How do I add hashtags to a contact in Recall?

Tap any contact to open their detail view, then tap Add Tag. Type your hashtag — Recall adds the # symbol automatically. Or swipe right on any contact in the list for a faster tagging flow.

How do I search for a contact by hashtag?

Tap the search bar at the top of the contact list and type any hashtag or keyword. Recall filters instantly. Add a second tag to narrow results further — only contacts with both tags appear.

Do my tags sync across my iPhone and other devices?

Tags are stored locally and also written to the Apple Contacts notes field, so they sync across your devices via iCloud Contacts if you have it enabled.

What happens if I delete the Recall app?

Your hashtags are safe. They remain in the notes field of your Apple Contacts because Recall writes them back there as you tag. Reinstalling Recall will pick them up again.

How does Parent Mode work?

Tag a school parent contact with your child's name as a hashtag — for example #Luca. Later, search #Luca to find that parent instantly. Enable Parent Mode in Settings → Modes.

Why can't I see all my contacts in Recall?

Go to Settings → Select Contacts to Add and make sure the right contact groups are selected. Recall only imports contacts you choose, to keep your list focused.

Help & Support — Recall Contacts | iPhone Contacts App Guide

Getting Started

First launch

When you open Recall for the first time, a short tutorial walks you through the core ideas — tagging, Smart Groups, Quick Recall, and Swipe to Tag. You can replay it any time from Settings → How to Use the App.

Adding your contacts

Recall needs access to your iPhone contacts. On first launch you'll be prompted. After that, go to Settings → Select Contacts to Add to import from your address book, or tap ADD in the nav bar to create a contact manually.

The Main Screen

The screen is split into two sections:

Top — Hashtag Cloud: Every tag you've ever used appears as a chip. Tap one to filter your contacts. Tap multiple tags to narrow results further — only contacts with all selected tags appear.
Bottom — Contact List: Your contacts, sorted alphabetically or by Last Used. Toggle between the two at the top of the list.

The coloured Smart Group buttons (VIP, Work, Family, Parents, Friends) appear above the tag cloud when enabled — tap one to instantly filter by that category.

Adding a Contact

Tap ADD in the nav bar. The create screen has:

TAKE SELFIE banner — tap it to take a photo with the front camera. Long-press the banner to choose from your library instead.
Tag field — type a tag or tap one of the coloured suggestion chips. Tags are how you'll find this person later.
First Name, Last Name, Phone, Email — use the Next key on the keyboard to move between fields.
Notes — free-form text. Great for context: where you met, what you talked about, mutual connections.

Tap SAVE in the top-right when you're done.

Contact Detail

Tap any contact to open their detail screen.

Call or Text — the CALL and TEXT buttons appear at the top if a phone number exists. CALL gives you options for regular call, FaceTime Video, or FaceTime Audio.
Tags — add or remove hashtags at any time. Start typing to see autocomplete suggestions from your existing tag library.
Notes — tap the notes field to edit. If Date Stamp is on, a formatted date button appears below so you can log when you last spoke.
Edit Contact — tap this to edit name, phone, email, and other fields. Changes are saved back to your iPhone contacts automatically.
Share Contact — generates a vCard. A toggle lets you choose whether to include hashtags in the shared file.
Delete Contact — removes the contact. Requires confirmation.

Swipe to Tag

Found in Settings → Swipe to Tag. This is the fastest way to tag a batch of contacts you haven't organised yet.

Swipe right to tag the contact — a tag input appears so you can add hashtags, then it moves to the next card.
Swipe left to skip and add the contact to your Review list.

Keep going until you've worked through all untagged contacts.

Quick Recall

Tap QUICK RECALL in the nav bar. This screen shows only your most important contacts — filtered by the Smart Group buttons at the top. Tap VIP, Family, Work, Parents, or Friends (or a combination) to see just those people, with CALL and TEXT buttons right there.

QR Code

Tap QR CODE in the nav bar to open your personal QR card. Fill in the fields you want to share (name, phone, email, website, LinkedIn, Instagram, hashtags) and toggle each one on or off. The QR code updates live. You can share it, copy it to clipboard, or save it to your camera roll.

Settings

Power User Mode

Unlocks advanced features. Enabled by default. Toggle it off for a simpler experience.

Feature	What it does
Smart Groups	Adds VIP, Work, Family, Parents, Friends filter buttons across the app. Each group can be toggled individually.
Startup Screen	Choose which screen opens when you launch the app: Home, Quick Recall, or QR Code.
Kids & Parents Mode	Adds a "Kids' Names" field when a contact is tagged with #parents. Kids' names appear in the Quick Recall list so you always have context.
Sort by First Name	On by default. Turn off to sort by last name instead.
Date Stamp	Adds a one-tap date button in the notes field so you can log the date you last spoke.

Paper Mode (Dyslexic-Friendly)

Switches the whole app to a cream background with wider letter spacing and a more readable font. Designed for users who find white screens or tight text difficult to read.

Refresh & Re-index

Refresh Contacts — syncs with your iPhone address book to pull in any changes made in the native Contacts app.
Re-index Contacts — rebuilds Recall's tag search index. Use this if tags seem out of sync or search results look wrong.

Permissions

Recall works best with Full Access to your contacts. If you see a warning banner:

Limited Access — you've only shared some contacts. Tap Select Contacts to expand access, or go to Settings app → Privacy & Security → Contacts → Recall.
Denied — go to Settings app → Privacy & Security → Contacts → Recall and toggle access on.

All contact data stays on your device. Recall never uploads your contacts anywhere.

FAQ

Why can't I see all my contacts?

Check your permission status in Settings → Contact Access. If it shows Limited or Denied, follow the steps in the Permissions section above.

My tags disappeared / search isn't working

Go to Settings → Re-index Contacts. This rebuilds the tag index and usually fixes it.

Can I use Recall without giving it access to my full contacts?

Yes. Tap ADD to create contacts manually inside Recall without syncing your address book.

My tags aren't appearing on another device

Recall writes every hashtag back into the notes field of your Apple Contacts record. If you have iCloud Contacts enabled, those tags sync automatically across all your devices via iCloud.

What happens if I delete Recall?

Your hashtags remain in the notes field of your Apple Contacts. You don't lose any data — they're stored in your contact records, not inside the app.

Does Recall replace my iPhone contacts app?

No. Recall layers on top of your existing Apple Contacts. You keep using the native Phone app for calls. Recall is for finding and organising.

How do I share Recall with someone?

Go to Settings → Share Recall to share the App Store link.

Help & Support