Contact list in Message icon - how to filter out contacts

[tech_fan]

In the Message icon, if I try and create a new message and start typing a person's name, instead of seeing the person's mobile number as an option to select, I am able to choose their home phone, fax number, etc..

How can I filter these out so, when I select New Message and then type their name, the only number that appears is their mobile numbers and not all the other numbers that they have too? Or am I doing this entire process incorrectly?

Thanks

 

[anon(153966)]

I don't think you can. Albeit I think after you've sent the person a few messages the 'primary' number moves to the top of the list.

 

[getdamned]

I agree. The easiest solution is a hack, either way, but:

A) start typing their name and then just tap the one you want as soon as it appears
B) remove those extra numbers/emails from their contact entry (you can keep only the one(s) you actually use in phone/email fields and save the rest by adding a "notes" field and putting the number in there so they're still accessible but not auto-suggested
C) if you text this number regularly, then just don't delete the SMS thread; or at worst case just clear the text without deleting the "thread" itself, eliminating the need to type this info or use "new message"
D) use the keyboard shortcut functionality to set up an auto expand; say if you want it to put "Sarah's cell phone number", make a shortcut named "scell" that expands to her actual number.
E) There are shortcuts that will directly and automatically create a new message addressed to the correct place (and apps that will create shortcuts on the home screen for you) but there are manual ways of invoking actions through links. I forgot what they are right off the bat. Mess around or look it up-- it's like--

SMS://1234567890 or SMS:1234567890

Same for phone...

Call://1234567890
Or dial://1234567890

There's yet another that will open mail, pre fill the sender and even the subject if you want!! Very powerful tho most ppl have no idea these links/URLs even exist!

Problem is that Apple is not uniform in their syntax making it really difficult to remember from memory. Great. Thanks, Apple. Give me a few mins and I'll find them out.

 

[getdamned]

Phone
The phone links start with "tel:" but must not contain spaces or brackets (it can contain dashes and "+" signs, though).

So it's either tel:19875551234 or use the double fwd slash as in tel://19875551234

That will automatically dial that # when you click the link (Tapatalk or the forum software may not linkify it; test it out either in Safari's address bar, from a text message, in an email, from the notes app etc. it will turn it to a link.

Be creative-- try creating a bookmark on the home screen with that as the URL.

The beauty is that you can do near anything via these URL schemes. Open twitter, Facebook, blah blah. The list is endless-- here is a good starting reference:

http://wiki.akosma.com/IPhone_URL_Schemes

Control iBooks, music, text msgs, emails, calendar.

Screw around and use creativity combined with the reference list at the site I gave. I once made a command that made my iPhone make me a sandwich! Good stuff!

 

[getdamned]

Here's a fully working example of pre-filling all the info. Just tap the link to create the email automatically:

mailto://billgates@apple.com?subject=Blow%20me&body=Lick%20my%20balls.

Well. Paste it into Notes, the hit Done and it will turn it to a clickable link lol.

Here's how to open messages app and pre-fill the contact

SMS://12223334444
Considering you have that number in someone's contact card, it'll open the message window and the "To:" line will have the contacts name rather than just the number you put in the URL shortcut.

Try ibooks:// or music:// or maps:// too.

The stuff's damn cool.