Sort Contacts by Last Name on Galaxy J5

This guide shows you how to arrange your Galaxy J5 contacts so they are listed alphabetically by last name. By default, the phone often sorts by first name, which can make finding a specific person harder if you remember them by their surname. You’ll adjust a simple setting in the Contacts app—no extra apps or computer needed.

What You’ll Need

• A Samsung Galaxy J5 (any variant, running Android 5.1 through 7.0)
• Your contacts already saved on the phone, SIM card, or linked Google/ Samsung account
• About 2 minutes of time

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Contacts app. Find the icon labeled Contacts—it looks like a person silhouette or a book. On most Galaxy J5 home screens, it’s in the bottom row of the app drawer. If you don’t see it, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app drawer and look there.
2. Tap the three-line menu icon. In the top-left corner of the Contacts screen, you’ll see three horizontal lines (hamburger menu). Tap it to open a drop-down panel.
3. Select “Settings.” Scroll down in the menu that appears and tap Settings. This is usually near the bottom, above “Manage contacts” or “Accounts.”
4. Find “Sort by.” In the Settings screen, look for a section labeled Sort by or Sorting order. It may be under “Contact settings” or “List of contacts.” Tap it.
5. Choose “Last name.” A small pop-up will appear with two options: “First name” and “Last name.” Select Last name by tapping it. The list will immediately reorder.
6. Optional: Adjust “Name format.” Just below “Sort by,” you may see “Name format.” If you want the contact names to display as “Last name, First name” (e.g., “Smith, John”), tap it and choose Last name first. This is not required for sorting, but it makes the order more obvious.
7. Check your list. Go back to the main Contacts screen. Scroll through—the names should now be alphabetized by last name. If you don’t see a change, close the app and reopen it.

Common Mistakes

• Sorting the wrong list. If you have multiple contact accounts (e.g., Google and Samsung), the setting applies to all, but you may need to switch to the “All contacts” view to see the effect. Tap the menu icon and select “All contacts” if you’re only seeing one account’s list.
• Changing the wrong setting. The “Name format” option only changes how names are displayed, not the sorting order. Make sure you tap “Sort by,” not “Name format.”
• Not saving the change. On some Galaxy J5 models, the selection is applied immediately, but if you press the back button too quickly, it might revert. After selecting “Last name,” wait a second and then navigate back using the back arrow at the top of the screen.

Tips

• Use the search bar. Even after sorting, you can quickly find a contact by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the top of the Contacts screen and typing the last name.
• Keep your contacts clean. Sorting works best when last names are in their own field. If you have contacts where the full name is in the “First name” field (e.g., “John Smith” as first name), the sort will use that whole string. Edit those contacts to separate first and last names.
• Sync before sorting. If you use Google Contacts, the sort setting is saved on your phone, but syncing after changing it ensures your other devices (like a tablet) also reflect the same order if they have the same setting.
• Restart if needed. A simple restart of the Contacts app (swipe it away from recent apps) can refresh the list if it doesn’t update immediately.

Troubleshooting

My contacts are still sorted by first name.

Double-check that you tapped “Last name” in the “Sort by” menu. If you’re sure you did, try toggling it back to “First name,” then back to “Last name.” If that doesn’t work, restart your phone. On rare occasions, a glitch in the Contacts app can prevent the setting from applying.

The setting is not available.

If you don’t see “Sort by” in Settings, your Galaxy J5 may be running an older Android version. Try this alternative: open the Contacts app, tap the menu icon (three lines), then tap “Settings.” If there’s no “Sort by,” look for “List of contacts” or “Contacts to display.” Sometimes the sort option is hidden under “More settings.” If you still can’t find it, update your phone’s software via Settings > About phone > Software update.

Names are still not alphabetical.

This can happen if some contacts have special characters, spaces, or are saved with titles (e.g., “Dr. Smith”). The phone sorts based on the exact characters in the name field. Edit those contacts to remove any prefixes or ensure the last name is in the correct field.

The change doesn’t stick after restart.

If the sort order resets to first name after a reboot, the Contacts app’s data may be corrupted. Try clearing the app’s cache: go to Settings > Apps > Contacts > Storage > Clear Cache. This won’t delete your contacts, just temporary files. If that fails, back up your contacts and then clear data (Settings > Apps > Contacts > Storage > Clear Data), then re-sync your accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this also sort my SIM contacts?

Yes, the sort setting applies to all contacts displayed in the Contacts app, including those saved on your SIM card. However, SIM contacts often have limited name fields, so they may sort by the full name string if no separate last name is stored.

Does this change affect my Google Contacts online?

No. The sort order is a display setting on your phone only. It does not change how contacts are stored in your Google account or on other devices.

Can I sort by last name only for one account?

No, the setting is global for all contacts in the app. You cannot apply different sort orders to different accounts (e.g., Google vs. Samsung) on the same phone.

Why do some names have a “last name first” format but others don’t?

That depends on how the contact was entered. If you have “Name format” set to “Last name first,” the display will show “Smith, John” for contacts with both fields filled. For contacts where only the first name is filled, it will show just that name.

What if I want to sort by first name again?

Simply follow the same steps and select “First name” instead of “Last name.” The change is reversible at any time.

Will this work on other Samsung phones?

Yes, the steps are very similar on most Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 5.0 and later. The exact menu labels may vary slightly, but the “Sort by” option is present in the Contacts settings on all current models.

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