Contacts

New in iOS 5: Support for Social Media Services in Contacts

IDB Staff ∙ June 10, 2011

Here is a feature that had slipped under my radar but I just found out out about it on AllThingsD, even though I still had to dig around to figure out how to get it to work since the article didn't mention how to get there.

We already know from the WWDC keynote that iOS 5 is bringing deep Twitter integration. One of the many new features in iOS 5 is that you can add a Twitter handle to any contact. What Apple didn't mention is that you can also add Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Myspace info to any contact...

Get Your Gmail Contacts and Calendars in Sync on Your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ March 8, 2011

This little trick has been around for quite some time. But if you are a new iPhone user, or plan on becoming a new iPad user soon, listen up! If you are using Google's email service, then there's a good chance you are using Google's calendar and their contact management system. This holds especially true for you, former Android users, who are forced to use the previously mentioned services by design.

Now I know you're thinking, "Cody, I already have my Gmail setup on my iPhone," and you're probably right. But if you set it up as an actual Gmail account and not under the 'Exchange' account profile, you might be missing out on some cool features. Setup as an Exchange account, your Gmail can automatically sync your contacts, your calendars, and even push your email! The best part is, it's so easy, let me show you how...

PhoneHint Lets You Browse Your Contacts from Inside the iPhone Dialer

Guest Author ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

Another day, another reason to jailbreak your iPhone if you haven't already. The latest tweak is called PhoneHint. PhoneHint lets you do a quick contact search right inside the iPhone dialer.

Here's how it works. Simply, swipe left to right over the dialer’s number display to select the right contact, then double tap to select the number. I can see this tweak saving me lots of time, especially when I'm rummaging through my Recent Calls list trying to find the right contact. PhoneHint does not add any new icons to your homescreen and can be configured from the Settings app.

Want an Off-Contract Verizon iPhone? Prepare to Pay More Than You Would With AT&T

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 23, 2011

At the end of the day, the Verizon iPhone 4 is just an iPhone 4. Sure, it of course contains a few changes; changes like a CDMA chip, and subtle adjustments to the antenna arrangement, but in essence, it's still just a normal iPhone 4.

In fact, the iPhone 4 is likely cheaper to manufacture for Apple, as all products generally fall in price as revisions are made, and cheaper parts become available. That's just the normal lifecycle of any mass produced electronics product. They don't get more expensive to make, they become cheaper.

So why is Verizon having users pony up an extra $50 dollars in order to purchase an off-contract and non-subsidized iPhone for use on their network?

Create Wallpapers and Contact Photos for Your iPhone With ‘Ensoul’ for Mac

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

I love pretty iPhone wallpapers. The Mac App Store recently launched, and I've been looking for an app that will easily allow me to create iPhone-size wallpapers out of the hundreds of desktop wallpapers and hi-res photos I already have on my Mac. After a little searching, I found Ensoul by MacPaw software.

Ensoul is the perfect desktop companion for creating iPhone wallpaper and contact photos on the Mac. The app is incredibly well designed and focused. And, for a wallpaper addict, there's enough under the hood to make it worth the $9.99 price tag.

With Ensoul, you can easily crop and create iPhone-sized wallpapers out of your already existing wallpapers and photos on your Mac. But that's not all, Ensoul has more to offer than just wallpaper resizing...

SBPhotoDial Places Shortcuts to Your Contacts Directly on Your Home Screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 29, 2010

Have you ever wished you could add contacts directly to your Home screen? Well, if you have, you're not alone, I think it's safe to say that everyone's pondered this possibility at least once.

But Apple surely isn't throwing consumers any bones when it comes to this feature, so leave it to the jailbreak community to come up with a solution, even if it doesn't work entirely as you may have hoped...

Use Voice Messaging with Heytell App for iPhone

Guest Author ∙ Updated April 2, 2018

Voice messaging through the Heytell app (download free in the App Store, also available on Android) is quickly becoming my preferred medium of communication. It combines the convenience of text messaging with the personal touch of phone calls. And it's a much safer alternative to texting if you're on the road or in a hurry and need to leave a message for someone.

Heytell takes out all the legwork of dialing numbers, waiting through rings, listening to the voicemail, and then finally the beeeeep! Instead, just select your contact, record your message, and they'll receive a notification a message is waiting for them to check at their convenience.

Heytell isn't new, but I just recently discovered it. I'm assuming there's others out there who don't know about it or would like an explanation of how it works before trying, so if that's you, read on!

New Jailbreak App Shows Your iPhone Contacts Picture Next to Their Names

Sébastien Page ∙ September 28, 2010

Those of you who've been in the jailbreak arena for a while might remember an application by Saurik called Cyntact, which displayed your contacts picture right next to their name in your contacts list. I think Cyntact hasn't been updated for iOS 4 but it doesn't matter because iPicMyContacts is taking over. Commenters confirm Cyntact was updated for iOS 4.

iPicMyContacts will display your contact picture next to his name inside the contacts and favorites screens...

How to Copy Your Contacts From Your iPhone to a SIM Card

Sébastien Page ∙ September 7, 2010

If for one reason or another you want to copy your iPhone contacts from your phone to your SIM card, you're pretty much screwed because Apple doesn't let you do that easily.

When there's a will, there's a jailbreak app! It's called SIManager and it will help you move your contacts from iPhone to SIM.

SIManager is available on Cydia for free from the iSpazio repo. Simply download the app and launch it to get started...

Add Contacts to Your iPhone Springboard with CallMe

Sébastien Page ∙ August 11, 2010

CallMe is a jailbreak app that adds contacts directly to your iPhone springboard allowing you to call/text them in just one tap. After installing the application, you can launch it and choose the contacts you want to add to the home screen. If the contact has several numbers tied to him, you can choose which one you want to use, and whether you want to use it for call or SMS.

Contacts added to the home screen can be put into folders. Pretty convenient!

CallMe is available in Cydia for free. You will have to add the following repo: http://ispaziorepository.com.

If you try CallMe, please let us know what you think of it.

How to Fix iOS 4 Exchange Sync Problems

Sébastien Page ∙ June 30, 2010

After updating to iOS 4, you might have encountered issues when syncing your Microsoft Exchange account. I know I did. Immediately after setting up Google Sync on my iPhone iOS 4, the sync took forever to complete. I ended up deleting and adding the account several times but it didn't really fix the issue as it would still take forever to sync new contacts or new events in the calendar.

According to this Apple Support ticket, I am not the only one. Here are the symptoms: immediately after updating to iOS 4, some users may notice that Exchange ActiveSync Mail, Contacts, or Calendars do not sync, or sync very slowly. In addition, some Exchange Server administrators may notice their servers running slowly.

Here is the fix offered by Apple:

To work around this issue, users should install a configuration profile from Apple that increases the amount of time the iOS 4 device will wait for the Exchange Server to respond to its sync requests. For best results, the profile should be installed on as many iOS 4 devices at your company as possible.

To install the profile:

Use Safari on your iOS 4 device to download the configuration profile. It may be easiest to read this article with your iPhone or iPod touch and tap the download link there, but you may also email the attachment to another email account on your iOS 4 device, and tap the attachment to open it. Tap Install to install the profile, and enter your passcode if prompted. A warning message will appear because the profile is not signed. Tap Install Now. Tap Done to complete the installation, then power off your device and power it back on. Wait for your Exchange data to finish syncing.

After installation, the profile will be listed under Settings > General > Profile.

Have you had this issue? If so, did this fix work for you?