missing info tab in itunes 11.1.2 when iphone syncs

I 100% agree with you. I can't imagine the mentality to actually remove features from something someone paid hundreds or thousands of dollars (if you got the whole Mac set, or bought devices for others).

I can only imagine that Apple doesn't realize they actually ripped out solid functionality that worked seamless for years.

I can see change, that's fine. But if a significant capability is actually ripped out with no alternative, I can't imagine Apple wants to be known as a bait and switch, you invest money for certain capabilities and they are ripped out later, with no warning.

It makes a difference between it being a good business device to it being a PITA, having to manually try to recreate or change strong email setting passwords.

As far as synching contacts, I trust Apple's security and even use iCloud keychain. That doesn't mean I don't care about features other people may use that I may not though. Any capability they took out they should give a valid alternative to or restore, as people buy Apple products because they know(knew) what they were getting.

I can only ask that well intentioned people trying to help please do not confuse the issue of synching email accounts with web passwords, or with USB contact synching. There was a lot going on in that little iTunes section removed. Web passwords is a good feature but it's not even close to the same thing as synching email settings across devices. 3rd party solutions proposed don't really claim to synch email settings on either, at least the ones I looked into referenced throughout the forums.

I'm glad that I was able to help you!

To those of you who wish to complain to Apple about THE INABILITY TO SYNC ACROSS DEVICES FROM iTunes USE THIS LINK which relates directly to iTunes and devices.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I still await a statement from Apple that it will restore the INFO tab in iTunes to sync Contacts across ALL devices. Using SyncMate may be a good solution but it is still a user workaround for Apple's unilateral decision to eliminate a useful feature. Why not give us a choice, Apple?

When you say "Just use iCloud", despite it lacking critical features, like the ability to sync only selected groups, you are not being at all helpful.

I live in two countries, and I need to sync separate lists depending on where I am. I cannot do this with iCloud, so iCloud is not a solution for me. The Info tab allowed this, and so Apple has taken a distinct step backwards in functionality.

"When you say "Just use iCloud", despite it lacking critical features, like the ability to sync only selected groups, you are not being at all helpful."

Yes, at the time, I was being very helpful.

You're welcome.

It may not have fit exactly what you needed but then you never explained what you needed.

However, you don't seem too worried about this issue, else you would not be posting now.

You are being rude and expecting people to be a mind reader and know what you want before you even post.

Why not read a few posts before compaining about something that is now a moot issue?

I live in two countries, and I need to sync separate lists depending on where I am. I cannot do this with iCloud, so iCloud is not a solution for me.

So why don't you simply use the Info tab?

Just update you OS and iTunes.

Again, you're welcome.

I'm extatic about getting the info tab back in my life again (even if I've started using SyncMate in the mean time).

However. For some reason in the calender/contact section it doesn't any longer display the different calenders and contact groups that it used to. Those options are ust there but blanked out with nothing in them.

Any one else experienced that?

Seems you need to sync everything the first time then you can select what you want to sync.

Hmm... really'd like to avoid that but you're probably right.

I'll noodle on it for a few minutes.

Thanks

No, Chris, your response wasn't helpful, and it's not rude to point that out. Here's what would have been helpful:

Hey Everyone! The latest versions of iTunes/iOS/OSX* have restored local/manual sync functionality for contacts and calendars! You no longer need to resort to any of the workarounds in this thread, nor send feedback to Apple. If you don't want to use iCloud to sync, just do the following:

1. get the latest version of iTunes, iOS, and OSX*

2. disable Contacts & Calendars syncing on your iPhone under Settings > iCloud

3. go to iTunes and the Info tab will allow you to configure local sync, including the ability to sync only selected groups and calendars

Thanks to everyone who sent feedback to Apple through the feedback page!

*Not sure if all three updates are required, but updating all three worked for me. If someone knows more, please chime in.

localman wrote:

No, Chris, your response wasn't helpful, and it's not rude to point that out. Here's what would have been helpful:

On 6 May, it was helpful because it was not possible to sync contacts/calendars using iTunes so I could not have posted how to sync using iTunes..

I think possibly what localman was referring to was the frustration that people caused me and others, posting "solutions" that simply did not work, almost brushing aside the fact that some functionality was severely broken now. A lot of people kept saying "use icloud" not understanding what the problem was, and providing icloud as the solution when it was not, implying the problem was solved or had a solution when it didn't.

I do realize people are just trying to be helpful, but so many people tried to help without taking the time to understand the problem or that icloud and 3rd party software just did not allow certain things like synching email account settings like we used to be able to do with USB.

Pretty much anyone who said "just use icloud" had no idea what the problem or solution was it seemed, which made it hard to make it clear that some functionality we were using was taken away and broken for months.

I still need to apply all the updates to see if they fixed things, and I'll play with things this weekend. I'm really hoping they added back synching non-icloud email account settings to your devices, though I didn't see that in any writeup yet. I'm ok with adding this in manually now and changing how i do things, but it reduces security or makes it more cumbersome, to not be able to synch strong email password changes to devices.

netsoup wrote:

I think possibly what localman was referring to was the frustration that people caused me and others, posting "solutions" that simply did not work

Yes, I understand.

It is important to read and reply in context to what was written.

Forum posters should not read a single response and respond without reading & understanding the post that was first responded to (as was the case here in my response to IM_coco).

I include quotes of what I am responding to so the context is shown (though we see it doesn't always work).

For sure. Reading for comprehension goes both ways 🙂

I didn't go back to read your interactions with localman. I was just explaining the frustration I encountered dealing with various people saying to use iCloud, obviously thinking of a different problem since I'd start out saying iCloud doesn't synch email accounts either. Then they would throw software out there which I'd follow the links to find it didn't do it either. A lot of "solutions" were thrown out just to have things considered "resolved" it seemed, even if nothing was actually resolved. Not sure what the deal was but I've never encountered such a tide against simply acknowledging a problem existing and staying on point what the problem actually was and that it was broken (or removed) by an update with no warning, and never fixed.

I guess we should just assume Apple does not want to make it possible to synch non-iCloud email account settings anymore. I got a few other frustrations with features removed in the push to cloud and/or iOS7 (not sure what update took out what, since I noticed some things removed or less user-friendly after updating devices, Mac and iTunes), but a different thread I'm sure!

Why not just use SyncMate 5 from Eltima Software, which allows local syncing over USB on your existing hardware.

Because it's bad engineered software. A friend of mine bought it and told me Safari bookmarks synced without order and also not all of them if they have unusual characters. This is not advertised by Eltima and the support is far from competent. Also, SyncMate calls home without user's knowledge and needs re-activation every now and then. I tried it with his license a couple of days and uninstalled the crap. Watch out for these scammers!

Great! Now all we need is the Safari Bookmarks sync functionality to return to the iTunes info tab... (iTunes 123.123, Mavericks 10.9.5, iOS9.1)

Or has it? Cannot find it!