For some unaccountable reason, whenever I try to edit a contact, I get presented with 3 or versions, and asked which to edit. Today, I got
pissed off and decided to investigate further. I changed the name on
one of the versions, to distinguish it from the others, and then deleted
it, but I lost all the versions and had to reimport all my contacts as
they were some years ago to replace just that one. Now I have an extra
choice of versions to edit! How can I merge them all into one, just
one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website: www.macfh.co.uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I think the duplicate contacts are because they come from different sources
- one set of local contacts, one on your Google account, one from your Microsoft account, one from another email provider, etc etc. I wonder if 'tidy' is basically saying consolidate all the contacts into the Google pot?

Theo

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Java Jive <java@evij.com.invalid> wrote:

For some unaccountable reason, whenever I try to edit a contact, I get presented with 3 or versions, and asked which to edit. Today, I got
pissed off and decided to investigate further. I changed the name on
one of the versions, to distinguish it from the others, and then deleted
it, but I lost all the versions and had to reimport all my contacts as
they were some years ago to replace just that one. Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit! How can I merge them all into one, just
one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

I see duplicated contacts: one set from my Gmail account, and another
set from my Hotmail account.

In the Outlook app on my Android phone, I go to settings -> Contacts ->
Sync contacts. 2 source are listed: Gmail, and Hotmail. Both are
enabled. The Outlook app likely saw I already had a Gmail account added
to the phone when it was installed, and then added my Hotmail contacts
when I added the Hotmail account.

You can see which accounts where added to the OS. Accounts are added to
the OS instead of having them independently defined within each app. Go
to settings -> Accounts and backup -> Manage accounts. An account may
be listed multiple times: once for each app where it was defined, or
used. In settings, a search on "contact" reveals Contacts (app) ->
Contacts settings -> Sync contact accounts. I see my Gmail and Hotmail accounts listed, but not the IMAP account in the Outlook app to my ISP's
e-mail service. That's probably because IMAP doesn't have contact sync
(you have to separately use CardDAV), but the Outlook app can use
ActiveSync to my Hotmail account to get e-mails, calendar events, and
contacts. Gmail also has their own API to compete with MS Exchange, so
it can also get at calendar and contacts.

In my old phone when looking at contacts, there were icons indicating
from which account the contracts got retrieved. I might see just a
Hotmail icon, just a Gmail icon, or both icons. When there was more
than 1 account source, there was duplicated info within the contact:
info from each contact source. On my new phone, the duplicated info in
a contact does not show an icon identifying the source of the info
either when viewing the contact, or when editing it.

I don't merge the duplicate info within a contact, or merge similar
contacts, because I do want to see them on the phone, but separated by
which source they got retrieved. There might more more, less, or
different info in a contact based on the source (Hotmail or Gmail) which
is a deliberate difference. If I merged them, I couldn't tell which
source had the different info.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-01-28 16:50, Java Jive wrote:

For some unaccountable reason, whenever I try to edit a contact, I get presented with 3 or versions, and asked which to edit.ÿ Today, I got
pissed off and decided to investigate further.ÿ I changed the name on
one of the versions, to distinguish it from the others, and then deleted
it, but I lost all the versions and had to reimport all my contacts as
they were some years ago to replace just that one.ÿ Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them all into one, just
one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

Apologies to all for not responding until now, we've been without
internet all day here due to electrical work in the neighbourhood.

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website: www.macfh.co.uk


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-01-28 17:18, Theo wrote:

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >>> again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my
contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

No, just the same after as before, 3 or 4 choices of version to edit.

I think the duplicate contacts are because they come from different sources
- one set of local contacts, one on your Google account, one from your Microsoft account, one from another email provider, etc etc. I wonder if 'tidy' is basically saying consolidate all the contacts into the Google pot?

I don't allow syncing with my Google account, so *ALL* the versions are
on the device - when I touch the 'Edit' symbol, I get a choice of
three or four versions, each marked 'Device', the only difference
between them sometimes is that one might have a different coloured
background circle to the first letter (none have been given 'icons' or
other pictorial identifiers).

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website: www.macfh.co.uk


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-01-28 17:50, Java Jive wrote:

For some unaccountable reason, whenever I try to edit a contact, I get presented with 3 or versions, and asked which to edit.ÿ Today, I got
pissed off and decided to investigate further.ÿ I changed the name on
one of the versions, to distinguish it from the others, and then deleted
it, but I lost all the versions and had to reimport all my contacts as
they were some years ago to replace just that one.ÿ Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them all into one, just
one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

Just yesterday the contact app asked my if I wanted to merge duplicate contacts. A person was listed twice, same phone number with slightly
different names. I said ok to merge, and it worked ok. It also asked
about a different person; this one I said ok but I was not paying
attention and forgot the name, so could not verify afterwards.

I don't see how to manually merge two contacts, but I have done it
somehow in the past.

--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES??, EU??;

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.6
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:06:55 +0000, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs
again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my >contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I had great difficulty when deleting unwanted contacts on my phone, it
removed them from my Gmail account -- there are lots of people I will
*never* want to phone, but I might want to email them.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 28 Jan 2026 17:18:32 +0000 (GMT), Theo
<theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >> > again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my
contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I think the duplicate contacts are because they come from different sources
- one set of local contacts, one on your Google account, one from your >Microsoft account, one from another email provider, etc etc. I wonder if >'tidy' is basically saying consolidate all the contacts into the Google pot?

