(followups set to comp.mobile.android)

On Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:03:18 -0400, Retirednoguilt wrote:
> I'm also used to using Google contacts on both my Windows PC and on my
> Android tablet. I found the solution I like. I downloaded the Google
> phone app as well as the Google contacts app and made both my default
> apps instead of using the default Samsung apps. Did it almost 1 year
> ago and can't recall what I did except that it seemed intuitive and easy
> to do.

That may be a change in later updates, because there doesn't seem to
be a way now to change the default Contacts app in Settings > Apps,
nor in Settings within Samsung's Phone app or Google's Contacts app.
There is still a setting in Settings > Apps for default Phone app.

The Samsung Phone app doesn't (yet) bother me as much as it bothers
you, but if the solution is to install Google Phone and make it the
default I'm willing to try that.

> If you can't make them the default, chances are you could get
> help at a T-Mobile store.

I wouldn't have thought of that, because my carrier is Visible (a
Verizon subsidiary). But I guess it couldn't hurt to ask. I was
rather amazed to see that my small town actually has a T-Mobile
store.

> I do know that for convenience, I banished the Samsung phone
> and contacts apps off my home page and into the Samsung app group on an
> inner page of apps. I added both the Google phone and contacts apps to
> my home page as replacements for their removed Samsung counterparts.

I've already done that for Contacts and Messages, and if I end up
using Google's Phone app I'll do it for Phone as well. Samsung sure
ships with a lot of junkware!

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

On 9/28/2023 3:10 PM, Stan Brown wrote:
> (followups set to comp.mobile.android)
>
> On Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:03:18 -0400, Retirednoguilt wrote:
>> I'm also used to using Google contacts on both my Windows PC and on my
>> Android tablet. I found the solution I like. I downloaded the Google
>> phone app as well as the Google contacts app and made both my default
>> apps instead of using the default Samsung apps. Did it almost 1 year
>> ago and can't recall what I did except that it seemed intuitive and easy
>> to do.
>
> That may be a change in later updates, because there doesn't seem to
> be a way now to change the default Contacts app in Settings > Apps,
> nor in Settings within Samsung's Phone app or Google's Contacts app.
> There is still a setting in Settings > Apps for default Phone app.
>
> The Samsung Phone app doesn't (yet) bother me as much as it bothers
> you, but if the solution is to install Google Phone and make it the
> default I'm willing to try that.
>
>> If you can't make them the default, chances are you could get
>> help at a T-Mobile store.
>
> I wouldn't have thought of that, because my carrier is Visible (a
> Verizon subsidiary). But I guess it couldn't hurt to ask. I was
> rather amazed to see that my small town actually has a T-Mobile
> store.
>
>> I do know that for convenience, I banished the Samsung phone
>> and contacts apps off my home page and into the Samsung app group on an
>> inner page of apps. I added both the Google phone and contacts apps to
>> my home page as replacements for their removed Samsung counterparts.
>
> I've already done that for Contacts and Messages, and if I end up
> using Google's Phone app I'll do it for Phone as well. Samsung sure
> ships with a lot of junkware!
>
As far as the T-Mobile store suggestion, I thought you had written that
you bought your phone there. My mistake. HOWEVER:

I just saw how I made the Google Phone (blue background) the default
phone app instead of the Samsung Phone app (green background). After
installing the Google Phone app, go to the android settings and select
APPS. In APPS, do NOT go to the "Samsung app settings" area. In the
main listing within APPS, scroll down until you see both the Samsung
Phone and the Google Phone apps and tap open the green, Samsung Phone
app settings. Tap on the "Calling app" item and note the title at the
top of that screen. It's called "Default phone app". Move the selected
radio button choice from the green "Phone (System default)" choice to
the blue "Phone" app - which is the Google Phone choice. Easy once you
find where to make the switch!

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote

>> I do know that for convenience, I banished the Samsung phone
>> and contacts apps off my home page and into the Samsung app group on an
>> inner page of apps. I added both the Google phone and contacts apps to
>> my home page as replacements for their removed Samsung counterparts.
>
> I've already done that for Contacts and Messages, and if I end up
> using Google's Phone app I'll do it for Phone as well.

Regarding contacts, messaging, dialers & privacy...

Almost everyone on Android is both ignorant - and - rude - unfortunately.
When it comes to contacts privacy.

