In order to stay connected to all and maintain communication, it is important to manage contacts on your phone.
However, the read-only contacts on your Android phone can often create problems when you try to change or remove them from your phonebook.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to alter these read-only contacts, allowing you to update their details and ensure your address book remains accurate and up to date.
How to Change Read-Only Contacts on Android
Read-only contacts on your Android device are those that you can view but cannot edit or modify. These contacts are typically synced from other sources such as your Google account or other accounts linked to your device.
You can see their details like name, phone number, email address, etc., but you cannot make any changes to them directly from your device. However, there are still ways to manage them.
Method 1: Unlink the Contact
To change a read-only contact, you must first unlink it. As long as the contact remains linked, it will stay saved in your contacts. Follow the steps below:
- Open the Contacts app and locate the read-only contact you wish to change.
- Tap on the three dots icon for more options.
- Select View Linked Contacts from the dropdown menu and tap the Unlink option.
- After unlinking the contact, search for the same contact.
- Tap on Delete to remove it and then save the contact back again like a normal contact.
Also Read: How to Set Certain Contacts to Ring on Silent on Android
Method 2: Use the Google Contact App
Google Contacts is the easiest as there’s an option to merge contacts, which can be helpful. In some instances involving read-only contacts, merging them can consolidate them into a single entry, eliminating the need to manage linked or duplicate contacts on your device.
- Install Google Contacts and log in with your Google account credentials.
- Within the app, navigate to the read-only contact you wish to delete.
- Tap on the hamburger (three lines) icon and from the dropdown menu, select Delete.
- Tap on Move to Bin in the pop-up message to confirm.
- Now, save that contact again.
Method 3: Edit at the Source App
Since read-only contacts often originate from other platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp, you can edit them directly within those respective apps. Doing so provides a convenient way to update contact information without having to go through the process of unlinking or deleting contacts from your device’s native contacts app.
Below are the steps for editing read-only contacts within WhatsApp:
- Launch the WhatsApp and open a chat with the contact which you want to edit.
- Tap on the contact’s name at the top of the chat screen to open their profile.
- Tap on the Edit button or the pencil icon next to their name.
- Update the contact’s information, such as their name, phone number, or profile picture.
- Save your changes by tapping the Save button or the checkmark icon.
We hope our guide helped you change read-only contacts on your Android phone and manage them for efficient communication.
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