Q: Contacts - where are they stored?

Exchange is no longer an option. CardDAV is for contacts. You sync email and calendar throught the regular Gmail set up.

HansWorldTravels wrote:

 

Does the Exchange or CardDAV work with contacts, calendar & email???

CardDAV only works for contacts.  I have two GMail accounts, each set up as separate CardDAV accounts on my iPhone.  I can temporarily turn one or both on or off, but I leave them both on.

Setting up GMail as an Exchange account provides mail, contacts, and calendar services.  But, as Meg pointed out, this is no longer available unless you have a paid (or education) GMail account.

The standard iOS profile for GMail provides mail, calendar, and notes services, and all operate on a Fetch basis, not Push like Exchange or CardDAV.

So, I use the standard iOS profiles for my mail, notes, and calendar services, and CardDAV for my contacts services.

To set up your GMail contacts as a CardDAV account, read here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4872?viewlocale=en_US

Allan, that is exactly my point.  I do not use Outlook or "a supported address book" on my computer.  I do not need one with gMail.  I don't even need a computer based Outlook program as i can (and always do) access it from the OWA on a browser, for a third actually company email.  But I don't store contact info there, because it's cross platform functionality is so poor, also backup is not snyc.

However, it appears as though Outlook or a supported address book progam are absolutely necessary with Apple products, thus I will have to get one.

Sorry, but your reading comprehension needs a lot of work.

You don't need Outlook, or any supported address book app on your computer and it is not "absolutely" necessary with Apple products.

Once again, since you are syncing contacts over the air with your Gmail account or accounts, your contacts are stored online with Google severs. You don't need to be concerned about your iPhone's backup in regards to your contacts, and you are not required to use Outlook or any supported address book app on your computer. I still use a computer to send email so I want my contacts available on my computer. My contacts are available on my Mac and included with my Mac's backup along with all other important data, and my contacts are synced over the air with my iCloud account, and they are included with my iPhone's backup.

Ok, giving this a try.  I've deleted all mail & contacts accounts I had, starting fresh.

I added a CardDAV account for one gmail account contacts (only).

My iPhone populates with those contacts.

I did a manual backup through iCloud on my phone as per this.... http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

I verified Settings->iCloud->Contacts is "On"

I am in my iCloud account through a browser.  There are no contacts there.  I've refreshed serval times through the gear at the bottom.  Been about 10 minutes & still nothing.

What's missing?

ps I even deleted the Google Apps app... where gmail also existed.

iCloud contact syncing is for your iCloud account contacts only.

iCloud account contacts cannot be synced with Gmail contacts and vice-versa. Why do you want your Gmail account contacts synced with your iCloud account when they are already being synced with your Gmail account?

You can't sync iCloud account contacts with a Gmail account on an Android device either. 

HansWorldTravels wrote:

 

I did a manual backup through iCloud on my phone as per this.... http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

 

I verified Settings->iCloud->Contacts is "On"

 

I am in my iCloud account through a browser.  There are no contacts there.  I've refreshed serval times through the gear at the bottom.  Been about 10 minutes & still nothing.

 

What's missing?

The only thing missing is your understanding of how this works (no offense).  Backup really has nothing to do with transferring contacts from one account to another, nor does backup even save your contacts (though some will disagree on that).  Since your contacts live in your Google account, there is no process (or need) to back them up.  I suppose you could periodically export your GMail contacts as a .csv or .vcard file, but that's another matter and has nothing to do with iCloud or iTunes.

Maybe explain what it is you're trying to achieve with iCloud.  If you're trying to move your contacts from GMail to iCloud you can do that by exporting your contacts from GMail as a vcard file, then import that into iCloud using a computer, but I don't know why you'd do that unless you're trying to migrate away from GMail.

Because I am wrongly going under the impression that I MUST use iCloud to sync data from my phone.

I just did a test.  I edited a contact in my iPhone & saved it.  I went over to my Gmail contact list from a web browser, and it synced instantly.

I'm reversing this... editing a contact from the browser, now waiting for a result on my iPhone..... and there it is.  Good!

So, here is the issue I was worried about.  I just added a new contact on my iPhone.  Sure enough it popped up in my iCloud contacts, but not in Gmail.

