IOS Contacts app can’t add Birthdays to Google Contacts

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Level 1

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IOS Contacts app can’t add Birthdays to Google Contacts

If you have contacts saved using Google/Gmail instead of iCloud, you can’t add birthdays. The birthday is offered as an option, but when you add it, it will be removed from the list as soon as that contact updates.

If you send someone a message saying “Happy Birthday” your messages will get the suggestion to update the contacts birthday, but it will never actually update because of that bug, and will offer the option again every time you open the message.

if you create the contact as an iCloud contact, you can add birthdays without issue.

I’m not sure if google contacts have the field for birthdays and it just isn’t being added correctly, or if it’s similar to setting someone’s mobile phone listing as “iPhone” which just gets changed to “mobile” because google doesn’t have an “iPhone” phone type.

Posted on Sep 19, 2022 4:07 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BaronKrause Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 19, 2022 5:28 PM in response to askbarnabas

Thanks, I’ll do that!

I found the root cause of the issue, google can’t save birthdays without a year, iOS lets you. So once you save it, it doesn’t actually save. This includes iOS birthday suggestions from iMessage.

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Answer 2

askbarnabas

Level 10

103,539 points

Sep 19, 2022 4:38 PM in response to BaronKrause

If you decide you want that feature you can go through this process to get all your contacts into one place.

I created this User Tip to serve and the basic framework for managing and recovering Contacts - Contacts

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 and make sure that you are always using the latest software update available for every Apple device you are using.

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

Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account and turn on contacts (repeat for all accounts).
Go to settings>Apple ID (your name at the top>iCloud>iCloud backup - turn on and select "back up now."
Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts off - choose to keep on device. Do not turn it back on yet!
Go to settings>mail>accounts>tap any account except iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
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

Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap iCloud account - turn on contacts
Go to system preferences>internet accounts> are the contacts turned on for all accounts?
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.
Go to system preferences>internet accounts>tap any account that is not iCloud - turn off contacts (repeat for all accounts).
Stop there and go to iCloud.com

Step three

On iCloud.com

Sign in and select contacts - make sure they are correct.
If there are duplicate contacts select the contacts that are duplicate and then go to the gear icon (settings) in the lower left corner. Select delete. Repeat for every duplicate/old contact you no longer need. You can select multiple contacts by using the CTRL+Click method (if you are unfamiliar with that method do not attempt it). Once all the extra contacts are deleted go back to the gear icon (settings) and select refresh contacts.

Step four

On iPhone

Go back to settings>Apple ID>iCloud>turn contacts on and merge.
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

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Answer 3

BaronKrause Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 19, 2022 5:08 PM in response to askbarnabas

Thank you but I’m not trying to move my contacts to iCloud. I don’t even really care about adding birthdays if it turns out google doesn’t support it, just figured that if that was the case iOS should be aware of that and not offer to add fields to a contact that the service where it is saved doesn’t support. That or add a big warning to adding google as a contact backend that states that iOS doesn’t fully support it.

I don’t think the latter is the case which is why I wanted to bring this up to hopefully get it fixed, whether it’s fixing the way it adds birthdays to google contacts if they do support it, or simply removing that option from being added to a google saved contact if they don’t. Same for offering iPhone as a phone option when your editing a google contact.

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