Contacts - Are Truly Custom Labels Available?

[KrisAK]

In Contacts, I see that I can select from a few prefabricated "custom" labels. Things like "Phonetic Company Name", or some such.

But can I add an truly custom field, with custom label text; for example, "Referred by:", so that additional contacts will have a "Referred by" Label available?

Or do you only get to choose from that list of additional prefab fields? Thanks.

 

[BrianBaughn]

The fields are basically what's available in CardDAV plus the ones that iOS adds. It's not really meant to be a customizable database. You could, for every contact one at a time, name a custom email field and the field will accept whatever you type.

There is likely one or more third-party contacts apps that allow for custom fields.

 

[PurrBall]

Choose "Add Custom Label" and you can type your own.

 

[NoBoMac]

You can use the "Related Name" field, and under there is a custom label option. Can then create your "Referred by" field.

I also use the Notes field for extraneous info. It is searchable.

Back in the days when the Notes field was not searchable, I did use the "First" and "Last" name fields if I was entering the name of a business (used the name fields for the business's specialty/field).

 

[BrianBaughn]

The point is that you can't create a custom field name that will appear when you add a new contact or edit an existing one.

It's possible to do this in macOS Contacts by editing the Template via the menu item "Card>Add Field>Edit Template…". That template is for macOS Contacts only but the new field will show in iOS if something is entered into it…and that may depend on how you're syncing your contacts.

 

[KrisAK]

You can use the "Related Name" field, and under there is a custom label option. Can then create your "Referred by" field.

I also use the Notes field for extraneous info. It is searchable.

Back in the days when the Notes field was not searchable, I did use the "First" and "Last" name fields if I was entering the name of a business (used the name fields for the business's specialty/field).

Oh, that's interesting. Maybe a little counterintuitive...a nested option that displays non-nested. But since it doesn't persist, I'd probably be better off using the notes field for the miscellaneous stuff, as you suggest.

(I'm pretty sure Hypercard could have handled this.)

 

[NoBoMac]

But since it doesn't persist, I'd probably be better off using the notes field for the miscellaneous stuff, as you suggest.

Believe it does persist, at least for me, as long as you have one card with the label.

 

[KrisAK]

Believe it does persist, at least for me, as long as you have one card with the label.

You're right: I hadn't noticed at first, but it's still there on my iPhone. But as far as I can tell it doesn't show up in the pick lists on iCloud.com or macOS. Though this does seem to work in the other direction: custom labels created on iCloud DO show up in the iPhone's custom label pick list (as per your illustration.)

A bit bumpy, but workable. (Trying Brian's template approach, next....)

 

[NoBoMac]

Not surprised re: the pick list not showing on Mac or iCloud. Apple has never been good wrt aligning their desktop functions with iOS. For example, Calendar on Mac always allowed to set a timezone for an event and enter more than two alerts, where iOS only got timezones a release or two ago (can't recall if 10 or 9) and still only allows for edit/add two alerts (can add more than two with 3rd party apps, and the native Calendar functions recognize and alert for more than two). Odd that it's the desktop in the case which is a step back vs iOS, as per above, desktop has always been the feature rich side of things.

The template on desktop is the way to go there, as it will always pop up a new contact template with that.