Add RawContact so it aggregates to an existing contact

Adding RawContacts to Aggregate Existing Contacts

This article will guide you through the process of adding raw contacts to an existing contact, resulting in a more comprehensive and aggregated contact record.

Understanding RawContacts

In Android, contacts are built using a concept called “RawContacts.” Each RawContact represents a single source of contact information, such as a SIM card, Google account, or a phone’s internal memory.

When multiple RawContacts share the same identifier (usually the phone number), the system aggregates them into a single, unified Contact record.

Steps to Add RawContacts

1. Get the Existing Contact ID:

    String contactId = "YOUR_CONTACT_ID"; // Replace with the existing Contact ID
  

2. Create a New RawContact:

    RawContact rawContact = new RawContact();
  

3. Set the RawContact’s Data (e.g., Phone Number):

    Data phoneData = new Data();
    phoneData.setData1("YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER");
    phoneData.mimetype = "vnd.android.cursor.item/phone_v2";
    phoneData.setData2("YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_TYPE");
    rawContact.add(phoneData);
  

4. Link the RawContact to the Existing Contact:

    rawContact.setContactId(Long.parseLong(contactId));
  

5. Insert the RawContact into the ContentResolver:

    ContentResolver cr = getContentResolver();
    cr.insert(ContactsContract.RawContacts.CONTENT_URI, rawContact.toContentValues());
  

Example: Aggregating a New Phone Number

This code snippet demonstrates adding a new phone number to an existing contact, using the steps outlined above:

  // Assuming you have an existing contact with the ID "12345"
  String contactId = "12345";

  // Create a new RawContact
  RawContact rawContact = new RawContact();

  // Set the RawContact's phone number data
  Data phoneData = new Data();
  phoneData.setData1("1234567890"); // New phone number
  phoneData.mimetype = "vnd.android.cursor.item/phone_v2";
  phoneData.setData2(ContactsContract.CommonDataKinds.Phone.TYPE_MOBILE);
  rawContact.add(phoneData);

  // Link the RawContact to the existing contact
  rawContact.setContactId(Long.parseLong(contactId));

  // Insert the RawContact
  ContentResolver cr = getContentResolver();
  cr.insert(ContactsContract.RawContacts.CONTENT_URI, rawContact.toContentValues());

Comparison Table

Conclusion

By using the RawContacts API, you can seamlessly add new data to existing contacts, creating a unified and comprehensive view of your contact information.