Unable to sync/backup my iPhone contacts to iCloud

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Unable to sync/backup my iPhone contacts to iCloud

I am trying to backup or sync my iPhone contact to iCloud so that I can download the contacts to my second iPhone which I just purchased. In my iPhone Settings I set contacts to "on" but don't get a message asking about "merge". Even if I turn the settings to off and on again still no message. In my desktop browser I go to icloud.com but I don't see any contacts being exported. I read in an earlier response to this problem that backup is different that sync and that backups are invisible. However, when I connect my new iPhone to my desktop I am not given the option to "restore" the contacts to the new iPhone (from icloud.com) which makes me think that the backup didn't work either. So, there are two questions: 1) How do I backup or sync from my iPhone to iCloud? 2) How do I export my iPhone contacts to my new iPhone?

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on May 8, 2022 3:38 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

sberman

Level 10

268,203 points

May 13, 2022 1:21 PM in response to tinku_111

Start here. There’s plenty to read, but the idea is to migrate your contacts from gmail to iCloud, destroy them on gmail, use them only on iCloud, and have all your devices use iCloud as the account housing your contacts. Once you do that, contacts will (as is currently true) not be on any backup, but will appear immediately refreshed on all your Apple devices (and in iCloud.com on the web).

Use Contacts on iCloud.com - Apple Support

Perhaps there’s a vCard method to create those contacts in gmail and import to iCloud.

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Answer 2

sberman

Level 10

268,203 points

May 8, 2022 3:50 PM in response to tinku_111

The important thing is where the contacts are housed. They are not stored in a backup, nor are they synched.

Try this on your original iPhone that still has all your contacts.

Set up and use iCloud Contacts - Apple Support

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Answer 3

sberman

Level 10

268,203 points

May 10, 2022 12:05 AM in response to tinku_111

Check Settings > Contacts > Accounts > gmail and see whether “Contacts” is “on” there. It sounds extremely likely it is on, and that’s where your contacts are housed.

If so, you may replicate that setup on your new device if you wish.

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Answer 4

sberman

Level 10

268,203 points

May 9, 2022 2:36 PM in response to tinku_111

Check Settings > Contacts > Accounts on the original iPhone to learn where you’ve been housing your contacts.

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Answer 5

tinku_111 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 9, 2022 10:41 AM in response to sberman

Sorry, but it didn't address the problem. In my iCloud Settings on my original iPhone I set contacts to "on" but don't get a message asking about "merge". Even if I turn the settings to off and on again still no message. In my desktop browser I go to icloud.com but I don't see any contacts being exported. Maybe no contacts were exported because I never received the message asking for 'merge' or cancel - don't know why i never receive this message when i choose to turn on contacts.

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Answer 6

tinku_111 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 9, 2022 8:23 PM in response to sberman

Thanks for your response. In Settings > Contacts > Accounts it lists iCloud and my gmail accounts. From iCloud > Apple ID I can access my iCloud and see that my Contacts button is on. But still the problem is that my Contacts are not being saved into iCloud.

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Answer 7

tinku_111 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 13, 2022 9:06 AM in response to sberman

Yes, indeed, I found all my contacts in gmail! Thanks a lot for your help!!

I guess I still have one question: how do I get to sync/backup my contacts to iCloud? Do I have to turn off the contacts in gmail?

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