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How To Sync Google Contacts and iPhone

rvjimzhr

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When I switched from DroidX Verizon put my contacts on new iPhone 4s. Now I want to periodically sync to get changes which have been entered both in Gmail and on my iPhone 4s. When I want to sync I plug my phone into my computer, bring up iTunes and go thru the sync process by selecting the phone in iTunes and Google contacts on iTunes. THe sync appears to occur however changes made in Gmail do not appear on my phone. Nor do changes made on the phone appear in Gmail contacts on my computer. I am also on iCloud. I thought iCloud sync would occur automatically and periodically without having to plug my phone into my computer. Obviously I am missing something here. Can someone please tell me what it is that I am missing? Thanks!
 
If you want to keep the google contacts, turn off iCloud contacts and set your gmail account up as an exchange account. There is a very easy to follow guide from google on how to this, I believe the search terms iPhone and google contacts pulls it up. Turn the contacts on with the exchange account and you'll never have to connect to iTunes to sync contacts again. Any changes you make on the phone or online with gmail will automatically sync between the two.


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I guess I should have mentioned: My Gmail and Gmail calendar were already set up to sync and worked just fine. All I was interested in was Google Contacts. So I went thru the "Exchange Account" exercise. I now have an Exchange account which shows the Gmail there in addition to where it was already. Worse, I now have DOUBLE contacts on my phone! And the phone and computer contacts have not synced. Now I have a project on my hands so a couple more questions: 1) Can I delete ALL contacts on my phone with one action or do they have to be deleted individually? 2) Once I delete all phone contacts, specifically what is the easiest way to now go ONLY to Google Contacts and sync everything on my computer onto my phone? Thanks again!
 
rvjimzhr said:
I guess I should have mentioned: My Gmail and Gmail calendar were already set up to sync and worked just fine. All I was interested in was Google Contacts. So I went thru the "Exchange Account" exercise. I now have an Exchange account which shows the Gmail there in addition to where it was already. Worse, I now have DOUBLE contacts on my phone! And the phone and computer contacts have not synced. Now I have a project on my hands so a couple more questions: 1) Can I delete ALL contacts on my phone with one action or do they have to be deleted individually? 2) Once I delete all phone contacts, specifically what is the easiest way to now go ONLY to Google Contacts and sync everything on my computer onto my phone? Thanks again!

There is only "one" thing you need to do.


Make sure that you only have "one" account with Contacts toggled on....in your case would be google.


Check all your email accounts, including iCloud.....and make sure that nothing has Contacts toggled on except google.


You most likely have duplicate contacts because iCloud has Contacts toggled on as well tho.
 
Also delete the other gmail account and only use the exchange one. With the exchange your mail and calendars will sync as well, just turn them on.

Also I found that without using the exchange account I wasn't able to edit calendar entries but with it I can. A little more work up front but I've found it to be a but more powerful.


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Interestingly, my iCloud, Hotmail and Exchange accounts have "Contacts" options. My Gmail account does not offer "Contacts" so I cannot toggle Gmail either on or off. Please tell me how sync is occurring without iTunes. Is it thru iCloud? If I just toggle everything OFF in iCloud settings and the Gmail account and then leave Mail, Contacts and Calendars ON in the Exchange and Hotmail accounts will that give me what I want? I am real close to just doing a factory reset on this iPhone and starting all over. Otherwise I expect that I have to delete each dupe contact individually. Thanks!
 
On all accounts turn the contacts off. It should ask if you want to delete the contacts or keep them on the phone. Delete them. Once they are all off, manually delete the ones that are left. Go back in and turn the contacts on ONLY in the gmail exchange account. Leave the contacts OFF in everything else.
Your contacts are syncing from the gmail server to the iPhone similar to how they sync from iCloud, no need to plug the phone into iTunes.


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Okay. I turned off EVERYTHING in the iCloud and Gmail accounts, selected DELETE each time prompted; I toggled mail ON in Hotmail; toggled Mail, Contacts and Calendars ON in Exchange. Now I should automatically sync when I open both Hotmail (mail only) and Exchange (Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendar). COrrect?
 
BINGO! Now I have it all. What a chore but worth the effort! Thanks to you both for taking the time to help out!
 
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