diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/NewMessageActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/NewMessageActivity.kt
index 00758fce..d6c4207e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/NewMessageActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/NewMessageActivity.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class NewMessageActivity : SimpleActivity() {
                 }
             }
 
+            filteredContacts.sortWith(compareBy { !it.name.startsWith(searchString, true) })
             setupAdapter(filteredContacts)
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/adapters/AutoCompleteTextViewAdapter.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/adapters/AutoCompleteTextViewAdapter.kt
index 5da58854..33ac74fa 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/adapters/AutoCompleteTextViewAdapter.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/adapters/AutoCompleteTextViewAdapter.kt
@@ -54,10 +54,7 @@ class AutoCompleteTextViewAdapter(val activity: SimpleActivity, val contacts: Ar
                     }
                 }
 
-                resultList.sortWith(compareBy<Contact>
-                { it.name.startsWith(searchString, true) }.thenBy
-                { it.name.contains(searchString, true) })
-                resultList.reverse()
+                resultList.sortWith(compareBy { !it.name.startsWith(searchString, true) })
 
                 filterResults.values = resultList
                 filterResults.count = resultList.size