Customize & Filter Address Book in Windows 10 - A How-To Guide
Managing Contacts with the People App in Windows 10
The People app serves as a central hub for both creating and maintaining your contact information. We have previously detailed methods for importing existing address books or building one from scratch within Windows 10.
As you integrate various accounts – such as Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo!, Exchange, and Office 365 for business – and populate your address book, the number of contacts will inevitably increase.
Utilizing Search, Editing, and Linking Features
Fortunately, the People app provides robust functionality to help you navigate this growing list. It allows users to efficiently search for specific contacts, edit existing details, and link duplicate entries.
These features are crucial for maintaining an organized and accurate contact list. Keeping contacts linked prevents redundancy and ensures you have the most up-to-date information.
Maintaining an Organized Contact List
The ability to manage contacts effectively is vital for seamless communication. The People app streamlines this process, offering tools to keep your address book current and easily accessible.
By leveraging the app’s search, editing, and linking capabilities, users can avoid confusion and maintain a clear overview of their network.
Locating and Organizing Your Contacts
A primary function of any contact application is the ability to efficiently find your stored contacts. Whether it's for verifying a phone number, sending a message, or reviewing associated notes, quick access is crucial. Simply enter a first or last name into the Search field to begin the process.
Matching contacts will dynamically appear and refine as you input more characters.
As an alternative method, selecting a letter heading within the contact list—such as “R”—will expand the interface. This reveals a comprehensive display of alphabets and numerals.
Clicking on a specific letter will instantly navigate you to the corresponding section within your contact directory.
The contact list is, by default, arranged alphabetically by First Name. To modify this, click the “See More” ellipses (…). This option is located adjacent to the (+) symbol, and opens the Settings menu.
Within the “Contact list display” section, you can select your preferred sorting method. Choose to organize contacts by either “First Name” or “Last Name”.
Furthermore, you can determine the order in which names are presented—either “First Name” first or “Last Name” first.
Managing Your Contacts List by Account
When a Gmail account is integrated with the Mail app, the associated contacts are synchronized with the People app. There are two primary methods for managing how these contacts are displayed: you can disable contact syncing for a specific account, or you can simply hide contacts originating from that account.
Disabling Contact Synchronization for a Specific Account
If you prefer not to view contacts from a particular account, begin by opening the People app and navigating to the “Settings” menu.
Within the “Settings” pane, select the account you wish to modify and then click “Change Mailbox Sync Settings”.
Scroll down to the “Sync Options” section and toggle the “Contacts” option to the off position. Should you encounter any synchronization issues with the contacts server, you can access and adjust the server details by clicking “Advanced mailbox settings”.
Hiding Contacts from a Designated Account
Within the People app, select the “See More” option, represented by ellipses (...), and then click “Settings”. This action will display the Settings pane. From here, choose “Filter Contact List”.
In the subsequent window, deselect the checkboxes corresponding to the accounts you want to exclude from view. This prevents specific contacts from appearing in the People app’s main contact list. These contacts remain searchable when composing an email, but are hidden from the primary contact display. You can also choose to hide contacts lacking phone numbers, displaying only those you can directly call or text.
Consolidating Duplicate Contacts
Upon integrating multiple accounts, the potential for duplicate contact entries arises. The People application intelligently identifies individuals sharing the same name, even if their associated details differ. When such instances are detected, the application automatically establishes a link between these contacts.
A small numerical indicator, such as 2 or 3, displayed on the chain-link icon signifies that the People app is presenting a unified view of data originating from multiple accounts.
Manually Linking Contacts
In cases where automatic linking doesn't occur, users retain the ability to manually connect contacts. Initiate the process by clicking the “chain-link icon” and then selecting the “Choose a contact to link” option.
Subsequently, search for the desired contact and confirm the linkage by clicking “Save”.
Removing a Contact
The process of deleting a contact begins with selecting the desired entry from the panel located on the left side of the screen. Once a contact is highlighted, access the options available in the right pane by clicking the "See More" ellipses (...).
From the displayed menu, choose the "Delete" option. A confirmation message will then be presented to ensure the deletion is intentional before proceeding.
Benefits of the People App
The People application offers a range of useful features for managing your contacts within a unified interface.
- It streamlines the organization of your address book.
- Synchronization across multiple Windows 10 devices is a key advantage.
When you log in to another Windows 10 computer, your address book will automatically populate with your existing accounts and contacts.
This ensures that your contact information remains consistent and up-to-date across all your devices, providing a seamless user experience.
