Frustrating contacts search problem

[bjan33]

I've upraded from a palm pre that I had a love hate relationship with. I've had the EVO for 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it. There is one very frustrating issue I need help with.

Is there anyway that I can search using the keyboard, through all my contacts, with one button push?

I've customized the search button to only search through people but for some crazy reason, it only searches a subset of my contacts without any clear rhyme or reason. I have to search through the people app to have it include the entire database.

Also when I use the people app, I have to press a second button to start typing to search.

This may sound like a trivial issue but its my biggest hurdle in upgrading from the pre which had a fantastic universal search feature.

 

[bjan33]

ok so I figured it out and although it doesn't appear that anyone is having the same issue, just in case here's the deal.

I use outlook for my contacts and some of my contacts were not assigned to any specific group (friends, family, work etc.). Ultimately without a "group" assignment, those contacts are seemingly hidden from the universal search although they are still there when searching within the people app.

Long story short, if you have this problem, make sure your contacts have a group assignment and you'll be in ship shape.

 

[DougB541#CB]

Ahh weird! I use google contacts and all works fine. Also though not sure if you noticed but if you just jump into your Peoples app you can search only in there (in case you wanted to add other search results in universal search)

 

[J_Bone]

I'm with you. While I love my EVO, more than any phone I have had, the claims that it's universal search are close to that of the Pre are way off. There really wasn't any buttons that needed to be pressed. Just slide it open, which you gotta do to type anyways, and start typing.

Ahhhhh, the good ol days of searching and cards.....

 

[DougB541#CB]

Whats the difference between hitting the search button and sliding a keyboard open?


Plus android universal search is actually universal and you can set all the options it searches for yourself.

 

[IanMcB]

I think what they're saying (and what I've noticed myself) is that with the Pre, you didn't have to select whether you wanted to search People, Google, Email, etc. As soon as you started typing it started searching everything. Maybe I'm missing something and there is a 'Search All' option somewhere?

Not a huge deal but one of the things that has taken a while for me to get used to.

 

[project.in.process]

one way to search all contacts=

1)find empty spot on screen, long press
2)APP
3)People Search

now, simply tap People icon & tap the magnifying glass Capacitative Button to search all contacts

it's not a 1 touch method, but from now on you only have to tap People then the Magnifying Glass to find a contact.

 

[project.in.process]

I think what they're saying (and what I've noticed myself) is that with the Pre, you didn't have to select whether you wanted to search People, Google, Email, etc. As soon as you started typing it started searching everything. Maybe I'm missing something and there is a 'Search All' option somewhere?

Not a huge deal but one of the things that has taken a while for me to get used to.

The GoogleSearch widget performs this action.
you're able to choose whether you'd like each GoogleSearch widget to search Web, Apps, Music, Calendar--or All

however, it doesn't offer the option to search Contacts.
See other post about selecting PEOPLE app, then pressing the SEARCH capacitative button to perform that function.

 

[J_Bone]

Not sure I follow you with the "actual universal" part. If you have it set for a certain search, that will only add another step if you aren't looking to search that particular sub-set, right?

As far as the button presses, it does sound trivial when described but in use it is a big difference. EVO: power button to awake, unlock screen, universal button, type. Pre: slide open, type.

As far as set-up goes, I would be interested in how you all have your Search set-up. I just flashed Baked Snack 1.7 last night (not really sure if that matters, just info). I haven't used the feature since flashing until now. It wouldn't search my contacts. Does the "All" option not include contacts and mail?

 

[DougB541#CB]

I think what they're saying (and what I've noticed myself) is that with the Pre, you didn't have to select whether you wanted to search People, Google, Email, etc. As soon as you started typing it started searching everything. Maybe I'm missing something and there is a 'Search All' option somewhere?

Not a huge deal but one of the things that has taken a while for me to get used to.

Pre does NOT search email/music/files from universal search. It searches contacts, apps and web/wikipedia/twitter.

If you go to your search options you can set it up to search anything you want on android:

Or you can just set it to search contacts which will search all contacts. OR you can just go into your peoples app and hit search and start typing.

