iOS 10 Adds Recent Label Next To iPhone Contact Number

iOS 10 Recent call history label.

iOS 10 Recent call history label.

A minor add-on that’s available starting with iOS 10 is the Recent label. It pops up above a number in the Call History app. It could pass as unnoticed for many iPhone users, but the feature is really helpful with those contacts that use multiple phone numbers on file.
No, the tag isn’t created to flag a recently added contact, but to highlight which number a friend used to contact you most recently!

For example, if you have both home, work, mobile and any other phone number of a friend, you can use the Recent label to know which number your contact used lately, when attempting to call you. This helps you to pick the proper number when calling him / her back or sending a text message.
Naturally, you’ll use the number tagged as Recent in order to make sure that you reach your contact on the device that her or she currently uses.
These labels are automatically added by iOS to your contacts, whenever you receive a call from a specific contact. Tags are created no matter if you pickup the call or decline it.

ios contact with multiple phone numbers

iPhone “Recent” Label Facts

– the tag is added to a contact no matter if you have saved a single phone number or multiple ones on file. That’s because you can also confuse a phone number with FaceTime email ID.
– the Recent label is created and displayed next to a contact’s number both if you receive, or dial a call from or to the specific friend.
– the new label is active as long as the entry remains in your Recents Call History

‘Recent’ Label Display Duration

The iOS Call History saves the last 1000 dialed or missed calls but only displays the last 100. This means that the iPhone can list up to a week of call history for the average user, but could go as short as 24 hours in case of hyperactive callers.
If you’re wondering when the ‘Recent’ label expires and stops showing up, it depends on how much you use your iPhone. If you average 10 dialed or missed calls per day, the ‘Recent’ label will show up for 10 days.

How To Delete The ‘Recent’ Label

If the ‘Recent’ label can cause problems and you don’t want to wait until it expires and disappears you can delete the phone call in question from your iPhone Call History.
1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the Recents tab, available in the bottom menu.
3. Tap Edit, in the top-right corner of the screen.
4. Hit the red ‘-‘ icon next to the entry’s name.

Do you find the ‘Recent’ label of the Contact app useful? Let us know in the comments section available below.

Related: Do you know that you can list iPhone contacts based on creation date?