I have been using Android smartphones for over ten years. During this time, I changed devices, manufacturers, and accidentally imported multiple copies of my contacts.
As you can imagine, these contacts have become a mess. Not only did I have multiple duplicate contacts, but I also had contacts with little to no personal information (even missing phone numbers and email addresses). Despite this, every new Android device I used imported this lapsed list of contacts, which ended up creating a nice mess that I had to deal with.
Imagine the magnitude of the challenge of manually reviewing each of these contacts. I don’t have the time or the patience for that.
Luckily, as you’d expect, Google has a tool for this, built into the app. contacts of your Android smartphone. With this tool, you can
- Repair and merge.
- Restore.
- Import from SIM card or file.
- Export to file.
- Create emergency contacts.
- Create a family group.
- Manage blocked numbers.
In my case, it was all about repair and merge. This feature allows you to merge multiple contacts and even automatically add new details that Google has discovered about your contacts. This second feature is very useful when you failed to create a complete contact card for someone (which happened to all of us).
The first time I used this tool, it found that I had many duplicates for a number of contacts. This caused me problems when I wanted to contact a person and discovered that there was more than one entry. It also confused the Google Assistant when I said “Hey Google, call Nathan Gage”. With three or four entries for this contact, Google had to ask me which one to call.
Also, these multiple entries were increasing the size of my contacts file, which is never good on a mobile device, where storage space always needs attention. It’s not that the contacts file takes up a lot of space, but when every kilobyte counts, you don’t want the storage space taken up with unnecessary data.
So how to use the built-in function Merge and clean ? Let me show you.
How to use Merge and Clean
What you will need: The only thing you will need is the app Google Contacts installed on your mobile device. I’m demoing on a Pixel 6 Pro, so if you’re using a different device, the instructions may differ slightly.
1. Open Google Contacts
The first thing you need to do is log in to your device and open the app Google Contacts from your home screen or app drawer.
2. Open Fix and Manage
When the app Google Contacts is open, press Correct and manage in the lower right corner of the main window.
Tap Fix & Manage to start cleaning up your contacts. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
3. Open Merge and Clean
In the new window, press Merge and clean at the top left of the screen.
There are a number of tools you can take advantage of. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
4. Run Fixes
Depending on the status of your contacts, the function Merge and clean will show different options. For example, I had already merged my contacts some time ago, so the app couldn’t find any contacts to merge.
By contrast, the app found new details for 18 of my more than 700 contacts, and it even discovered 10 people I email often who aren’t in my contacts.
Depending on the status of your contacts, you may be offered other options. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
In my case, I validate the choice to keep contacts up to date. Google Contacts lists all contacts for which new information needs to be added. I can accept each suggestion individually or choose to accept everything.
If you have never used this function, you will probably have a large number of contacts to correct. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Tap the next suggestion (in my case, it’s about adding new contacts that I often email) and follow the suggestion.
The difference between Keep contacts up to date And Add new contacts is that the option accept all is not available in Add new contacts. So you have to add them one by one by pressing Add a contact for each record.
Google Contacts lets you add people you often send emails to. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
If Google Contacts has other merge and fix solutions, keep checking them out until everything is merged and fixed.
I highly recommend that you go through this process every time you migrate to a new phone or at least once a year. These contacts accumulate, multiply and can become uncontrollable. When you’re trying to streamline your life, you don’t want a messy contact list. Keep this list under control and it will be much easier to use.
Source: “ZDNet.com”