Set Preferred Contact Method in iOS 10 - iPhone Tips
Customizing Quick Connect Buttons in iOS 10
For users who prioritize a well-maintained contacts list, iOS 10 introduces a valuable new feature. This allows for modification of the default actions associated with the blue “quick connect” buttons displayed on individual contact pages.
Managing Contact List Organization
Previously, these buttons offered a fixed set of options. Now, users can personalize these actions to better suit their communication preferences.
This update is particularly useful for those who regularly perform tasks like removing duplicate contacts or categorizing contacts for improved list clarity.
Enhanced Control Over Contact Interactions
The ability to customize quick connect buttons provides greater control over how you interact with your contacts directly from their profile page.
This feature streamlines common actions, making contact management more efficient and tailored to individual needs.
iOS 10 empowers users to refine their contact experience, contributing to a more organized and user-friendly mobile environment.
Related: Learn how to enhance your iPhone privacy by concealing contacts.
Customizing the Default Action for Contact Buttons in iOS
Within the Contacts app, four blue buttons are readily available beneath a contact’s name, enabling quick connections via message, phone call, video, or email. This guide details their functionality and how to configure them to prioritize your preferred contact method.
Begin by launching the Contacts application on your device and selecting the specific contact you wish to modify.
If a contact possesses multiple communication options – for instance, several phone numbers – the initial tap of the Call button will prompt a selection of which number to utilize. This selection is then automatically saved as the default for subsequent taps.
The default can be altered at any time by pressing and holding the desired button for a few seconds. This action will re-open the selection prompt, allowing you to choose an alternative number.
Selecting a number will immediately initiate a call. However, your iPhone will retain this number as the default option until you actively change it again. The button’s label will then update to reflect the chosen contact method, drawing information directly from the contact’s details, including any custom labels you may have assigned.
It’s important to understand that modifying the default contact method in this manner only impacts the functionality of these blue buttons on the contact’s profile. This change will not affect the default number utilized when the contact appears in your Favorites list, nor will it influence the number selected by Siri.
Modifying Contact Methods for Siri and Favorites
Altering the default action associated with the blue button does not automatically update the number utilized when a contact is present in your Favorites. To achieve this, accessing the contact's details and selecting "Add to Favorites" is necessary.
Within the subsequent pop-up window, designate your desired contact method – whether it be messaging, a phone call, or another option.
Subsequently, pinpoint the specific number or address you intend to employ.
This action incorporates that particular number or address into your Favorites list for the selected contact. Should the contact already be listed in Favorites, this will append another contact method to the list, rather than overwriting the existing one.
To eliminate any unwanted entries, navigate to your Favorites list and tap the "Edit" option located in the upper right corner.
Tap the minus symbol adjacent to the contact method you wish to remove from Favorites.
Confirm the removal by tapping "Delete".
The contact method utilized by Siri when prompted to call, message, email, or FaceTime someone is directly linked to your Favorites list. If only one contact method exists in Favorites for a given individual, and you instruct Siri – for example, "Call Whitson Gordon" – Siri will automatically initiate the call using that preferred method.
However, should multiple contact methods be present in Favorites for the same person, or if the person isn't in Favorites at all, Siri will request clarification regarding which method you wish to use when several options are available.
While seemingly minor, establishing default contact methods streamlines interactions considerably. Furthermore, the same procedure applies to modifying preferences for messaging, email, and video calls, in addition to phone numbers.