galaxy7
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Q: Duplicate Contact Mess after iCloud Merge !!

So I had been using my phone (backed up to iCloud) as the main source for contacts.  I just logged onto my iCloud with my iMac for the first time to start using and I sync'd everything.  Well, long story short, it made a total f***ing mess out of my contacts book.  Duplicated almost everything, created two folders of the same name and even the contacts within those two same-named folders are different...I don't know what the heck is going on!!! 

 

How do I fix??  Is there a way to revert my phone back to pre-screw up?  How do you delete an entire list or multiple contacts other than going through the contacts one at a time and open > edit > delete??  That will suck.

 

Thanks everyone for any help..

Posted on Dec 9, 2015 6:18 PM

by Ferd II,Apple recommended
Ferd II Ferd II
Level 7 (28,219 points)
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A:

Galaxy7,

 

If you see duplicate contacts after setting up iCloud Contacts - Apple Support, and Contacts (El Capitan): Remove duplicates, should be helpful.

 

If not, try Apple - Support - Search.

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Posted on Dec 9, 2015 6:38 PM

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galaxy7

Q: Duplicate Contact Mess after iCloud Merge !!

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  • by Ferd II,Apple recommended

    Ferd II Ferd II Dec 9, 2015 6:38 PM in response to galaxy7
    Level 7 (28,219 points)
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    Dec 9, 2015 6:38 PM in response to galaxy7

    Galaxy7,

     

    If you see duplicate contacts after setting up iCloud Contacts - Apple Support, and Contacts (El Capitan): Remove duplicates, should be helpful.

     

    If not, try Apple - Support - Search.

    SmallWings.png

  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 9, 2015 7:53 PM in response to Ferd II
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    Dec 9, 2015 7:53 PM in response to Ferd II

    ...and I also just discovered not only did it do this, but it even merged specific individual contact cards with differences!!  What a mess.  Thanks for the tip.

  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 9, 2015 8:25 PM in response to galaxy7
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    Dec 9, 2015 8:25 PM in response to galaxy7

    OK, so the merged contacts is not the end of the world. I got rid of the duplicates and pretty cleaned up on the iMac Contacts.  However, this clean up does not seem to be making its way back to the phone and other devices logged into my iCloud account.  Shouldn't these changes made on the iMac (or any device for that matter) get sync'd up on all the devices?

  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 9, 2015 8:43 PM in response to galaxy7
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    Dec 9, 2015 8:43 PM in response to galaxy7

    (FYI...I turned off contacts on my phone and turned them back on.  It pushed everything back to the Cloud and thus back to the iMac...GGGGRRRRR!!!)  So it appears, the phone is the source document and changes made on the iMac don't push back??  *** is going on here??  Now I'm back to square one!

  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 9, 2015 8:49 PM in response to galaxy7
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    Dec 9, 2015 8:49 PM in response to galaxy7

    While on the phone, if I go Settings > iCloud > , I can turn Contacts off and I get a pop-up asking to delete or keep contacts on my iPhone.  Should I try turning Contacts off and deleting from my phone?  My contact book on the iMac is currently in descent shape with no duplicates.  If I turn this off and delete from phone, will it push the correct list from the iMac (and I assume this is what will be on iCloud) to the phone/devices?

     

    Sorry for all the questions, but this is annoying.

  • by Ferd II,Apple recommended

    Ferd II Ferd II Dec 10, 2015 7:05 AM in response to galaxy7
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    Dec 10, 2015 7:05 AM in response to galaxy7

    Galaxy7,

     

    Since your iMac has a duplicate free set of contacts, make sure that you create a backup. Contacts>File>Export>Contacts Archive...

     

    Also check iCloud.com. If you have a duplicate free set of contacts there also save that data by following the procedure listed: in Archive or make copies of your iCloud data - Apple Support

    galaxy7 wrote:

     

    While on the phone, if I go Settings > iCloud > , I can turn Contacts off and I get a pop-up asking to delete or keep contacts on my iPhone.  Should I try turning Contacts off and deleting from my phone?  My contact book on the iMac is currently in descent shape with no duplicates.  If I turn this off and delete from phone, will it push the correct list from the iMac (and I assume this is what will be on iCloud) to the phone/devices?

    After ensuring that you have backed up your duplicate free data, you can deselect iCloud Contacts on the iPhone and choose the delete option. Confirm that your iPhone Contacts have been deleted, and after waiting a few minutes reenable iCloud Contacts.

     

    In Case of failure, here is another link for restoring iCloud Contacts: iCloud: Restore your contacts or your calendars and reminders

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  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 10, 2015 9:01 AM in response to Ferd II
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    Dec 10, 2015 9:01 AM in response to Ferd II

    Thanks Ferd! Just wanted to check before I tried that. One question in relation though...if the cloud will save those most recent corrections from my Mac and push them out to the device, (in this case the phone), then why wouldn't it just do that last night when I cleaned it up and made those edits?

     

    or was it doing that and just saving/displaying both files?

     

    FWIW, I logged my Mac off the cloud when I got done playing last night, and when I did, the contacts were duplicat free all of a sudden. many many other errors (still a big fat mess) but the duplicates immediately disappeared. I'll try deleting from phone for sure as the co on my Mac is now the good one. 

  • by Ferd II,

    Ferd II Ferd II Dec 10, 2015 10:37 AM in response to galaxy7
    Level 7 (28,219 points)
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    Dec 10, 2015 10:37 AM in response to galaxy7

    Galaxy7,

    galaxy7 wrote:

     

    Thanks Ferd! Just wanted to check before I tried that. One question in relation though...if the cloud will save those most recent corrections from my Mac and push them out to the device, (in this case the phone), then why wouldn't it just do that last night when I cleaned it up and made those edits?

     

    or was it doing that and just saving/displaying both files?

    The iMac Contacts application, and the iPhone Contacts App can have multiple "Groups." In order for a full and complete sync, these "Groups" must be the same on all devices which sync with iCloud. Here are the first 2 groups on my iMac:

    Screen Shot 2015-12-10.png

     

    Note that they are all listed under "iCloud." I do not have any in the "On My Mac" category. I have a total of 8 groups listed under iCloud.

     

    All of these Groups also exist and are matched on my iPhone and iCloud.com. All are checked on all devices.

  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 10, 2015 1:30 PM in response to Ferd II
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    Dec 10, 2015 1:30 PM in response to Ferd II


    All those methods worked great...thanks again. Only thing I can't figure out is when saving the vCard from icloud.com login, I see the "export vcard" function just fine, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything.  It never prompts me for somewhere to save the file and I can't find if/where it did automatically either.

  • by Ferd II,

    Ferd II Ferd II Dec 10, 2015 3:18 PM in response to galaxy7
    Level 7 (28,219 points)
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    Dec 10, 2015 3:18 PM in response to galaxy7

    Galaxy7,

     

    The vCaard should go to your downloads folder. I can confirm thats where it downloads with my system, but as indicated in Re: Export contact information as a vCard it does not seem to work for everyone.

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  • by galaxy7,

    galaxy7 galaxy7 Dec 11, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Ferd II
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    Dec 11, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Ferd II

    Ferd...thanks a million...got it all fixed.

  • by Ferd II,

    Ferd II Ferd II Dec 11, 2015 8:21 PM in response to galaxy7
    Level 7 (28,219 points)
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    Dec 11, 2015 8:21 PM in response to galaxy7

    You are welcome...glad to help.