Level 1

12 points

Can't edit or delete mac contacts

Mac contacts has gone kaflooey for me. I can't delete a card (the option is grayed out). I can't edit a card either. The edit button works as usual (it lets me type in the contact card) but when I click "Done" my changes disappear. Things disappear: I make a new card, and enter data, and only part of the data stays on the card. Then a few minutes later, I revisit the card and all the data except the name is gone.

I suspect this has some connection with iCloud, but I can't figure it out.

Help?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on May 2, 2013 8:38 PM

27 replies

dyllio

Level 2

240 points

Sep 26, 2014 11:18 AM in response to Linc Davis

Step 1 worked for me too. Had to run it twice but now my contacts are working. Thank you!!!

Oct 3, 2014 6:15 AM in response to jgoshawk

It may not be the system. It may be that you have allowed some other software to add contacts to your address book. Sorry, but I think going into recovery mode and resetting all permissions is a bit extreme.

I had the same problem, but it was because I had enabled Mac to access my LinkedIn contacts. Once I un-enabled this, the cards that remained are ones that I can add or delete. It also, thankfully, removed birthday reminders from my Mac calendar about colleagues' birthdays. (Really, I don't need to know this. If I am close enough to them, I'll already know about it.)

Go to Contacts ==> Preferences ==> Accounts

Then I clicked on "LinkedIn" and unchecked the box to un-enable access.

Dec 1, 2014 12:33 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks so much for this suggestion, Linc. It worked a charm for my Contacts, too, after Yosemite sent them south.

Dec 3, 2014 6:02 AM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks for this advice - I was experiencing the same problem and your simple, thorough explanation perfectly solved it for me.

Feb 8, 2015 8:18 PM in response to jgoshawk

Solved my issue as well. But I wish I knew just what was done to make it happen.

Anyone with enough Unix knowledge to describe what happened in terminal?

Joey5518

Level 1

10 points

Nov 7, 2015 1:49 PM in response to Silverfern

I found this to be true the hard way, by trial and error. You have to go to the source of the contacts be it linked-in or gmail, or iCloud. The apple official instruction to go to the contact and click delete only applies to mac and iOS contacts. Go to preferences and disable the account or go to - example gmail- and delete from there.

Kite005

Level 1

8 points

Dec 13, 2015 3:52 PM in response to jgoshawk

This might be somewhat unrelated but I could not delete certain contacts and I went into system preferences, accounts, and unchecked the "contacts" in them and the unwanted ones disappeared.

bilca68

Level 1

128 points

Dec 16, 2015 8:24 AM in response to Kite005

I had the same issue: my contacts I wanted deleted were not in iCloud but in LinkedIn 😕

Contacts does not show the source where the particular contact is stored.

Aug 4, 2016 4:09 PM in response to Linc Davis

You are very thorough with your explanations. You must do this for a living.

My Unix is a little rusty (20 years ago) but I can understand the intent of the commands.

It worked for me too.

Thank you.

Nov 21, 2017 5:10 AM in response to Linc Davis

Ridiculous.

Nov 21, 2017 5:15 AM in response to Kite005

It's totally related, and its how you do it.

CRF731

Level 1

8 points

Dec 16, 2017 9:47 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc-

Many thanks for this. Step 1 fixed my problem.

Tony.

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Can't edit or delete mac contacts