If only we could create groups in our contacts...

[Tsuky19]

Why don't they add the feature of creating groups in the contacts app? This would make sending out emails to groups of people much easier, regardless of what app you are sending it from. Does anyone know if they are thinking about adding this?

It seems like such a basic feature to have and I was surprised and disappointed when I realized that you cannot do it. I have found the iPad almost able to fully replace my computer and laptop and serve all my needs if I wanted. This lack of such a basic feature is actually one of the main reasons why I would not be able to replace my computer with my iPad, if I wanted too. Just seems strange not to have it.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

It's sort of a two-part problem. The iPad Contacts app can display Groups (if, for example, you imported your contacts list from a PC) but, as you noted, it cannot edit or create a new group.

But the problem goes deeper, because the iPad email app has only partial support for groups, even if they exist in your contacts list. Let's say you have a group in your contacts list called 'Family', that contained the email addresses of your 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Brother' and 'Sister'.

If you're in the iPad Mail app and create a new email and select the 'To:' field, you'll see a small '+' symbol towards the right hand side of the 'To:' box. If you click on that symbol, your contacts list will pop up. Towards the top right-hand side of the pop-up box will be 'Groups' button (assuming the pop-up box did not start off in Groups, in which case the button would say 'All' to take you out of Groups). You'll see 'Family' in the Groups window and 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Brother' and 'Sister'. So far, so good!!

But there is no way to select the entire group at once! You have to select each member of the group one at a time, which sort of defeats the purpose, especially if the group is a large one! Might not be *so* bad for a small group, like the 'Family' example, but if it was, say, 'Book Club Members', it could be a real pain.

I suppose, if you were being generous to Apple, having to select Group members one at a time does give you the option of omitting certain members of the Group - say you were organising a surprise birthday party for someone in your Book Club - but I think that's pushing things a bit far!

So we really, as you say, have two problems. We cannot use the iPad Contacts app to create Groups and the iPad email app does not handle Groups very well.

Of course, if you're really stuck, there are plenty of third party apps out there that *can* create groups and can then email groups but it would be good if the built-in apps could do this.

Tim
Scotland

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Just seen this

MailShot | Soluble Apps

Tim
Scotland