Contacts auto joining driving me insane

[Chirag Dedhia]

I've been using Samsung Note 2 since several months and I didn't have this issue up until now. Infact it used to only Join the contacts which had the same number or email id, just as I wanted it.
But very recently I got my phone's firmware updated at a nearest service centre and now since past a week, I'm having serious trouble. suddenly in the new Android 4.3, completely unrelated contacts (no data among them is common) have joined. And here more than 100 contacts got joined like this. It's painful to unjoin (separate) them one by one in android. Any help?

 

[Saint DanBert]

I don't sync with anything because of this horrible behavior. Clearly, someone thinks it is cool and helpful,
but not me.

Consider four contacts: Bob, Carol, Ted, Alice. Each has unique home and mobile numbers.
The all work for the same company and so share a work phone and fax. I interact with Bob and
Alice because of their work. I interact with Carol through a youth sports organization. Ted and I go
to the same church. All of these folks get mangled together automagically.

In addition, other folks from church --or-- youth sports often appear mangled into the same combined
contacts. Making a worse mess, often associates of one of these folks that I don't know suddenly become tied up
with the contacts in my address book.

***** I want a "network" of contacts. I DO NOT WANT A MESH. *****

~~~ 0;-/ Dan

 

[Meticulous2006]

This is a pathetic issue and I think this is squarely an Android issue. I have faced this problem in HTC and Samsung. I am using Samsung GT-I8552 with Android 4.1.2. I ONLY trust Microsoft Outlook for my contacts and definitely not Google or Android (I am sure Lotus also does a great job of maintaining contacts - I just don't use it). I synchronise the phone with Outlook using Kies. I have about 4500 (without duplicates) contacts and they are my lifeline. I have never faced this humongous problem of contacts being "joined" without any logic on my Blackberry which I was using till last month. I don't have Facebook, Twitter, or any other messenger on my phone. I have BBM (for android) and Whatsapp and I have deleted ALL my contacts from my gmail account and yet I have duplication of contacts and senseless joining of contacts. This is a serious issue and about the only path forward that I see is to junk Android for good and migrate to iPhone or Windows Phone. I like Blackberry but it's a dead company. I don't know why Microsoft is not picking up on this and beefing up their offering - if there is more frustration on this account and if people migrate to iPhone then they will also migrate to Mac Mail and icontacts!

 

[privatebeavis]

I've the same issue on my SGS4 and is really annoying!
There were two contacts in particular it keeps linking and the only thing in common is the surname so it's one really dumb feature that should be optional!
I may have solved this particular case on my phone, i disabled auto sync in Viber of viber contacts into the list. Time will tell if this really is the cause but as soon as l enable the option in Viber again the contact gets linked. Also it creates a viber contact for one the Google contacts that doesn't have viber!
It may just be the updating of the contacts list by Viber that's triggering the auto linking by android rather than Viber directly doing it so may well happen again if the contacts in question get updated again. Either way the Viber option I'm leaving off!

 

[Chronisp]

3 years later and we still have the same issue..! Moto G here .

 

[Meticulous2006]

I am truly amazed that this problem (of randomly linking contacts in Android) continues after sooo many years well into Jun 2017 and despite that Android has captured such a market share!

The problem: Android randomly links 2 or 3 contacts randomly and shows as one contact - the 3 contacts may not have either the same first name, last name, none of the telephone numbers or emails are same or even from the same domain and even the work or home address is different!!! HEAR THIS ANDROID DEVELOPERS AND PHONE MANUFACTURES - STOP DECIDING WHAT TO LINK - LEAVE IT TO US!

Am not sure where the problem lies - is it with i) Google Contacts - dont think so since the Contacts online are not merged into one the way they are on Android (not automatically at least) ii) is it with Android itself - maybe quite likely iii) is it also because of the phone manufacturer (ie Samsung, Motorola etc) - possible but have no idea.

All I can say is that I have faced this INSANE problem only on Android phones of any make - HTC, Samsung and LG and Motorola!

I have about 5500 contacts, all in Gmail Contacts and all are in My Contacts (not in Other Contacts). I have disabled Facebook on my phone and only have WhatsApp as a group messaging application. I have not installed twitter, linked-in etc. Despite this Android keeps on linking (merging 2 or more contacts so they show as one) on the phone. So if I look up a contact in the address book to call or message the person, the call may get connected to a totally different person!! This has happened several times so far!

All you developer jokers (ANDROID, PHONE AND GOOGLE) - STOP DICKING AROUND WITH OUR CONTACTS FOR HEAVENS SAKE! GROW UP!

At this rate I may actually have to switch to iOS - the only reason I am stuck to Android right now is that I like (an need) a Dual-SIM phone with an external Memory card. My Samsung A7 has dual 4G VoLTE slots and a micro SD card slot in which I have a 512GB card. I may just as well carry two phones - the main one being an iOS with the contacts!

From all the posts I have read, there is no way to stop this INSANE process of linking contacts in Android - however if anyone has a solution please post ASAP. I have already bought a iPhone 7 and is still in wraps!

 

[AhmetToca]

I just registered just to be able to say "wow!" to this topic. I'm sure this is arranged by some genius apple guy to sabotage android, there is no other explanation for this. Yes the same apple who recently confessed that they are slowing old devices when they launch a new device.

After so many years of using apple, I stopped using apple recently due to apple stop making improvement in their phones and bought myself a Note 8.

One contact in China and the other guy is in Europe, numbers are different names are different, everything is different but Android still combining numbers :S Very annoying. How possibly can be doing that?