How to Sort Contacts By First Name on iPhone iPad and Mac

iPhone sort contacts by First Name, “arrange contacts by first name iPhone”  and how to assign, display and add a Nickname to a contact name on iPhone and iPad and Mac?

Perhaps you have purchased a new iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, or iPhone (SE 3^rd Generation) or keeping an old one like iPhone 11 Pro Max or iPhone XR or iPhone XS Max and managed to transfer your contacts to it? Opened a list of contacts? They are out of order with last names in bold? What’s going on man? How you can change iPhone contacts alphabetically by the first name?

This step by step tutorial will help you to arrange contacts by the first name on iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12, Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone X, iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and all the previous models.

iOS 14, iOS 13, iOS 12, iOS 11, and all the previous iOS versions arrange the Contacts List by the first letter of their Last Name, that’s what. No problem, we have a swift solution on “how to sort Contacts by First Name on iPhone.”

Before going to sort iPhone contacts by first name or last name, alphabetically by first name or last name, or adding or deleting a contact as well as adding and displaying a nickname, you need to know the difference between Sort Order and Display Order. otherwise, you’ll be confused while changing these settings.

What is the difference between a Sort order and a Display order?

The main difference between Sort Oder and Display Order is that:

The “sort order” is the order in which your contact list is arranged. Either by the primary letter of the first name or by the first letter of the surname. While, the display order, refers to how each name is displayed. You can show the first name followed by last name (as in Imran Chandio) or last name followed by first name, e.g. B. Chandio, Imran.

Let’s clear the picture:

Sort order is related to sorting the names alphabetically. The Sort Order sorts, arrange, manage or change the name as first, last or last, first. The First, Last means it will sort a contact alphabetically first by first name and then by last name. While the Sort Oder, Last, First means it will start sorting contacts alphabetically first by last name and then by first name.

While Display Order is related to displaying the names as First, Last or Last, First.

The Display order set to: First, Last will display or put first name first and then last name while Display Order set to Last, First will show the Contact’s Last name, first and the first name at last.

Sort Order Example

Let’s have three names: Peter A, Peter B, and Peter C (where Peter is the first name and A, B and C are the Last Names).

The Sort Order: (First, Last) and the Display Order, (First Last) will sort the three contacts as:

• Peter A
• Peter B
• Peter C

Note*: The first name is bolder

Let’s change the Sort Order: (Last, First) and keep the Display Order, (First Last) will sort the three contacts as:

• Peter A
• Peter B
• Peter C

Changing the Sort Order doesn’t affect the display order except by making the last names A, B, and C bolder in a sort order (Last, First).

Display Order Example

Let’s set Display Order to (First, Last) assuming Sort Order set to (First, Last) will show the contact as:

• Peter A
• Peter B
• Peter C

While By Setting Display Order (Last, First) assuming Sort Order set to (First, Last) will show the contacts in your phone as:

• A Peter
• B Peter
• C Peter

Note that changing the display order (Last, First) has put the Last Names A, B, and C at first place and the First names Peter at last place.

So, the Sort Order will only sort the contact alphabetically in the manner in which they are set while the display order will only display the contacts in an order in which the settings are defined.

Now, it will be easier for you to understand how to change iPhone contacts to first name?

How to Sort iPhone Contacts by First Name

Default Contacts List Sort Order

The iPhone Default Contacts Sort Order is set to Last, First which means that contacts are by default sorted by the first letter of the Last Name. While the iPhone Default Contacts Display Order is set to First, Last which means that the contact will be displayed as the First Name followed by the Last name.

Here are the default settings for the Contacts list on iPhones, iPad, and Macbooks.

Go to Settings → and Tap Contacts, the default option for Contacts is set to:

• Sort Oder: Last, First
• Display Order: First, Last

Sort Order: Last, First (it means the Last Name is bold and the names in the Contacts list will be shown randomly or the contact will be shown as the first letter of the last name which eventually leads to a random contacts list.)

Display Order: First, Last (it means the first name will place first and last name at last for example, Amir Ali where Amir is the first name and Ali is the last name.)