Almost everyone on Android is extremely rude to everyone they know in
that they blindly allow Google to have your personal contact information.
Mostly out of sheer ignorance

These extremely rude people don't even ask for your permission to upload
your personal contact information to Google servers and that of your kids.

Anyway... since I'm NOT rude, and since I'm not ignorant...
.... the first thing I do is populate the default Android contacts sqlite
database with garbage which is easily accomplishsed using this app.

Fake Contacts <me.billdietrich.fake_contacts>
"Create fake phone contacts, that will be stored on your phone
along with your real contacts. The idea is to feed fake data
to any apps or companies who are copying our private data to
use or sell it. This is called "data-poisoning.
Nothing about these fake contacts will interfere
with your normal use of your phone or your real contacts."

<https://github.com/BillDietrich/fake_contacts>
<https://f-droid.org/packages/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts/>
<https://archive.org/details/github.com-BillDietrich-fake_contacts_-_2021-01-31_19-04-27>
<https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts>

Then you install an intelligent contacts app which has the
innate ability to import/export your real contacts database.

For messaging, PulseSMS (last known good version works fine)
will maintain its own contacts, as will well-written dialers.
--
Note that Fake Contacts #2 is not yet ready for prime time use.
<https://github.com/BillDietrich/fake_contacts_2>

On Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:12:31 -0400, Retirednoguilt wrote:
>
> On 9/28/2023 3:10 PM, Stan Brown wrote:
> > (followups set to comp.mobile.android)
> >
> > On Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:03:18 -0400, Retirednoguilt wrote:
> >> I'm also used to using Google contacts on both my Windows PC and on my
> >> Android tablet. I found the solution I like. I downloaded the Google
> >> phone app as well as the Google contacts app and made both my default
> >> apps instead of using the default Samsung apps. Did it almost 1 year
> >> ago and can't recall what I did except that it seemed intuitive and easy
> >> to do.
> >
> > That may be a change in later updates, because there doesn't seem to
> > be a way now to change the default Contacts app in Settings > Apps,
> > nor in Settings within Samsung's Phone app or Google's Contacts app.
> > There is still a setting in Settings > Apps for default Phone app.
> >
> > The Samsung Phone app doesn't (yet) bother me as much as it bothers
> > you, but if the solution is to install Google Phone and make it the
> > default I'm willing to try that.
> >
> >> If you can't make them the default, chances are you could get
> >> help at a T-Mobile store.
> >
> > I wouldn't have thought of that, because my carrier is Visible (a
> > Verizon subsidiary). But I guess it couldn't hurt to ask. I was
> > rather amazed to see that my small town actually has a T-Mobile
> > store.
> >
> >> I do know that for convenience, I banished the Samsung phone
> >> and contacts apps off my home page and into the Samsung app group on an
> >> inner page of apps. I added both the Google phone and contacts apps to
> >> my home page as replacements for their removed Samsung counterparts.
> >
> > I've already done that for Contacts and Messages, and if I end up
> > using Google's Phone app I'll do it for Phone as well. Samsung sure
> > ships with a lot of junkware!
> >
> As far as the T-Mobile store suggestion, I thought you had written that
> you bought your phone there. My mistake. HOWEVER:
>
> I just saw how I made the Google Phone (blue background) the default
> phone app instead of the Samsung Phone app (green background). ...
> Easy once you find where to make the switch!

Easier even than you said!

1. Download the Phone app (blue background) from Google play store.
Tap Open.

2. It asks me if it should be the default, explaining that it can't
receive calls if it's not. I tapped "set as default" or similar,
right in the prompt.

3. Add the Google Phone app to home page and remove the Samsung one
(green background). I long-pressed the Samsung app icon, but Disable
was not an option.

4. In Google phone, tap Contacts, and the Google contacts come up,
yay! Tap on any particular one, and I get the same choice I had
before, (a) Google or Samsung Contacts, and (b) Always or Just This
Time. Tap Google's icon, tap Always. When I did that within the
Samsung Phone app a few days ago, Always acted like Just One Time.
(Grr!) With the Google Phone app, Always means Always -- I didn't get
asked the question again when I tried opening a second contact from
the phone app.

So I think the question that started this thread is now answered.
There may or may not be a way to have Samsung's Phone app communicate
with Google's Contacts app by default, but if there is no one seems
to know what it is. The solution was to replace Samsung's Phone app
(green background) with Google's Phone app (blue background).

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...