contacts app keeps refreshing before save

Un-Check the Contacts from Syncing to Google Service and Test.

I think you will find how Google plays niece ( not niece ) on macOS is the real source of this issue not the other way around.

Apple Controls and Supports Apple Produces and Services.

Apple Does Not Control and Support Third Party Services

It is up to the Developers of the Third Party Application or Service to make their produces / service work on the Platform on which it is used.

fabianfromverona wrote:

thank you for your reply. all i see here are links to google support. while i may be using google as my source / storage of contacts, my issue is with the mac os contacts app. so how does this help me? using 3rd party apps, or google's own native web UI for contacts works just fine.

Maybe this statement was a red herring...

"it's almost as if the app is periodically syncing itself w/ gmail "

 —SafeBoot How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support will sort many anomalies. Log in and test. Reboot as normal and test.

ref: Contacts User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

if no insight or resolve:

—Uninstall all third party apps that are Cleaners/Optimizers/VPN/Anti-Virus

all known to cause issues on the macOS

—Reinstall macOS for a refreshed copy of the Contacts..app — How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

—Call Customer Support  (800) MY–APPLE (800–692–7753)

—or on line  Apple Support

fabianfromverona wrote:

actually, how does one do that? there is only the option to enable / disable CardDAV accounts, which would completely remove google from the list of available contacts if disabled. kind of defeats the purpose no?

Q - " kind of defeats the purpose no "

A - Actually the opposite if you what to Test without the Application Syncing to Google Services

A - What would happen if you removed the service " CardDAV accounts " and added iCloud ?

Yes, please do when time allows 👍

One of several found, the common thread is Google Services

Unable to enter contacts in Big Sur - Apple Community

fabianfromverona wrote:

let me start by stating i HATE the apple contacts app.

i use gmail as my primary source of contacts. whenever i try adding a new contact, constantly the app's screen will refresh while i'm still adding details to my new contact before i've saved it. this causes all changes to be lost. and i start over. wash rinse repeat. this seems to happen both with me sitting with the contacts app in the foreground and also when I cmd+tab between app windows, and back to contacts again.

it's almost as if the app is periodically syncing itself w/ gmail (which one expects) and when this happens during a new contact creation, it wipes out the current task.

please stop this so i don't need to use 3rd party contact apps. thanks.

side note; what 3rd party apps does everyone recommend?

Gmail Help - Google Support

I get a Contacts error - Contacts Help - Google Help

Problem with gmail contacts - Google Support