Phone book favourites download

[twabrigs]

Just changed my phone from an ageing iphone 4 to the 6s, all is well and linked via bluetooth to the car no problem. However, it insists on downloading my entire phonebook every time I get in the car, whereas somehow with the old phone I had managed to find a setting (possibly on the phone, possibly on the car) to only download my favourites which was much quicker.

This isn't the 'speed dial' contacts bit, it was a way of getting the car to only download 20 or so favourites instead of all 200 contacts in the phone, so the car 'phonebook' screen only had those 20.

Any ideas what wonderful trick I did two years ago that I cannot now remember?

[Southern Teuchter]

I picked up my new CX-5 a few days ago and paired my iPhone with it.  All working tickity-boo.

The car immediately tried to download the contacts from my phone - and herein lies my problem.  The car will only hold 1000 contacts.  My phone has a little under 4000 in it.  Hence the car has downloaded the first 1000 it found and then stopped.  Of course not all the contacts I actually want to use are in the 1000 it downloaded.

So two questions:-
1. Is there any way of deleting all the contacts at once?  Yes, I can delete each, one-by-one - but I'd rather avoid that if I can.
2. Maybe I'm being stupid but I can't see how you select individual contacts to add to the car.  The manual says that you can but when I try this the car just tells me to select the contact I want to add and waits for 150s or so.  The manual isn't much more help.  Ideally what I want to do is manually add the dozen or so contacts that I use frequently to the car and leave it at that.

Any pointers gratefully received.

[Anchorman]

Hmmm, 4000 contacts eh?  Are they all still alive 

Well I suppose you could just restore the factory settings to dump them all and I think it will ask you when you pair it again. See what the options are at that stage.

[xtrailman]

I believe on the MZD the contacts are imported every time the car connects.

What I do is add the most used contacts to favourites, so they are accessible by selecting the console button, and scrolling across as required.
But I don't have any where near the 1000 limit.

Another trick I found by accident the other day is to push the steering wheel "ring" button, this lists your latest calls.

Also useful is downloading the manual from the Mazda site, and using "find" via control f on the keyboard.

[Southern Teuchter]

Hmmm, 4000 contacts eh?  Are they all still alive 

Almost certainly not!     They've been amassed over the past 25+ years so I'm quite certain that some of them are not with us any longer!

Well I suppose you could just restore the factory settings to dump them all and I think it will ask you when you pair it again. See what the options are at that stage.

Yes, this was what I was thinking might be easiest.  No biggie to re-pair the phone, etc.

[Southern Teuchter]

I believe on the MZD the contacts are imported every time the car connects.

You can turn this 'auto-import' setting off.  Which is what I'll do if I reset the system and before I re-pair my phone again. 

What I do is add the most used contacts to favourites, so they are accessible by selecting the console button, and scrolling across as required.
But I don't have any where near the 1000 limit.

Exactly what I'm planning to do.

Another trick I found by accident the other day is to push the steering wheel "ring" button, this lists your latest calls.

Didn't know about that - very useful!

Also useful is downloading the manual from the Mazda site, and using "find" via control f on the keyboard.

Yes I'd seen it but had just been thumbing though the paper version.  Might switch to electronic to help preserve the ex-tree however...

[Southern Teuchter]

So I can now answer my 1st question:

1. Is there any way of deleting all the contacts at once?  Yes, I can delete each, one-by-one - but I'd rather avoid that if I can.

You simply unpair your phone from the car, and tell your phone to forget the previous pairing, so that you need to set up the pairing again.  This causes the car to 'forget' all the contacts that were associated with the previous pairing.

[Southern Teuchter]

After a bit more research, I've kind've managed to answer my 2nd question - and have also answered Twabrigs question...

2. Maybe I'm being stupid but I can't see how you select individual contacts to add to the car.  The manual says that you can but when I try this the car just tells me to select the contact I want to add and waits for 150s or so.  The manual isn't much more help.  Ideally what I want to do is manually add the dozen or so contacts that I use frequently to the car and leave it at that.

... with the old phone I had managed to find a setting (possibly on the phone, possibly on the car) to only download my favourites which was much quicker.

It looks like the 'import single contact' function is really aimed at Android phone users since those I believe will let you send data over Bluetooth.  The iPhone won't.  It will only let you sync contacts - which was the cause of my problem to begin with.  The solution, however, lies with the iPhone Bluetooth settings however - see the attached image.

You can choose whether to sync all contacts (my problem!), favourites, recents, or some combination.  Since I just wanted favourites + recents that's what I selected.  Then I just turned the 'auto-import' option back on and 'hey presto' - exactly what I want. 

[twabrigs]

  The solution, however, lies with the iPhone Bluetooth settings however - see the attached image.

GENIUS! Thanks - just been out to the car and sorted this. I knew there was a way of doing it, but could I remember what to do?

Appreciate your help, and glad you've resolved your own questions too.