How to Import contacts to Advanced Phone with Alexa - because BT have no clue

[MandrewCh]

Since BT give no help at all - This is how to do it

Firstly you need a VCF file with the contacts to be imported although the import manager allows any file including CSV only VCF files actually work

The Field headings must be First Last Home Mobile Work

The phone  (actually the Smart Hub) can only store 500 contacts

I was exporting my contacts from Google Contacts as a CSV because Google contact data  contains a lot of data that is irrelevant and I needed to be able to edit it in Google Sheets

I edited the exported CSV so that the first Row headings were First Last Home Mobile Work and made sure the data in the rows below were the correct values 

Then I exported the file from Google Sheets as a CSV file

Next in Google contacts I re-imported the contacts (you can easily delete this new import later on)

With the newly imported contacts in Google Contacts - I re-exported them using the vCard for iOS contacts option

From From the Smart Hub 2 Manager screen click on phone > Contacts > Browse

You will be prompted for the password for the hub

Click on Browse (again!) 

Select the VCF file you just exported from Google contacts

and (Finally) select Import The import will overwrite any existing contacts so make sure you include them in the contact list you are improting

[VeteranISPUser]

Hi @MandrewCh 

It is always useful repeating this. Note there is no need to remove the surplus data as it is ignored on the import.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Advanced-Digital-Phone-with-Alexa-Contacts/...

Important note, remove all embedded spaces like 0123 456 7890 (should be 01234567890) or the caller ID does pick up the contact.

[Misha1]

Hi @VeteranISPUser,

Does that apply also to hyphens and parentheses?

Thanks

[VeteranISPUser · Accepted solution]

Hi @Misha1   Telephone numbers should be numbers only.

[Misha1]

Hi @VeteranISPUser,

Thanks.

Another question about Caller ID ...

Our Mac Contacts are synched with our mobiles.  Some of the UK phone numbers start with +44 so we can call them when abroad. So I understand that I need to replace the "+44" with "0044". But what about the matching for Caller ID? Will, say, 00442012345678 match an incoming call from 020 1234 5678?

Thanks

[VeteranISPUser]

Hi @Misha1 

I changed my mobile number in my DV phone from 07… to 00447… and called my home number. Caller ID displayed my name so the answer to your question is yes 😀

[Misha1]

It's good to know that BT have managed to get something right! 😀

Many thanks!