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malch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
466
9
Hi there,
Apple Contacts is great at automatically putting parentheses around an area code, and dashes between the first three and last four digits of a phone number. But sometimes I want to add an extension to a phone number. And Contacts won't let me do this.
If I add an extension, Contacts enters the whole number as one long series of numbers; no parentheses, no dashes... which I find annoying.
Can I fix this in Preferences somewhere (I've checked—it doesn't look like I can), or is there some other way of making Contacts a little more 'user-friendly'?
thanks,
malch
 

macUser2007

macrumors 68000
May 30, 2007
1,506
203
Someone should correct me if I am wrong, but inserting a comma (,) before the extension acts as a pause before the extension number is dialed (you can insert more than one comma for a sufficiently long pause).

If you insert a "#" after the main number, your iPhone will automatically bring up the numbers pad, so that you can enter the extension.
 

malch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
466
9
I appreciate the tip, 2007, and the comma helps. But by adding a comma, here's what I get:

(613) 777-6543,831

In other words, Contacts now nicely organizes the first part of the phone number. But instead of 'comma 831' I'd like to be able to have 'ext. 831'

If I actually try to take control of Contacts and type 'ext.' in front of 831, Contacts responds by taking all of its parentheses and spaces and dashes and going home... leaving me with:

6137776543ext831

Annoying!
 

Spikeywan

macrumors 6502
Dec 11, 2012
252
0
Do you want the phone to be able to dial the whole number, including the extension number? If so, then you need the comma.

If not, edit the contact...

In the phone number box underneath the one you want to add an extension number for, enter the extension number only, as an additional phone number.
Click on the name of the phone number. i.e. 'Work', 'Home', 'iPhone' or whatever it's called.
Select 'Custom...'
Type 'Extension' or 'Extension number' or whatever you want to call it.
Click on 'Done'

And Bob's your father's sister's husband.
 

malch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
466
9
Spikywan—you're brilliant. Very nice workaround.
It doesn't work out perfectly if an extension number is four digits long (as against the usual three). I get this for an extension in that case:

293-7

But most extensions are three digit, so this isn't a big deal.
Thanks very much for weighing in on this.
malch

P.S. how did you know that Bob is my father's sister's husband?
 
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