers and I prefer to store all of these under a single contact rather than have my already long contact list bloated by multiple entries for each person. So yes, I have to tap the contact and then select the number (e.g. home/work/mobile) but I prefer this to the clutter of one contact per number. If you prefer the other way then make the number type part of the name so you can see it from the contact list.

I will rather do it like you do it, that is the better way, I assume. better overview. If there are more numbers than one for a contact it is better t use a single contact for multiple numbers. And after touching the contact the kind of number is shown, one touch / click more.

Though if you put no deliminators it may add its own.

Yes, it does indeed, to different places in the same number I do not want hyphens, why is that?

Hadron · Feb 11, 2020

I've always used the "+xx" format for country codes. Numerical prefixes like "00" work instead of the "+", but these prefixes can be different in different countries, so the "+" is always the safest option.

As for why it puts its own deliminators in varying places, I don't know. I always assumed that it applied US rules regardless of the localisation of the phone or the country code you added, or else did not properly understand different countries' conventions and so got confused by different formats (Google, though they claim to be an international company, are often very parochial). But I never spent enough time analysing it to work out any pattern, just concluded that they did a crap job of it and made sure I did my own. On my phone you can insert spaces instead of hyphens and it respects that, does not attempt to change them or add its own deliminators.

Biffos · Feb 11, 2020

So only use the + format, good

Yes, once a hyphen is added to the number my phone does not add hyphens anymore as well or change its position.
The use of spaces instead of hyphens has the advantage not to have to switch to another keyboard (to enter the hyphen).

Many thanks!

Which information and in what fields should contact information be added?

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