Beside syncs contacts from your phone's native Contacts app on iPhone and Android.
This article covers how contact permissions work, what the Maybe: [Name] suggestion means, how to delete contacts, and what to do if contacts go missing.
How contact sync works
Your contacts sync automatically when you grant Beside permission to access your phone's Contacts app. Any changes you make in your device's Contacts app are reflected in Beside.
📌 One-way sync: Contacts created inside the Beside app are stored in Beside only - they won't be added to your device's address book. Contacts from your phone's Contacts app sync automatically once permissions are granted.
Contact permissions
Beside needs access to your phone's contacts to sync your address book. Grant full access for the best experience - you can change this at any time in your device settings.
📌 If contacts are missing or incomplete, it's almost always a permissions issue. Disable and re-enable contact access for Beside in your phone's settings to refresh the sync.
On iPhone
When Beside requests access, Apple gives you two options:
Select Contacts - lets you choose specific contacts to share with Beside. Use this if you want to restrict access.
Allow Full Access (recommended) - grants Beside access to your entire address book, synced automatically.
If you chose Select Contacts and expected everything to sync, switch to Full Access:
Open Settings on your iPhone
Scroll down and tap Beside
Tap Contacts
Select All Contacts
Close and reopen Beside to apply the change
📌 iOS known limitation: Contact permissions on iPhone control what Beside can access going forward. If you previously allowed full access, some contacts may remain visible in Beside even after switching to None or Selected Contacts. To fully remove a device contact from Beside, delete it from your iPhone's Contacts app.
On Android
On Android, you either allow Beside to access your contacts or you don't. To verify or enable it:
Open Settings
Tap Apps → Beside
Tap Permissions
Enable Contacts
Restart the Beside app
Android syncs immediately after permissions are updated.
Suggested contact names
When you receive or make a call from a number that isn't saved in your contacts, Beside may generate a suggested contact name to help you identify the caller. The suggestion appears as Maybe: John Smith - so you always know it's a suggestion, not a confirmed contact.
If the number is already saved in your device contacts, your saved name always takes priority. You can save, edit, or ignore the suggestion at any time.
Turn off suggested contact names
Open the Beside mobile app → Settings → Under Preferences: toggle Suggest Contact Names off.
Delete contacts from Beside
How you delete a contact depends on where it was originally created.
Contacts from your device's Contacts app
These contacts cannot be deleted from within Beside. Delete them directly from your iPhone or Android Contacts app - Beside will update automatically.
Contacts saved inside Beside
These contacts exist only in Beside and can be deleted from within the app:
Open the Beside mobile app
Tap the + icon (top right) to open your contact list
Tap the contact to open their conversation
Tap the contact's name at the top to open the contact card
Scroll down and tap Delete Contact
⚠️ Known limitations:
iPhone: If you don't have an existing text conversation with that contact (or it was deleted), you won't be able to open the contact card to delete it. This is due to how iOS handles contact permissions.
Android: Disabling contact permissions may temporarily hide all contacts in Beside, including Beside-only contacts. They are not deleted - they'll reappear once permissions are re-enabled.
Contacts missing or not syncing
If your contacts are missing or appear incomplete in Beside:
Open your device's Settings and navigate to the Beside app
Disable contact access, then re-enable it
Close and reopen Beside
This refreshes the sync between Beside and your address book and resolves most issues.
FAQ
I see "Maybe: [Name]" next to a contact - what does it mean?
I see "Maybe: [Name]" next to a contact - what does it mean?
The Maybe: [Name] label is a suggested contact name generated by Beside for callers whose number isn't saved in your contacts. During a call, Beside tries to identify the caller's name and shows it as a suggestion - so it's clear this is AI-generated and not yet confirmed. You can save the contact with the correct name from the call or conversation view. Once saved, your chosen name replaces the suggestion permanently. You can also disable this feature entirely via Settings → Preferences → Suggest Contact Names.
How can I see which of my contacts are already using Beside?
How can I see which of my contacts are already using Beside?
Open the Beside app, then tap the + icon in the top-right corner to open your contact list. Any contact with an active Beside account will appear with the label "Already on Beside." If you previously saw a notification about a contact joining Beside, that notification can't be retrieved later - the contact list is the best way to check at any time.
I granted contact permissions but some contacts are still missing. What should I do?
I granted contact permissions but some contacts are still missing. What should I do?
Try toggling contact access off and back on in your device settings for Beside, then close and reopen the app. This forces a fresh sync.
On iPhone, also check that you selected All Contacts (not Select Contacts) under Settings → Beside → Contacts. If the issue persists, reach out to our support team via the in-app chat.
I created a contact inside Beside but can't delete it. Why?
I created a contact inside Beside but can't delete it. Why?
On iPhone, you can only delete a Beside-only contact if you have an active text conversation with them.
If the conversation was deleted, the contact card won't be accessible. This is a known iOS limitation.
On Android, make sure contact permissions are enabled - disabling them temporarily hides Beside-only contacts without deleting them.