Patent ID: 8726171

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: selecting a first set of multiple contacts using data associated with a computing device; providing a communication initiation control for each of multiple communication modes; determining that at least one of the contacts in the first set of multiple contacts is available to communicate through a first communication mode of the multiple communication modes; enabling the communication initiation control for the first communication mode in response to determining that at least one of the contacts in the first set of multiple contacts is available to communicate through the first communication mode; after enabling the communication initiation control for the first communication mode, selecting a second set of multiple contacts; and before a user selects any of the second set of multiple contacts: determining that none of the contacts in the second set of multiple contacts are available to communicate through the first communication mode; and in response to determining that none of the contacts in the second set of multiple contacts are available to communicate through the first communication mode, disabling the communication initiation control for the first communication mode.