Now, if you carefully look at your “iPhone contacts list names” will look like this:

Now, let’s “arrange contacts by first name iPhone“, that’s the thing you want!

iPhone Sort Contacts By First Name (Correct Settings)

If you want to sort your contacts by the first letter of their First_Name then:

Set the “Sort Order” to “First, Last”

Now it will “sort contacts by first name iPhone 13” or  whatever phone you have and your Contacts will look like this:

If you don’t want the default contact settings on your iPhone and want to sort contacts by the last name then

iPhone: Sort Contacts By Last Name

In the very first figure, your “iPhone Default Contact Display Order” was “First, Last” then the very first contact looked like “Amir Ali.”

Change Display Order  to Sort Contacts by Last Name Setting:

Go to Settings → Tap Contacts → tap Display Order → tap “Last, First”

Well, if you set the Contact Display Order from “First, Last” to “Last, First” then the very first contact will look like “Ali Amir”

it is clearly seen that the Last name is placed first and the first name is set to last place. Amir Ali is changed to Ali Amir. Ali is normal while Amir is bold.

Now, how “do I put my contacts in alphabetical order on iPhone 11”, Here’s how it works.

How to Put Contacts in Alphabetical Order on iPhone 11 and Other Models?

Set these settings for both “Sort Order and Display Order”

Sort Order: First, Last

Display Order: First, Last

Here’s how to do it!

Go to Settings → tap Contacts → tap Sort Order → tap “First, Last”

Go to Settings → tap Contacts → tap Display Order → tap “First, Last”

With the above Settings, you have successfully arranged “iPhone contacts alphabetically by first name” and your contacts will look like:

How to Enable Shortname or Nickname on iPhone?

Adding a Nickname to Contact is easier for calling and sending a text message on iPhone. It looks neater and makes them easier to find in the Contacts list.

“iPhone nicknames” can be assigned to anyone in your Contacts list.

For example, you visited a plumber “Adam Smith” to fix the issue at your home and now you have his contact number in your iPhone Contact List and a few months later, you again have a water leakage problem at your home and you have forgotten the plumber name.

Seriously?

You are in big trouble unless you remember his name.

So, adding a nickname to that Plumber is a great way to contact him instead of finding his name and then calling him.

Here’s “how to add Nickname to a contact on iPhone”.

To Set Short name and Nickname:

Go to Settings → Tap Contacts → Tap “Short Name” → toggle on “Short Name”, Select First Name Only, and then toggle on “Prefer Nicknames”

Inside Short Name, You’ll see the following naming options:

• First Name & Last Initial
• First Initial & Last Name
• First Name Only
• Last Name Only

You can set your phone for any option to show Nickname or Shortname.

Make sure both “Short Name” and the “Prefer Nicknames” are switched ON.

However, it will not put any effect on your Contacts list. Actually, a “Short Name” or “Nickname” appears on phone calls, texts, and in the call history menu. Your Contacts list will always show the full name of the people with respect to any titles, prefixes, and suffixes, you have set for them.

How to Add a Nickname on iPhone and iPad?

Once the “Prefer Nicknames” is enabled, the next step is to assign a nickname to a contact.

For this:

1. Open the Contacts app → Search and select the name that you want to add Nickname to Contact.

2. Tap Edit

3. Scroll down and tap “Add Field.”

4. Tap Nickname

A Nickname field is added now

5. Enter the iPhone contacts nickname you wish to use. Tap “Done” when you’re finished.

You can use Short Name to change how the names of your contacts appear on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The contacts’ nickname settings will take control over Messages, Mail, Phone, and some third-party apps.

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Reference:

Apple Sort Contact on iDevices

Final Words

We’ve discussed how to sort iPhone contacts by first name and by alphabetically order on iPhone, iPad and Macbooks.

Hopefully, you better understand the difference between Sort Order and Display Order. You can Change iPhone Contacts to First Name on iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13, or any other iPhone.

We have also told you to add and delete a contact, enable a nick name add a nickname or short name instead of full name on iPhones, iPad Pro and Macbooks. You can also organize contacts by first name on iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 11, sort contacts by first name alphabetically on Macbooks, transfer iPhone contacts list to a flash drive and then sharing to emails and social media apps like WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook and Twitter.

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