Previously, with Tmobile, they loaded MobileLife... always syncing my contacts to their server, whatever no big deal.  But I had an option on where I wanted to creat my new contact; 1) MobileLife, 2) "my personal gmail account" or 3) "my work gmail account".

This option will not exist will it?  All new contacts created on the iPhone will go into the iCloud and I will have to migrate them over?  Hence I will start populating a contact list on iCloud that I have no need for.  Does that answer your question why?

on my iPhone it appears there is no reason in Settings->iCloud to turn on contacts for sync.  Without it on, (and not going to iCloud contacts) will it send it to gmail maybe?

I was answering Allan above, but as to your question Rocky.... I have no desire to move away from Gmail.  I'm just trying to get it to work the best with iPhone.

Calendar & multiple timezone events will be my next battle.

Because I am wrongly going under the impression that I MUST use iCloud to sync data from my phone.

Yes you are, so there is no need to do so. You can turn Contacts off for over the air syncing with your iCloud account settings on your iPhone and use your iCloud account for updating your iPhone's backup wirelessly. To use your iCloud account for your iPhone's backup, this is selected under the Summary tab for your iPhone sync preferences with iTunes on your computer followed by selecting Apply.

This option will not exist will it?  All new contacts created on the iPhone will go into the iCloud and I will have to migrate them over?  Hence I will start populating a contact list on iCloud that I have no need for.

Wrong again.

On your iPhone go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Contacts > Default Account > Select your Gmail account.

Does that answer your question why?

Not hardly since you just created your iCloud account on your iPhone, and you have indicated several times now this was not required since you are already syncing your contacts over the air with your Gmail account or accounts. iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail all support syncing contacts over the air which are completely separate from one another.

Allan,

I have turned off contacts in iCloud.... and amazing it is syncing back n forth with my gmail contacts!  yahoo!

However, with your second point, the only options that exist in Contacts are "sort order", "display order" and "my info".  There is no "default account" option.

Point 3, I have hardly indicated I know this already, I have no knowledge whatsoever about any Apple products.  All the basic literature out there about this phone says, and I paraphrase, "do this, do that, all will be fine."  So reading through this and understanding, contrary to what it says, that it is not needed, is not so simple.

However, with your second point, the only options that exist in Contacts are "sort order", "display order" and "my info".  There is no "default account" option.

No available since you have turned Contacts off for over the air syncing with your iCloud account settings on your iPhone. Not possible to use your iCloud account to be the default account when creating a contact if you have Contacts turned off for over the air syncing with your iCloud account, so the option to select a default account is not available.

So reading through this and understanding, contrary to what it says, that it is not needed, is not so simple.

You sure made some bold incorrect statements inlcuding some incorrect absolutes previously for someone now claiming to have hardly indicated you know this already.

Right, just like Apple never makes any statements that they know everything and all should just follow along.  Anywho.

Setting up second gmail contacts account as above... denied

Keeps saying "Cannot Connect Using SSL.  Do you want to try setting up the account without SSL?"

Obviously not, as per above msg.  Even going in and manually setting to SSL On and Port 443.  Still denied.

hmmm

Since you despise Apple so much, go back to that Swiss cheese for security android advice. You deserve it.

I'm done feeding a troll.

HansWorldTravels wrote:

 

Setting up second gmail contacts account as above... denied

 

Keeps saying "Cannot Connect Using SSL.  Do you want to try setting up the account without SSL?"

Keep trying, and re-check your entries.  Just for kicks I added a 3rd GMail account's contacts as a CardDAV account and had no problem.

As you've (hopefully) discovered, when you have multiple choices for things then and only then do you see the option to designate a default account.  But with only one choice (i.e. GMail as your only contacts, iCloud contacts OFF) then there is no such option.

The same will appy to your Notes and Calendar services, so if you enabled these in iCloud and in your (standard iOS) GMail account, you'll have a choice to designate which account to use as the default for these services.

As a former Android user, I can say with certainty that there are plenty of options in that world which are poorly documented and often confusing, and although iOS is not always crystal clear it is miles ahead of Android in terms of logic, function, and stability.

Good luck!