Need help: 2 iPhones, 2 different sets of contacts, one iTunes Library

Question

Need help: 2 iPhones, 2 different sets of contacts, one iTunes Library

I have 2 iPhones. One for me, one for my wife.

My wife's phone is set up with my iTunes account. But her contacts are not synched. My iPhone contacts are synched with my OS X v10.6 iMac.

That works OK for now. I can sync my iPhone contacts with my MobileMe account, and her contacts don't mess with mine.

But...... iOS 4.2 is out today, and I'd like to upgrade her iPhone.

The problem is: Once her iPhone is upgraded, it will wipe her contacts out, and replace them with MINE.

I'd like to avoid this, and upgrade her phone to iOS 4.2 without losing her contacts. Any ideas?

iNtel iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.4), PPC Is useless. OH THE HUMANITY.....

Posted on Nov 22, 2010 6:28 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 22, 2010 6:35 AM in response to Lucas Clemente

Contacts on the iPhone should not be touched when installing a firmware update but regardless, iTunes creates and maintains a separate backup for each iPhone which is updated by iTunes as the first step during the iTunes sync process and is updated for the iPhone as the first step when installing a firmware update. Contacts on the iPhone are included with the iPhone's backup. If sync contacts is not selected under the Info tab for the iPhone sync preferences with iTunes before installing the firmware update, sync contacts will not be selected during or after the firmware update is installed.

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Answer 2

Nov 22, 2010 6:50 AM in response to Allan Sampson

Hey allan!

That has not been my experience in the past. When I upgrade my wife's iPhone to 4.x from 3.x, she lost ALL her contacts and they were replaced with mine.

Is there a way to get her contacts off her phone before we upgrade to iOS 4.2? (without syncing using Apple's address book)

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Answer 3

Nov 22, 2010 7:29 AM in response to Lucas Clemente

You can check iTunes > Preferences under the Devices tab to confirm there is a separate backup for each iPhone. Before installing the firmware update, sync the iPhone with iTunes making sure sync contacts is not selected under the Info tab for her iPhone sync preferences with iTunes before syncing. Confirm the iPhone's backup has been updated at iTunes > Preferences under the Devices tab before installing the firmware update on the iPhone. Unless you sync contacts with a supported address book application on the computer as designed and intended, you must rely on the iPhone's backup.

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Answer 4

Igor_G5

Level 2

323 points

Nov 23, 2010 11:02 AM in response to Lucas Clemente

It's best to have separate accounts on the computer and then you don't have these problems. I gave my GF an account on both of my Macs. Can upgrade mine on my account and hers on her account.

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Answer 5

Nov 23, 2010 11:05 AM in response to Lucas Clemente

you could try some sort of online storage. I have an app to store my contacts in a 'hub' but I'm in the UK.

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