Gmail Autofill Contacts Options

E.G. recently asked how he could delete an email address that auto-filled when he started to type a contact’s name in a new Gmail. The question was raised at a WACI Monday session in October.

It seems a friend’s old email address was no longer valid. But he could not locate the old contact to delete or edit the old email address. So the old address populated every time he started typing in her name.

I tried searching for a solution both during the meeting as well as afterward. I found the answer is not readily available. But E.G. found the solution and reported it at the following meeting.

Gmail Tips and Shortcuts

Here’s the solution. Open the Google Menu (nine dots – see #1 in the image above) box when signed in. Click on the contacts icon (#2). The tricky part is to then scroll down in the left sidebar down to the next to last option and click on < Other Contacts > (#3).

This opens a list of, you guessed it, ‘Other Contacts’. Search or scroll down to find the email you wish to change. Click on the email address to open up for additional information, then edit or add information. Or click on the three vertical dots to the right to select the option to delete.

Shortcut: You can also click on the three vertical dots in the list itself to get the same option to delete immediately.

Why does this happen? Gmail wants to make your life easier with shortcuts!

Gmail’s default setting in this regard is “When I send a message to a new person, add them to Other Contacts so that I can auto-complete to them next time” (#4) when you type in, paste or reply to a new email address

So E.G. probably never went back and completed the contact information for this person initially.

You can find your contacts setting while in Gmail by first clicking the gearbox (shown to the left of the #1 arrow above) in the upper right corner of Gmail. Click on < All Settings > then scroll down to “Create contacts for auto-complete:”

Shortcut: < Cntl > + < F > and type in “Control”.

The top box in the multiple-selection list should be populated. The alternate choice is to populate the “I’ll add contacts myself” box. If you do so then be sure to scroll down and click on < Save Changes >.

This spanned over several weeks at recent WACI Monday meetings at Senior Planet from AARP. Judy and I facilitate these meetings which focus on Windows-Android-Computers-Internet tips, updates, challenges and questions. To learn more about WACI Mondays go to our Calendar page or use the Contact form on the right sidebar for more information.

Please feel free to call at 847.634.6535 or contact us if your organization or group would like to host or sponsor a group technology training or trivia entertainment event online.

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Michael