Why does HiFi need access to my contacts?
HiFi uses your contacts so it can recognize and greet people you know. When a contact calls, HiFi shows their name instead of a phone number. Contact names also appear in Call Activity, Call Details, and Messages.
Your contacts also affect how two answering options work. Both options under HiFi answers calls from depend on knowing who is in your contacts:
Unknown callers only: HiFi answers calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts. Your contacts ring you directly.
Contacts only: HiFi answers calls from your contacts. Everyone else rings you directly.
If HiFi can’t see your contacts, it can’t tell a contact from an unknown caller. For these two options to work the way you expect, give HiFi access to the people you want it to recognize.
Should I share all contacts or only selected contacts?
You can share all your contacts or only the ones you choose. HiFi works either way, and it recognizes only the contacts you share.
On iPhone: When HiFi asks for contacts access, you can allow full access or pick specific contacts (limited access). With limited access, only the contacts you select appear in HiFi. HiFi treats anyone you didn’t select as an unknown caller.
On Android: Contacts access is all or nothing. If you allow it, HiFi can see all the contacts on your phone.
During setup, HiFi shows a Contacts Access screen that says “HiFi uses your contacts so it can recognize and greet people you know.” Tap Allow Contacts to continue.
Do I need to sync my contacts with HiFi?
No. HiFi uses the contacts on your phone, so there’s no separate HiFi contact list to keep up to date. When you add, edit, or delete a contact in your phone’s Contacts app, the change shows up in HiFi.
On iPhone: With limited access, a new contact appears in HiFi only after you add it to the contacts you share. Change your selection in your phone’s Settings app.
How do I change contacts access later?
Change contacts access at any time in your phone’s Settings app. HiFi can’t change this permission for you.
On iPhone
Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps, then tap HiFi. On older versions of iOS, scroll down and tap HiFi.
Tap Contacts.
Choose full access, limited access, or no access. If you choose limited access, select the contacts you want HiFi to see.
On Android
Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps, then tap HiFi.
Tap Permissions, then tap Contacts.
Choose Allow or Don’t allow.
Android menu names and order vary by phone manufacturer. If you can’t find these menus, search for “HiFi” in the Settings app.
Troubleshooting
A contact’s calls go to HiFi when you chose Unknown callers only: HiFi can’t see that contact, or the number is saved differently. On iPhone, add the contact to your limited-access selection or switch to full access. On any phone, check that the contact’s phone number is saved correctly.
Contact names don’t appear in HiFi: HiFi can’t see your contacts. Check that contacts access is on in your phone’s Settings app.
A new contact doesn’t show up in HiFi: On iPhone with limited access, add the new contact to the contacts you share with HiFi.
Related articles
“Permissions HiFi needs and why”
“Choose which calls HiFi answers”
“Add, edit, and delete contacts”