I am trying to get my iphone contacts to sync with Goggle (and after that to use this to sync to my Nexus 7 tablet).
I've followed the instructions given to set up a webdav account on the iphone, ie Settings>Mail, Contacts, calendars>add account and so on. Yet the contacts are not syncing. As a test, I created a new Gmail account, added this to the iphone and opened Contacts on the iphone, which is supposed to start the sync process. Nothing - no iphone contacts appear at all, either in my original Google account or the new test one.
The only contacts I'm getting in my gmail account are the addresses culled by Gmail from my emails, and contain only names and email adresses. That is, I'm not getting any of the 'full' contact info that's in my iphone contacts app, which include snail mail addresses, phone numbers etc.
Any suggestions, please?
I'm sorry, I can't understand what you mean. What should I do next?
"however, in Contacts app on your iPhone, your Google account creates it's own group which will only show your contacts in your Google account ( www.google.com "
I can't follow this . In the contacts app on my iphone, my Google account creates it's own group?
My understanding is that, having set up a) a google account and b) a webdav account on my iphone, the two should sync with one another, right? But they're not doing so! Am I misunderstanding?
everybody appears to be over complicating things here. I have had the exact same problem and found the simple straight forward solution to get your iphone contacts across to your gmail account.
Make sure you have your gmail account set up on your iphone. Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calenders>Add Account>Google
Once set up, then click on your gmail account which will be listed, and make sure 'Contacts' is enabled.
Now Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calenders
For each of 'Mail, 'Contacts' and 'Calenders' there is a different section. Scroll down to the 'Contacts' section >Default Account> Select your Gmail account.
Important - each of the 3 sections has a 'Default Account' section - make sure you are in the Contacts section otherwise it will not work.
Now click 'Import SIM Contacts'
Now log into your gmail account - www.google.com/contacts
Within a few seconds your contacts will begin to appear in your gmail account.
What seems to be the case given my extensive testing is as follows:
1. Contacts from Google will get copied to iOSContacts.
2. Updates to those contacts made on iOS will get synced (i.e. replicated back) to Google Contacts
3. New contacts added on iOS WILL NOT get pushed/copied back into Google Contacts. You specifically have to create new contacts in Gmail in order to get them to "sync" with iOS.
I hope this helps anyone out there having this same issue.
Do I understand you correctly; are you saying that I need to export my iPhone contacts to a file, import them to Google, and from then on any changed and new contacts will sync both ways, automatically? So the process is - sync iphone>Outlook, export vcard from Outlook, import vcard to Google,- and then automatic sync works?
It looks as if I may have to go back to using Outlook for this (which I dislike!)
If that is the right way, why doesn't this page called 'iOS: Syncing with Google Contacts' at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4872 tell me anything about this process. In fact this Apple page just links to the Google page I quoted above. Misleading?
Clearly it doesn't work as I imagine! But I still don't understand what you mean. I'm not saying that I don't like Google's instructions,- what makes you say that? I'm saying that I think I've already followed them to the letter. How have I not? What else, exactly, do I need to do? Talk me through an example, please.
"You have added a data conduit between Google and your phone. But you have not put anything IN that conduit, save the data Google already has."
What I want to put into it is the contact data aleady on my phone (and in icloud). Google's instruction seems to say that to put something in the conduit, I just have to open Contacts on the iphone. Clearly that's not correct. So what do I do?
Here's what I'm refering to in Goolge's instructions:
"If you're using iOS 5 or iOS 6, follow these steps to set up contact syncing with Google Contacts:
After you have completed the setup, open the Contacts app on your device. Syncing should begin automatically."
The last sentence seems to me to mean that opening Contacts will "put someting in the conduit".
If Google account unable to sync your contacts you can try for different method
By following these steps you can easily transfer your contacts from iPhone to Android
Google Sync contacts is able to sync contacts from Google account to iPhone. if you want to try Sync iPhone to Google i think its not be supported yet.
What you did was correct however, Google support has noted:
Existing contacts should be imported into Google contacts. If your contacts are stored on an Apple device, you can transfer your contacts using vCard files . If your contacts are stored with another provider, first export your contacts and then import your contacts into Gmail .
See other info at Google support - https://support.google.com/mail/answer/2753077?hl=en.
"It *is* working, as you yourself noted. You added a data source to the phone, and that source is syncing between Google and the phone.
" You didn't do anything to move your contacts into that source ."
Such as what? I don't know what you mean by this;
Googles help on this says that opening the contact app on the iphone will initiate syncing. But it isn't. That is;
1. as a test, I added a dummy contact on the iphone. As I understand it, this should sync with my Google contacts. it didn't. Whart's more, the contacts listed in Goolge are only those that Google has culled from email trafffic. But I want to sync all my contact information, including snail mail addresses, phone numbers etc. That's not happening.
2. As a further test, I set up a new Google ID, added it to the iPhone 'mail,contacts, calendar' settings, and opened Contacts. Again, according to Google, this should start sysncing ttmy existing contacts on the iphone into the new (empty) Google account, no? Nothing's happening.
No.
You have added a data conduit between Google and your phone.
But you have not put anything IN that conduit, save the data Google already has.
Suffice it to say, it does not work the way you think it does. If you want your existing contacts to sync between Google and the phone, you must first populate the Google contacts. Just because you don't like the instructions Google provided is no reason not to follow them.
What contact information do you have in your Gmail account now? When you add a Gmail account to CardDAV, it syncs the contacts you have in your Gmail account to your phone. It does not take the contacts you have in your phone and sync them back to your Gmail account as I understand it. If you change the default contacts account on your phone to Gmail account, any contacts you add to the phone in the future will be added to the Gmail account.
Ok, if that's right, it explains the problem - the whole point is to be able to move the contacts on the iphone into Goolge (and from there into Android - and vice versa. Thats what the word sync means! Its a two way process. If it can't do that, it's not syncing, its copying.
However, I started this whole thing because I read online that it was possible to use Google as a two-way conduit between IOS and Android.
Yes, it is. I do it all the time. However, you can only sync your Google contacts both ways. As I explained, once you add your Google account to your phone, you can add contacts directly from your phone and they will sync to your Google account and to any connected devices.
What do you currently have your contacts synced to? You'll need to sync or export contacts from that account to your Google account.
Once all of your contacts are in your Google account, this will work as you want.
GrahamMW wrote: Do I understand you correctly; are you saying that I need to export my iPhone contacts to a file, import them to Google, and from then on any changed and new contacts will sync both ways, automatically?
GrahamMW wrote:
Do I understand you correctly; are you saying that I need to export my iPhone contacts to a file, import them to Google, and from then on any changed and new contacts will sync both ways, automatically?
Yes, your Google contacts will sync from your phone to Google to your Android and back again. I've been doing this for years.
Sorry, can't help you with how to transfer the contacts from Outlook to Google. In addition to having a Mac (and not using the Contacts app), I've been using Google to store my contacts for so long I don't recall how I got them there.
I agree the KB article could be more clearly written. It is explaining how to sync your Google contacts to and fromthe Contacts app on the iPhone. It is not explaining how to sync iCloud contacts to Google or contacts not associated with any account (just on the phone) to Google).