There also might be one in your phone, another on the SIM, and yet
another in Gmail contacts.




--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-01-31 04:42, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:06:55 +0000, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >>> again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my
contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I had great difficulty when deleting unwanted contacts on my phone, it removed them from my Gmail account -- there are lots of people I will
*never* want to phone, but I might want to email them.

Just delete the phone number. Easy.

--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES??, EU??;

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 30.01.26 12:23, Carlos E.R. wrote:

On 2026-01-28 17:50, Java Jive wrote:

For some unaccountable reason, whenever I try to edit a contact, I get
presented with 3 or versions, and asked which to edit.ÿ Today, I got
pissed off and decided to investigate further.ÿ I changed the name on
one of the versions, to distinguish it from the others, and then deleted
it, but I lost all the versions and had to reimport all my contacts as
they were some years ago to replace just that one.ÿ Now I have an extra
choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them all into one, just
one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs again?

Just yesterday the contact app asked my if I wanted to merge duplicate contacts. A person was listed twice, same phone number with slightly different names. I said ok to merge, and it worked ok. It also asked
about a different person; this one I said ok but I was not paying
attention and forgot the name, so could not verify afterwards.

I don't see how to manually merge two contacts, but I have done it
somehow in the past.

Duckduckgo ai suggests:

Method 1: Using the Contacts App

Open Contacts App: Launch your Contacts app on your Android device.
Find Duplicates:
Many Android devices automatically detect duplicates and provide an
option at the top or in the menu.
Look for a feature like "Merge contacts" or "Find duplicates."
Select Contacts: If duplicates are detected, select the contacts you
want to merge.
Merge: Follow the prompts to merge the selected duplicates.

Method 2: Manually Merging Contacts

Open Contacts App: Go to the Contacts app.
Select the First Contact: Tap on the first contact you wish to merge.
Edit Contact: Tap the edit icon (usually a pencil or 'Edit').
Add Another Contact: Look for an option like "Link" or "Merge." Select
the second contact to merge.
Confirm: Save the changes.

Method 3: Using Google Contacts (if synced)

Go to Google Contacts: Access your Google Contacts on a computer or
through the app.
Find Duplicates: Select "Merge & fix" from the menu.
Merge: Review the suggested duplicates and merge them as needed.
Method 4: Third-Party Apps

If you have many duplicates, consider using a third-party app like:
Contacts+
Cleanup Duplicate Contacts
These apps provide more features for bulk merging.

J”rg



--
"Roma locuta, causa finita" (Augustinus)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Steve Hayes wrote:

There also might be one in your phone, another on the SIM, and yet
another in Gmail contacts.

Contacts stored in SIMs? How last century ...

Well, mobile providers tend to put *their* contacts on their SIMs! :-)
(And the 'local' emergency number. And ...)

And I used it in the 'dumb'/'feature' phone era to move contacts
between phones (because the phones did not have a standard export/import functionality) and, trust me, that was in *this* centurty! :-)

I'm afraid my main SIM still has some ten or so functional 'contact'
numbers on it.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:17:15 +0100, "Carlos E.R."
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-01-31 04:42, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:06:55 +0000, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them
all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >>>> again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my >>> contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't
seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I had great difficulty when deleting unwanted contacts on my phone, it
removed them from my Gmail account -- there are lots of people I will
*never* want to phone, but I might want to email them.

Just delete the phone number. Easy.

Does that stop them from showing up?


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.10
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-02-01 15:58, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:17:15 +0100, "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-01-31 04:42, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:06:55 +0000, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote: >>>> Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them >>>>> all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >>>>> again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my >>>> contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could
make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't >>>> seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I had great difficulty when deleting unwanted contacts on my phone, it
removed them from my Gmail account -- there are lots of people I will
*never* want to phone, but I might want to email them.

Just delete the phone number. Easy.

Does that stop them from showing up?

That number will not show, but the rest of the entries will. Not when searching for phones.

--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES??, EU??;

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.10
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 1 Feb 2026 21:25:24 +0100, "Carlos E.R."
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-02-01 15:58, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:17:15 +0100, "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-01-31 04:42, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:06:55 +0000, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Java Jive wrote:

Now I have an extra choice of versions to edit!ÿ How can I merge them >>>>>> all into one, just one, version and ensure that this idiocy never occurs >>>>>> again?

Occasionally my phone pops-up a message offering to merge and tidy up my >>>>> contacts, I've always said "no" as I'm worried how bad a job it could >>>>> make of it ...

Having just had a poke about within the Google Contacts app, at the
bottom right is "Organise", within there is "Merge and Fix" it doesn't >>>>> seem to do any merging for me though ... YMMV?

I had great difficulty when deleting unwanted contacts on my phone, it >>>> removed them from my Gmail account -- there are lots of people I will
*never* want to phone, but I might want to email them.

Just delete the phone number. Easy.

Does that stop them from showing up?

That number will not show, but the rest of the entries will. Not when >searching for phones.

That's no good. I don't need "contacts" on my phone if they don't have
phone numbers. But I do want them on my Gmail contacts if they have
email addresses.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.11
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)