Thats why i'm confused about whats not universal about androids search. Its more universal than WebOS search since you can legit set it up to search for EVERYTHING.


Additionally you can be in the search app and drill down only one search requirement if needed:

 

[J_Bone]

Just found that Search set-up menu. Learning sumthin e'erday!

What exactly does the "All" feature search? I've tried a handful of times to search "michael" but all it brings back is the Mini Squadron app.

For me personally, I would like to be able to search Contacts, Wed, Apps, and possible Messages and Wiki without an extra step. That possible?

Worst case for me is to continue how I do it now, which is through the People widget. Nothing close to a deal breaker/black eye on the EVO. Just a "Wouldn't-it-be-nice" kinda thing.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[DougB541#CB]

Type Michael out and give it a second. Same thing happened with mine....Mini Squadron was top but then it disappeared....i hid my keyboard and one of my contacts was at the bottom.

What looks like it happens is the search tries to keep it to one page....so if there are more choices you have to keep typing. Last name would be the best way it looks like but i just noticed this myself (i typically go into the peoples app to look for a contact).

Either that or do what the picture does and just select people.

 

[J_Bone]

Type Michael out and give it a second. Same thing happened with mine....Mini Squadron was top but then it disappeared....i hid my keyboard and one of my contacts was at the bottom.

What looks like it happens is the search tries to keep it to one page....so if there are more choices you have to keep typing. Last name would be the best way it looks like but i just noticed this myself (i typically go into the peoples app to look for a contact).

Either that or do what the picture does and just select people.

I think I may have figured it out.

I am in a terrible signal area (office) with no available wifi. When I unchecked the data type searches it worked.

With Contacts, Web, Apps, IMDB, and Messages checked I got Minisquadron as the ONLY result.

With just Contacts, Messages and Apps checked it returned expected results.

It looks like it hangs up on one search type and doesn't move on to the others that could return results.

 

[Darth Mo]

Type Michael out and give it a second. Same thing happened with mine....Mini Squadron was top but then it disappeared....i hid my keyboard and one of my contacts was at the bottom.

Yeah, it would be nice if you could set a minimum number of characters before it starts the search. Giving results after typing one letter actually slows you down a bit.

 

[MDB]

Hello. I am totally new to this site and much of this technical issues. I need some help though and keep in mind I am not technical. I am physician tough and need to figure this out as its affecting my practice.

I often save information about patients or other people under the notes section of each and in the past I could do a search on my palm and find the person or business based on something that I saved under a notation I made about them. For example if a business is called Los Angeles Oxygen Therapy and I was introduced to them by a nurse Jackie, I would write Jackie under the notes section and even if I can't remeber their business name still find them based upon a search for the name Jackie.

In the past on my Treo/Palm I could do this. I now have transfered everything to Microsoft Outlook and then synced it to the Evo. Now when I do a search based upon a notation, I can't find the business. I know that you can limit the search to people or a category in the phone. When you limit it to people, it only searches the name of the business or category from what I can tell, and not what you wrote under the notes section to jog your memory.

Soooooo thanks for the help in advance.

Oh. One other question. I have all these notes in Outlook and they did not sinc in to EVO. Is notes note available on the Evo?

Michael

 

[Jfscars48]

people search

OK here's my problem. About half of the time when I tap my Search People icon on my homescreen it opend to the keyboard with a blinking curssor in the search window. All I have to do is start typing the name in. Great! the other half of the time I have a 3 step process where the screen opens without the keyboard. What gives? I only have google contacts-no Outlook or anything like that. I would love the one step search EVERY time.

 

[bucabuc]

If all your information is in google only than everything works great. However, if you use exchange for your work email like most people, many things don't work. Google has done a poor job so far of integrating exchange with all the phone features.

Search is only one thing that doesn't work with exchange. Voice search also only works with gmail contacts. I guess google has a little of the microsoft mentality at work, hoping that everyone will switch to gmail soon so they can ignore everyone else.

Sent from my EVO Droid

 

[tsims10s]

I've had a good experience using Aurora Universal Search. I also came to Evo from the Palm Pre...this app works well for my daily usage habits. Aurora Universal Search - Android app on AppBrain