You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: Spike Allibone
Spike Allibone Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Contacts not synching across devices - help!

Hi. I’m an iCloud user for many years and have many Apple devices signed in to my iCloud.

I also have…. Or had…. Around 5000 contacts which was driving me nuts since it was dragging my contacts app down on MacOS

I decided to do a manual purge since there are no suitable 3rd party apps out there that can actually sort the contacts I use from the ones I don’t. (I find this an amazing oversight btw)

To do this properly I used MacOS Contacts and pretty much deleted all my contacts - I think I left around four. Before doing this I backed up the whole db… and I also archived a VCF export for each letter of the alphabet so I could restore my contacts gradually sifting as I go. A big operation!


once I’d finished doing this, I turned Wi-Fi back on - on my iMac and waited to see the results show up on my iPhone and other devices… but my old contacts are still there!


why is this!?


interstingly, some of my WhatsApp chat names have reverted to showing as mobile numbers… suggesting that the contacts have been deleted… so something has happened… but the contacts in question can still be accessed on my iPhone in my contacts app… g to hey should be completely wiped.


I’ve disconnected and reconnected my iCloud account on my phone in the hope it would jog it.


Running out of ideas guys…. Anyone got any tips at this point?


All the best!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Aug 26, 2022 1:02 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: askbarnabas
askbarnabas
User level: Level 10
103,943 points

Posted on Aug 26, 2022 8:21 PM

Contacts can sometimes become scattered or multiplied when syncing or when changing devices. To ensure that contacts are always correct, follow these few simple steps. These steps include a Mac but do not include the steps for a PC. These steps include the use of iCloud and do not require purchasing additional storage. Make sure you back up your devices regularly so you have a back up to restore from if needed.


If you are missing contacts because you recently deleted an email account, add it back until you perform these steps. If you are using iCloud you can also try going to iCloud.com>sign in>account settings>advanced>restore contacts>select from the list of "archive of contacts."


Step one


(Skip to step two if you do not own an iPhone/iPad)


On iPhone/iPad


  1. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account and turn on contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  2. Go to settings>Apple ID (your name at the top>iCloud>iCloud backup - turn on and select "back up now."
  3. Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts off - choose to keep on device. Do not turn it back on yet!
  4. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account except iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  5. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap iCloud - turn on contacts. Stop here on the iPhone until you perform the Mac steps.


Step two


(Skip to step three if you do not own a Mac)


On Mac


  1. Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap iCloud account - turn on contacts
  2. Go to system preferences>internet accounts> are the contacts turned on for all accounts?
  3. Go to system preferences>iCloud>contacts - uncheck that, and then check it again and it will ask to merge. This should force it to merge all the contacts you have for the Mac.
  4. Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap any account that is not iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  5. Stop there and go to iCloud.com


Step three


On iCloud.com


  1. Sign in and select contacts - make sure they are correct.


Step four


On iPhone


  1. Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts on and merge.
  2. Go to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>iCloud backup - turn on


Useful Links


View contacts on iCloud.com - Apple Support

Manage and delete contacts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Contacts User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Set up and use iCloud Contacts - Apple Support

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync - Apple Support

Import contacts from your SIM card to your iPhone - Apple Support

If you see duplicate contacts after setting up iCloud Contacts - Apple Support

View in context

Similar questions

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: askbarnabas
askbarnabas
User level: Level 10
103,943 points

Aug 26, 2022 8:21 PM in response to Spike Allibone

Contacts can sometimes become scattered or multiplied when syncing or when changing devices. To ensure that contacts are always correct, follow these few simple steps. These steps include a Mac but do not include the steps for a PC. These steps include the use of iCloud and do not require purchasing additional storage. Make sure you back up your devices regularly so you have a back up to restore from if needed.


If you are missing contacts because you recently deleted an email account, add it back until you perform these steps. If you are using iCloud you can also try going to iCloud.com>sign in>account settings>advanced>restore contacts>select from the list of "archive of contacts."


Step one


(Skip to step two if you do not own an iPhone/iPad)


On iPhone/iPad


  1. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account and turn on contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  2. Go to settings>Apple ID (your name at the top>iCloud>iCloud backup - turn on and select "back up now."
  3. Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts off - choose to keep on device. Do not turn it back on yet!
  4. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account except iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  5. Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap iCloud - turn on contacts. Stop here on the iPhone until you perform the Mac steps.


Step two


(Skip to step three if you do not own a Mac)


On Mac


  1. Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap iCloud account - turn on contacts
  2. Go to system preferences>internet accounts> are the contacts turned on for all accounts?
  3. Go to system preferences>iCloud>contacts - uncheck that, and then check it again and it will ask to merge. This should force it to merge all the contacts you have for the Mac.
  4. Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap any account that is not iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
  5. Stop there and go to iCloud.com


Step three


On iCloud.com


  1. Sign in and select contacts - make sure they are correct.


Step four


On iPhone


  1. Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts on and merge.
  2. Go to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>iCloud backup - turn on


Useful Links


View contacts on iCloud.com - Apple Support

Manage and delete contacts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Contacts User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Set up and use iCloud Contacts - Apple Support

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync - Apple Support

Import contacts from your SIM card to your iPhone - Apple Support

If you see duplicate contacts after setting up iCloud Contacts - Apple Support

Reply
User profile for user: nathan430
nathan430
User level: Community Specialist

Aug 26, 2022 7:10 PM in response to Spike Allibone

Hello, Spike Allibone!


Thanks for using Apple Support Communities, it's great to have you here.


This is definitely unexpected but we can help you manage your contacts and get everything synced up the way we'd expect. We have some good troubleshooting steps that you can work through to start. To that end, we recommend checking out the article below and seeing if those steps resolve the issue:


If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync - Apple Support


We hope this does the trick for you!


Cheers.


Reply
User profile for user: Spike Allibone
Spike Allibone Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Aug 28, 2022 6:34 AM in response to askbarnabas

I mucked around with all this for a while... and it worked! - Thanks so much... rebuilding them now one contact at a time... s'gonna take all night!

Apple really do need to have a way to view contacts by date contacted / modified.... and an easy archive option.... there's SO much missing with iCloud operating as CRM or any kind of databasing facilities that you would normally have.


Reply

Contacts not synching across devices - help!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up