Adding comment text into Android's / Google Contact phone number field

[Guest PeterPandroid]

For my Android / Google contacts that have multiple home and/or mobile numbers and given I can't make custom phone number fields ad-hoc I want to identify them in the phone number fields with a label, vis

0207 889 9911 (Site1)

0207 889 9912 (Site2)

However, Android reads the bracketed text literally and translates the characters into numbers. In the above example the SanFran dials a number like this: 0207 889 9911 3452548

Is there format for entering 'non-dialing' text into the phone number field so that they're clearly visible in a Contacts' various phone numbers.

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest oh!dougal]

Simple - (re)define that number as 'custom' instead of mobile/work/home/etc, on the popup (scroll it!), and you can label it however you like ... !

Edited February 8, 2011 by oh!dougal

[Guest PeterPandroid]

Simple - (re)define that number as 'custom' instead of mobile/work/home/etc, on the popup (scroll it!), and you can label it however you like ... !

So I've now added the 'custom' field via the Google Contacts web page but they aren't showing on the Android SanFran side ....

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest oh!dougal]

So I've now added the 'custom' field via the Google Contacts web page but they aren't showing on the Android SanFran side ....

Not sure from that, that you have followed me.

Its not "adding a custom field", its adding an extra phone number, and selecting custom from the popup menu of labels for that phone number.

This absolutely works 100%.

If you do it on the phone, you have to scroll the list of possible phone-number-labels to get to custom (that's the only difficult bit).

And it works whether you create the number on phone or pc. It syncs properly both ways.

Its worked with every rom I've used.

For example, my brother's mobile is often switched off. To reach him, sometimes I have to call his wife, so I have her listed (using custom) as one of his numbers.

It works. Really!

[Guest PeterPandroid]

I believe you but my talent at ignoring the obvious is clearly defeating me in this task.

My drop-down combo in the Google Contacts' 'phone number' fields only lists these items:

-Home

-Work

-Mobile

-Home Fax

-Work Fax

-Pager

-Other

No 'Custom' item

[Guest PeterPandroid]

Solved!

It seems the the Google Contacts web page on the PC won't allow me to add a 'custom' phone number type but if I create or edit a contact on the SanFran the option for a custom phone number field IS available. After saving and syncing, the field appears on the PC via Google Contacts page.

Slightly curious but a viable workaround.

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest ezablade]

Custom appears after Other on mine (MoDaCo r11) and quite happily let me rename my brothers home number to slum... :P

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

I believe you but my talent at ignoring the obvious is clearly defeating me in this task.

My drop-down combo in the Google Contacts' 'phone number' fields only lists these items:

-Home

-Work

-Mobile

-Home Fax

-Work Fax

-Pager

-Other

No 'Custom' item

same thing i have other

but not custom

[Guest oh!dougal]

Solved!

It seems the the Google Contacts web page on the PC won't allow me to add a 'custom' phone number type but if I create or edit a contact on the SanFran the option for a custom phone number field IS available. After saving and syncing, the field appears on the PC via Google Contacts page.

Slightly curious but a viable workaround.

Not a workaround, probably a requirement.

It may be that Custom numbers are not supported on all Android phones, and therefore pcweb Contacts doesn't show you something until you've indicated to it that your phone can handle the feature.

I'll bet that you don't have to do that "workaround" ever again.

Aqnd can create Custom numbers for any contact from your pc now that you've started.

But its worth stressing the discovery that the first Custom number needs to be made on the phone (and you need to scroll to see the option).

I'm afraid I don't remember creating my first Custom number, but likely it was indeed on the phone.

And BTW the opposite applied for Groups. I do remember that I had to create my first Group on the computer before the SF would acknowledge that Contact Groups were even a possibility!

[Guest PeterPandroid]

I'll bet that you don't have to do that "workaround" ever again.

I'm really pleased to have this working and now a more agreeable layout in my contacts/phonebook. Sadly, I will have to do it often as the re-named custom phone fields aren't using some generic label. They are most typically family members, all under a single contact umbrella of the whole family name. Or sub-divisions a of single business. i.e. I would want to define a single contact for our GP who runs two surgeries at different addresses/numbers. Whilst I could make a seperate contact for each, as I could with each member of a family, I'd rather group them logically. I suspect that Google may address this at some point. Perhaps by allowing any new contact to specify another contact as a 'parent', and whose data is only visible a extra fields merged into that parent.

In the meantime my strategy for all new contacts, which I invariably do from the PC, will be, in the example of a family of four; to enter four 'other' phone number fields for the contact and then redefine each of those fields as an appropriately labelled custom field on the SanFran side.

