Managing Outdated Contacts & Searching Contacts

Introduction

With the transition to Google Contacts as our campus directory standard, you may occasionally see outdated contact details (former phone number, office address, or previous last name) when using Google Contacts.

This happens because Google Contacts merges information from three different places into your search view:

1. The Global Directory: The official, up-to-date campus information maintained automatically by OIT.

2. Personal Contacts: Entries you have manually saved or edited in your account.

3. Other Contacts: Auto-saved entries created automatically in the background whenever you email or chat with someone.

If you have a saved Personal Contact or an auto-created Other Contact for a colleague, Google’s search prioritizes your personal/auto-saved copy over the global Directory listing. When that colleague changes their phone number or name, your personal copy doesn't automatically update, which can make their information appear stale.

Fortunately, clearing up these stale details is pretty quick and easy.

How to Fix Outdated Contact Info 

If a colleague’s name or contact info looks incorrect in your search results:

Option A: Delete the Stale Personal Entry (Recommended)

Deleting your personal copy allows Google to default back to the official, always-updated Global Directory profile.

1. Go to contacts.google.com.

2. Search for the colleague's name or email address.

3. Hover over the outdated contact result:

   • Click the Three Dots (More actions) menu → Select Delete (or click the Trash Icon in the top right of their full contact card).

4. Once removed, your search will instantly pull their current profile straight from the official Directory.

Option B: Update the Existing Entry

If you have personal notes (like a birthday or room preference) attached to that contact that you don't want to lose:

1. Open the colleague's contact card in contacts.google.com.

2. Click the Edit (pencil) icon at the top right.

3. Update or clear the outdated phone number/name, then click Save.

How to Browse the Official Directory Directly

View official campus data exclusively by filtering out temporary files and auto-saved drafts. This ensures all displayed records, figures, and contact details are fully finalized and verified by the institution.

1. Open contacts.google.com.

2. On the left-hand navigation panel, click Directory.

3. Scroll through the official list of UAH faculty and staff to find guaranteed up-to-date listings.

Optional: Prevent Auto-Saving Future Email Recipients

If you prefer Google not to automatically create local entries every time you email a new recipient, you can turn this off in your personal settings:

1. Open your Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com.

2. Go to People & sharing on the left menu.

3. Under Contacts, locate Contact info saved from interactions.

4. Toggle the switch to Off. (Note: Existing auto-saved contacts will remain, but new ones won't be created going forward).

Still Need Help?

If you need help completing these steps or experience an issue along the way, please contact the OIT Help Desk.