Galaxy 3S Contacts have limited space?

**imogen** · 08-24-2012, 01:13 AM

I just switched from an HTC evo 4g to the Galaxy 3s. All my google contacts were loaded into the Galaxy. But I couldn't believe it -- when I tried to add info in the Notes section to a number of my contacts, it wouldn't let me. No space left. If I deleted a letter, then I was allowed one letter, etc.

I checked on my old evo. It never had nor does it currently have this problem. What's doing with the limits on the Galaxy, and how come it doesn't seem anyone else has this problem? Am I the only one who puts long Notes into some of my Google contacts, and then tries to add info on the phone itself. -Bronwyn

**Skunkape60** · 08-24-2012, 04:41 AM

Are your contacts stored on the phone or are they stored on the cloud? I don't know of anyone who stores their contacts to the phone.

**Gator352** · 08-24-2012, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by Skunkape60

Are your contacts stored on the phone or are they stored on the cloud? I don't know of anyone who stores their contacts to the phone.

I always did up until the S3. Reason being is that I could make a .vcf and it would save all info including contact pics in thier original state. So when I had to reinstall, the contact pics would be the original size and resolution. If I synced to google, google always downsized the pics to a lower resolution making the contact pics look like crap upon reinstall/sync.

The OP stated adding long notes to his Google contacts. So I think they are synced. But then he states adding info on phone itself. I think he's syncing the contacts but then coming back later and adding more notes to contacts on the phone but it won't let him.

There might be a character limit on "notes" but not sure. Have you tried adding a second contact of same name, add just more notes to that contact, then join/link them together?

**Skunkape60** · 08-24-2012, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Gator352

The OP stated adding long notes to his Google contacts. So I think they are synced. But then he states adding info on phone itself.

This is what's confusing me. I'm just not exactly sure what the op is doing.

**imogen** · 08-24-2012, 11:59 AM

I just got this Galaxy 3s. Sprint merged my GMAIL contacts with the phone, so that anytime i make an update on my google contacts, it's on the phone, and vice versa. So i guess it's on the phone but in a syncable version.

with my htc evo 4G, i had the same synchronicity between my google contacts and my phone contacts. but on the evo, i could add info in the Notes section of a contact, even to really long Notes. since i still have that evo, i tested it out, and i can add notes to a contact there, but can't add info to the very same contact (and same size) on my Galaxy 3S.

i hope this helps to explain my problem. please let me know if i can describe it better than this, and I'll happily do so. if galaxy really does have a limit on the size of "Notes" in the Contacts, that would definitely be a dealbreaker, and I'd have to exchange it for the HTC EVO LTE.

Bronwyn

**JayL** · 08-24-2012, 12:23 PM

I tried adding a note field and filled it with a page of random characters, worked.
exactly how LONG of a note are we talking?

**Gator352** · 08-24-2012, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by imogen@alumni.princeton.edu

I just got this Galaxy 3s. Sprint merged my GMAIL contacts with the phone, so that anytime i make an update on my google contacts, it's on the phone, and vice versa. So i guess it's on the phone but in a syncable version.

with my htc evo 4G, i had the same synchronicity between my google contacts and my phone contacts. but on the evo, i could add info in the Notes section of a contact, even to really long Notes. since i still have that evo, i tested it out, and i can add notes to a contact there, but can't add info to the very same contact (and same size) on my Galaxy 3S.

i hope this helps to explain my problem. please let me know if i can describe it better than this, and I'll happily do so. if galaxy really does have a limit on the size of "Notes" in the Contacts, that would definitely be a dealbreaker, and I'd have to exchange it for the HTC EVO LTE.

Bronwyn

Wow. OK. I think I got it figured out. Your Evo uses a different format than that of the S3 for contacts and your S3 can't quite get it right because google is using the format from the evo. It's basically collateral damage switching between different manufacturers (different contacts software) and not a problem with the phones.. How I know this is my Wife reminded me of the problems with contacts I had going from the Evo to the moPHo then to the S2 using google...and .vcf for that matter.

I have only found 2 fixes to get it right. The first is to unsync your google account and delete all the contacts off your phone. Then manually enter on your phone all your contacts including all the notes you want with no limits from google's site. Now delete all your google contacts in contacts off google's site starting with a clean slate. Now re-sync all your contacts back to google from your phone. Now the format will be correct and you can sync and re-sync at will with no problems.

The second is to go into contacts on google's site and repair them. What I mean is basically creating a duplicate and entering all the info you want and then deleting the old one. Make sure to unsync from google with your phone and delete all the contacts. after, re-sync with google and it will all be there. I don't like doing it this way for personal preference.

I know it's tedious but once you do this, you'll never have to do it again.

**imogen** · 08-24-2012, 06:43 PM

Thanks for that idea. I tried it, but it doesn't work -- i created a whole new contact, filled with the same data as my original contact. result: still no editing possible. i really have the feeling that galaxy contacts have a limit on the note field.

in fact, i decided to test this theory, by creating a whole new entry right on my phone. i specified save to google contacts for the contact. i started inputting data, and at a certain point it filled up and wouldn't take any more.

It seems ridiculous that if you can have a long contact on google, you can't have it on the phone as well. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

But if I'm right, am I the only one with this problem. fyi, I measured the amount of characters it could take, and it's 1000 on the nose.

**JayL** · 08-24-2012, 07:22 PM

OK, I tested.
created a contact on my pc in google, with 3k chars in the note
saved then opened it on my phone
clicked edit and was allowed to edit the note and add more chars.

I found google allows only 128kb per contact, could a picture be taking the space you need for a note?

**dad2noah** · 08-24-2012, 09:59 PM

Wait wait wait. is a 1,000 character limit for a contact not enough for you?

**imogen** · 08-25-2012, 12:33 AM

1000 chars isn't much at all. i use my google contacts to store all sorts of info, and some entries definitely have lots of words.

i'm interested that you were able to edit a contact with 3K chars. i wonder if my google contacts got synced in the wrong way at sprint, so they're not where they're supposed to be?

**cmjrjd** · 01-18-2013, 12:50 AM

I encountered this same problem and you're right: 1000 characters is nothing. I use my SG3 for work and have 5,000 contacts and at least 1,000 of those have notes several thousand characters long. I'm an attorney and have case info, settings, etc in the notes for easy access in court. Please post a fix if you find one. The only "solution" I have now simply is to only read notes off my phone, not make any edits.

**Buddlespit** · 01-18-2013, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by dad2noah

Wait wait wait. is a 1,000 character limit for a contact not enough for you?

Hehehe.... I thought the same thing. I only get 155 characters to explain what went wrong with your refrigerator and what I did to fix it.... Then I read on. Yeah, I can see why someone would want more note space.

Has anyone tried a different contacts manager? Something from GO maybe?