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest John E]

It seems the the Google Contacts web page on the PC won't allow me to add a 'custom' phone number type but if I create or edit a contact on the SanFran the option for a custom phone number field IS available. After saving and syncing, the field appears on the PC via Google Contacts page.

I have the same problem of no longer being able to use custom phone number labels. What do you mean by " the SanFran option "

[Guest richardtkemp]

There is no obvious 'Custom' field name option on gmail website contacts, it took me ages to figure it out too - I resorted to a google search!

What you do is just click the label and start typing. 'Simple', I suppose, but not natural really until you're used to it.

[Guest oh!dougal]

,,, Sadly, I will have to do it often as the re-named custom phone fields aren't using some generic label. They are most typically family members, all under a single contact umbrella of the whole family name. Or sub-divisions a of single business. ...

You misunderstand me!

You should now be able to enter custom number labelss for any contact at either pc or phone.

Using a custom label isn't a workaround, its the right way! (And I hope you'll use it often.) Vlingo (and I'm sure other apps) knows about that label so that you can say (for example) "Call Mike Jones at the London office" (and it'll use his number that you have labelled as 'London office')

Note also that Android DOES have a contact grouping facility.

Edited February 8, 2011 by oh!dougal

[Guest John E]

There is no obvious 'Custom' field name option on gmail website contacts, it took me ages to figure it out too - I resorted to a google search!

What you do is just click the label and start typing. 'Simple', I suppose, but not natural really until you're used to it.

Thanks, but unfortunately, this does not work.

I am trying to have custom phone number labels. In the past, Google had the option of " Custom " for the phone number label which would let you name you phone number anything. Now the "Custom" option is no longer present.

Any other ideas??

[Guest PeterPandroid]

You misunderstand me!

You should now be able to enter custom number labelss for any contact at either pc or phone.

You're right, I did. But, darn it! I attempted to create a new Google contact pcweb side. Just the same list of 'phone types' as before (post #5) vis. Home, Work, Mobile, Home Fax, Work Fax, Pager, Other.

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest ezablade]

I get this when adding a new conact:

[Guest PeterPandroid]

I get this when adding a new conact:

Wow! That 's nothing like any Google Contacts screen I've ever seen. Can you give me your: url, browser, etc. Anything that might give you such a different contacts screen

Edited February 8, 2011 by PeterPandroid

[Guest John E]

I get this when adding a new conact:

EZABLADE, I do not get the same screen when adding a contact.

I have tried using i.e on Win 7, Vista and XP operating systems.

I also tried using Chrome on a XP o/s.

thoughts??

Maybe I am not pushing <enter> with the correct finger :P

[Guest SqueakyG]

Wow! That 's nothing like any Google Contacts screen I've ever seen. Can you give me your: url, browser, etc. Anything that might give you such a different contacts screen

That's exactly how the New Contact screen looks when I edit contacts using Gmail.

Out of curiosity I have just seen what it looks like in http://www.google.com/contacts and indeed there is no "Custom" category there. So you should take a look at how Contacts looks within Gmail (and even if you're not an active user of their email service, you'll have a Gmail inbox).

Edited February 8, 2011 by SqueakyG

[Guest John E]

That's exactly how the New Contact screen looks when I edit contacts using Gmail.

Out of curiosity I have just seen what it looks like in http://www.google.com/contacts and indeed there is no "Custom" category there. So you should take a look at how Contacts looks within Gmail (and even if you're not an active user of their email service, you'll have a Gmail inbox).

WONDERFUL. Thanks a bunch!

[Guest PeterPandroid]

That's exactly how the New Contact screen looks when I edit contacts using Gmail.

And indeed it is. So for anybody using:

http://www.google.com/contacts

switch instead to:

https://mail.google.com/mail/#contacts

... for the moment, whilst Google unify their contacts interface.

Pp

[Guest ezablade]

that would explain it then, I always use gmail to edit contacts, never even realised there was a Google Contacts!

[Guest oh!dougal]

... Vlingo (and I'm sure other apps) knows about that label so that you can say (for example) "Call Mike Jones at the London office" (and it'll use his number that you have labelled as 'London office') ...

Actually, I was wrong on that bit.

Vlingo just sees them as 'custom' numbers and the current version can't access the contents of the custom description.

Sorry! :P

[Guest warwound]

And indeed it is. So for anybody using:

http://www.google.com/contacts

switch instead to:

https://mail.google.com/mail/#contacts

... for the moment, whilst Google unify their contacts interface.

Pp

Shame that doesn't work for Google Apps accounts.

Never mind :P

warwound