How to share contact lists (without exchange)?

[HoosierDaddy]

Is there any way to create a contact list that can be shared between windows 10 phones? And hopefully a way the entries are accessible WITHOUT the user having to manually select the list. Some of the intended users are at an age where learning additional steps would be difficult.

All I can find is ways to do this with Exchange. I think you could do this with Groups but the Groups concept was killed off by MS in the Windows phone 8.1 days. You can share calendars and even email accounts, so it doesn't make sense to not be able to do the same with contacts.

One benefit of this is to not have to update contact lists on multiple phones but I have one additional need that there is no other solution for. One of the people who would use the list has bad shakes in the hands. That causes her to press on things when normally a tap is desired. That sometimes causes an option list to appear and the next bounce of the finger causing undesired consequences (such as deleting a contact!). For her I could put all of her contacts in an external list that she can't edit (delete) or if editing can't be prevented, at worst I can restore the entire list if she does.

 

[TechFreak1]

Have you looked at Groupme?

There is some groupme integration with WM10 but since I don't know anyone who uses groupe me I can't say how effective it will be addressing your use case.

 

[midnightfrolic]

not that I know of easily. some sort of chat platform is best like GroupMe or Viber. Both of which have Windows 10 apps. but then that'd be something new they'd have to learn to use. which isn't that bad.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Have you looked at Groupme?

There is some groupme integration with WM10 but since I don't know anyone who uses groupe me I can't say how effective it will be addressing your use case.

Thanks. I just looked at it and while its hard to figure anything out about an app without actually installing it and learning by trial and error (I've always wondered if that's because authors can't write or because they assume their customers can't read a manual, or if they learned from the ACA that people will actually implement something without knowing what it does), this app APPEARS to only work with other people using the app. I can't use anything that won't allow someone to contact anyone thru it without the other party taking steps. My 90 year old father and his wife will NOT accept (their words are can't learn) multiple ways to call people and I can't imagine their long list of doctors agreeing to use the app or it working with their friends who just have land lines. I'll install it to see if I can call anyone with it, if can't find something more promising.

not that I know of easily. some sort of chat platform is best like GroupMe or Viber. Both of which have Windows 10 apps. but then that'd be something new they'd have to learn to use. which isn't that bad.

Thanks. Getting some of them to learn a new way will be a monumental task, but (I suspect) possible. Getting those people to remember which people they have to contact thru this or that app and who they have to contact thru current means would not be possible and even potentially fatal. Remind me to not get that old.

I'm not even sure if setting up an exchange server (probably not cost effective) would even help. Its not clear from the top level documentation that the contact sharing thru exchange isn't just email contacts.

I wonder why MS doesn't provide a way to have the phone or people app use multiple contact lists. I mean the calendar app can do that, The email app can do that. Makes no sense the people or phone app can't. And seems like an absolutely trivial thing to have done.

 

[TechFreak1]

@HoosierDaddy I total understand where you're coming from. The only other option is really a large button dial phone something like Binatone's phones. But you'll lose the ability to easily share contacts. I recall Nokia had some Asha phones that had embedded Whatsapp connectivity with buttons - such as the Asha 210 - not sure if they are still being sold. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00T0DWOEI/ref=s9_acsd_zgift_hd_bw_b35SnbL_c_x_w/260-4183973-0964862?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=ZFES13G06SMTJDWWCG0W&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2a4b8882-fc45-557f-ab4e-13303a876d88&pf_rd_i=2829144031&tag=androcentr-21&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3750674

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I think the best I will be able to do is remotely maintain each person's contact list by logging onto Outlook on my PC using their MS account credentials. And to minimize the impacts of the one person's shakes accidentally deleting contacts, I can just re-import an export of the contents every day or when I get a call (assuming my contact wasn't the one deleted). If I export each account contacts (Excel file) I can delete out the shared contacts for the family which I can keep in a similar format Excel file. Then as needed merge the needed Excel files and import them back into the accounts.

 

[TechFreak1]

I think the best I will be able to do is remotely maintain each person's contact list by logging onto Outlook on my PC using their MS account credentials. And to minimize the impacts of the one person's shakes accidentally deleting contacts, I can just re-import an export of the contents every day or when I get a call (assuming my contact wasn't the one deleted). If I export each account contacts (Excel file) I can delete out the shared contacts for the family which I can keep in a similar format Excel file. Then as needed merge the needed Excel files and import them back into the accounts.

That may be the best solution for maintaining contacts without any monetary expense, although I'm curious how you'll address the age factor. Please do share how you do address that as I'm sure there are many in the same situation as yourself and others will find that information helpful.