How to get the ID of the contact on Windows Phone contact list?

Question

I want to get ID of Contact List Application... Currently I am using class named PhoneNumberChooserTask like Chooser Class but I get only Number, Name, FullName. etc.. but how to get ID of that contact?

Id property actually exists but it's internal and there are no way to get it's value through the reflection (you'll get PropertyAccessException). — EgorBo, Mar 21 '12 at 11:06

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 24 '12 at 11:57

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Yes It is possible,

Contact c = new Contact();
var Id = c.GetHashCode(); //gives the Id property value.

answered Sep 24 '12 at 11:57

Isaiyavan Babu Karan

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No - GetHashCode() is not guaranteed to return the same value between each execution (or between .NET framework versions!) - Do not use it to uniquely identify a contact as it isn't guaranteed to work! – Steve Woods Nov 26 '12 at 21:53
Also, the Hashcode changes if you change any properties on the contact - if you are using it as a UID, every record in your database that references a specific contact by this UID will be wrong when it changes, and the data will be orphaned. – Steve Woods Dec 03 '12 at 11:18
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Hi Steve, I am not sure on what basis you are saying this. but if you deobfuscate the Contact class you can see that the method GetHashCode will return ContactId. you can be right in a sense only when the windows pohne regenerates its phone database due to someting the user does with google contact/ windows live contact. – Isaiyavan Babu Karan Jan 29 '13 at 06:08

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 13 '11 at 12:05

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You have nothing to use the ID for, so it's simply not available to you as a developer. (That means it's not possible.)

answered Oct 13 '11 at 12:05

Claus Jørgensen

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It is so sad and I can't understand why is the Id property internal and not the public. – EgorBo Mar 21 '12 at 11:00
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What do you mean I have nothing to do with the ID?! I need it to associate the person with another entity. – Andrei Rînea Jul 13 '13 at 22:15

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

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According to this answer GetHashCode returns the private property ID of the contact. I have confirmed that in 3 devices (Lumia 620, Lumia 1320, Lumia 925) running Windows Phone 8.1 and it seems to work. I changed contacts details but the ID remained the same.

Uniquely identifying contacts in a Windows Phone Address Book

edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

Community

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answered Dec 04 '14 at 11:20

Byron Gavras

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 29 '14 at 18:18

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For Windows Phone 8.1 RT you can just use the contact Id property. GetHashCode() is no longer needed.

answered Dec 29 '14 at 18:18

timtos

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How to get the ID of the contact on Windows Phone contact list?

4 Answers4