Contacts app gets its biggest update ever in iOS 16

With every iOS update, the Contacts app was getting minor upgrades, like how to manage and interact with contacts, and more. The last major feature it got was Emergency Contacts that can work even in Do Not Disturb mode. iOS 10 update. But in iOS 16, it got its biggest update ever. Here's everything that came in Contacts in the iOS 16 update.

Merge duplicate contacts more easily

When the iPhone detects multiple entries for the same contact across all of your accounts, you'll see a new "Duplicates Found" section at the top of the All Contacts list with the number of duplicates found. Click View Duplicates, and you can choose to merge all contacts at once or select each contact to view the information first and combine them individually.

This list does not appear if the system does not detect any duplicates in your contacts

Create and manage contact lists

Now, you have complete control over the contact groups. You can create, delete, and rename lists across accounts like iCloud and Gmail, as well as add and remove contacts from them. There is really a lot to do with contact lists, which we will mention in a separate article later, God willing.

Email or message contact lists

Previously, you could email entire groups of contacts from within the Mail app, but you couldn't start a message from Contacts. Now you can do that. You can also create a group conversation in the Messages app. To do this:

Click the mail icon in the list to start an email, or tap and hold the list name from the Lists view.

Choose either 'Email All' or 'Message All'.

You can also swipe right on the list name and tap the mail or message icon.

Export contact lists

As mentioned above, when you long press on a contact list, quick actions appear that allow you to mail or send regular messages to the entire list, rename it and delete it. There is also another new feature for the “Export” menu. You can share it, add it to a quick note, or save it to your files.

Drag and drop contacts

There are many ways to add a contact to the list, but dragging and dropping doesn't use any of the traditional lists that these other methods use. Before, you couldn't drag a contact from any list, but now you can, and you can drop it into any other list or any other app.

When you tap and drag a contact from the list, it will turn into a floating contact card. Then, you can open another app like Messages and drop it where you want it or drag it over the Menus button, wait for it to open, and then drop it.

Unread messages or missed call alerts in widget

In the iOS 15 update, you can tap a person's name in Contacts to view information about them, and this is still the case in the iOS 16 update, the new is that the Contacts widget itself will tell you if you have any unread messages, a missed FaceTime call, or phone calls .

Filter fields when sharing contacts

When you want to share someone's phone number or email address without revealing any of the other personal information you have stored in Contacts, such as their date of birth, home address, full name, surname, other phone numbers, other email addresses, etc., you can Now filter that information.

After opening the posts window for a contact, you'll find a new "Filter Fields" button under the person's name. Click on it, and you will see each piece of data on the contact card, you can select or unselect the item you want.

More memoji for contacts

You can actually choose a memoji for a contact photo, but that was limited to just 12 custom ones using the front camera. Now there's more, there are three all-new modes for contact photos only.

To set a memoji as a contact photo, open the contact card from Contacts, Phone, Messages, or any other app where you can view the contacts. Select Edit, then Edit or Add Photo below the contact's photo. Choose the sticker you want, click Next, move it and resize it, click Choose, then save it with Done.

More quick actions for contacts

In the iOS 15 update, long-pressing on a contact will reveal a contextual menu with options to message, call, FaceTime, email, or push the contact "left of the photo." In the iOS 16 update, there are new options to copy, share, make this my card, and delete contact "right of photo".

lock screen widget

The lock screen widget is one of the most new features of iOS 16, but Apple did not customize the widget for contacts, but third-party applications can create a contact widget for the lock screen, such applications:

Lock Screen Contact Widgets

Free⁺

Developer	Rihab Mehboob

And application

Contactify: Lock Screen widget

Free⁺

Developer	Niels Van Straaten

And application

Cardhop Contacts

Free⁺

Developer	Flexibits Inc.

With these apps, you can create widgets for individual contacts or groups to call, send an email, message, FaceTime, and more. You can also add a link to your favorite contacts.

Source:

ios. gadgethacks