Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Mark Contact's Default Preferences in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

When you have a contact that has multiple entries in a field or when you have linked contacts so that it has multiple entries in a field(e.g: name, phone number or email address) then you can set one of the entries in that field as the default. The entry within a contact that has been set as the default preferences will be used automatically when you use it in other apps, for instance when you're going to send a message to a contact that has multiple phone numbers then the stock Messaging app will automatically use the default phone number as the recipient.


How to set the default preferences of a contact?
To make it easier, as the example, we'll try to set the default phone number in a contact that has multiple phone numbers by using three different methods as you can see below.


Method #1: From the Contacts app
  1. Open Contacts app.
  2. If needed, tap the Contacts tab.
  3. Tap the required contact.
  4. Tap or long press the Recent apps key to open up the additional options and then select Mark as default.
  5. Tap the required phone number you want to set as the default. The radio button next to the phone number will turn green when it's selected.
  6. If needed, you can also set default preferences for another fields (name or email address) here.
  7. Tap Save button to save the changes.
  8. The selected phone number has been set as the default and will have a checkmark .


Method #2: From the Contacts app
  1. Open Contacts app.
  2. If needed, tap the Contacts tab.
  3. Tap the required contact.
  4. Long tap the required phone number you want to set as the default and then select Mark as default.
  5. The selected phone number has been set as the default and will have a checkmark .


Method #3: From the Messaging app
This method lets you easily set the default phone number when you're going to send a message to a contact that has multiple phone numbers.
  1. Open the stock Messaging app.
  2. Tap to compose a new message.
  3. Tap to select contact. If the contact has multiple phone numbers, you can set one of them as the default by checking the box next to Remember this choice and then tap the required phone number.
  4. The selected phone number will be set as the default and will be used as the message recipient.

14 comments:

  1. After the Lollipop update to my GS5, the 'Mark as default' option is now gone. It is still possible to set default phone and mail etc. But not contact photo. I.e. if a contact has different photo on google, facebook etc. it seems that there no longer is any way to set which one should be used in Contacts. Is there a work-around?

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    1. Hi Niels Pauli Hansen,
      Thanks for coming and I'm so sorry for so late answer.
      I have just updated my S5 to Lollipop and now I can confirm that the "Mark as default" option is still available. Thus, you should be able to set a contact photo within a contact as the default by using the method #1 that I mentioned in this post. However, I'll re-write the steps here for you:
      1. Open Contacts app.
      2. Tap the required contact that has multiple contact photos inside it.
      3. Tap the three dot icon at the top right and then select "Mark as default".
      4. Tap the required contact photo to set it as the default.
      5. Tap "Save" button to save the changes.

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    2. I have the problem of the missing button too. Its a really bad work around, but try going into the contact you want to set their caller id photo as one of their other account photos as (whether it be their facebook photo instead of their google or skype photo) and give them a second phone number, whether it be their cell number a second time or a fake number. Upon hitting save, a prompt will appear stating that "this contact has more than one phone number/email addresses, would you like to set the default?" hit yes, and you should be able to change their caller id photo. Very convoluted but it gets the job done until somebody discovers how to re-enable the option.

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    3. Thank you for that tip. It works for me also.

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  2. I just had my phone also go thru the Lollipop update and that option for Mark as Default is most definitely not there..suggestions please?

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    Replies
    1. Hi AliciaMcCoy,
      Thanks for coming.
      May I know your model number?
      FYI, I have updated my Galaxy S5 SM-G900H to Android 5.0 Lollipop and I can confirm that I still have "mark as default" option when long pressing one of multiple preferences (e.g: phone number) within a contact and when accessing additional options within a contact.

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  3. I have the G900F. I still have the mark as default option when long pressing one of eg. Multiple phone numbers. But that does not help for the contact photo. There is no way to set the default photo when multiple exists. Samsung support claims that Google has removed it from lollipop. But this is not true. On nexus devices with lollipop this is called primary photo.

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  4. I have a galaxy s5 active, and my "mark as default" is gone also after the update.

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    Replies
    1. Hi MPD424,
      Thanks for coming.
      I have updated my S5 (SM-G900H) to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop and I still have "mark as default" when I long press one of phone numbers, or when I access more options within a contact.
      If you don't mind, can you please send me a screenshot when you long press one of phone numbers, or when you access more options within a contact?
      You can send it to:rehanp2001@gmail.com

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  5. Actually I think the long press is working. Its not up in the right corner menu under the 3 dots any longer

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    Replies
    1. At least there's still a way to mark a preference within a contact as default. I surmise it's because your phone has different model number than mine that cause your phone has different menu.

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  6. Hey. I think you are mixing things together. Read my previous remark. Mark as default with long press IS working for eg. phone-number. But not for contact photo. Nothing happens when you long press the photo. How do you set the default (aka primary) photo. That's not possible anymore.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Niels Pauli Hansen,
      Well, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry since I didn't read your previous comment well.
      FYI, I don't mean to be persistent, but in my SM-G900H with Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, "mark as default" option is still available when I access more options (three dots icon) within a contact, thus I can still set one of contact photos within a contact as default.
      I'm not sure, but it may be because our model numbers are different so we have different menus as well.
      If you don't mind, you can remove unused photo contacts so that your phone will display the photo contact you want.

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  7. I recently realized that after the latest update from Samsung, the 'Mark as default' option is back!

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Hi the insiders,
Thanks for coming and I hope you can get something useful here.
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