Why won't iphone contacts sync with Google?

Hello Graham

I sympathize with your issue and even more at not being able to get a good explanation for the solution!! I was having the same issue. And this is what worked for me, maybe you have the same problem... on Google Contacts, do you label you contacts? I used to have them categorized under Financial, Work, etc. and those were the ones that were not sync'ing. But once I made sure that all my contacts also had the label of "My Contacts" (in additional to other labels), the sync'ing was working! Of course then the issue is that google does not support "Push" sync on iphones anymore, so it will only sync with the "Fetch" settings you have on the phone, 15 mins being the most frequent. Hope this helps.

Go to Contacts--> Groups (upper left screen), uncheck "on my iphone" "All on My IPhone". From now and then, your contacts will sync automatically with Google contacts 🙂

But for contacts that have been already saved on your phone, you need to input them manually to google contacts or use the export import function.

ThingsShouldJustWork wrote:

Of course then the issue is that google does not support "Push" sync on iphones anymore, so it will only sync with the "Fetch" settings you have on the phone, 15 mins being the most frequent. Hope this helps.

Use the Gmail app. It will give you push.

follow below

http://blog.laptopmag.com/how-to-import-iphone-contacts-gmail

everybody appears to be over complicating things here. I have had the exact same problem and found the simple straight forward solution to get your iphone contacts across to your gmail account.

Make sure you have your gmail account set up on your iphone.
Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calenders>Add Account>Google

Once set up, then click on your gmail account which will be listed, and make sure 'Contacts' is enabled.

Now Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calenders

For each of 'Mail, 'Contacts' and 'Calenders' there is a different section. Scroll down to the 'Contacts' section >Default Account> Select your Gmail account.

Important - each of the 3 sections has a 'Default Account' section - make sure you are in the Contacts section otherwise it will not work.

Now click 'Import SIM Contacts'

Now log into your gmail account - www.google.com/contacts

Within a few seconds your contacts will begin to appear in your gmail account.

What seems to be the case given my extensive testing is as follows:

1. Contacts from Google will get copied to iOSContacts.

2. Updates to those contacts made on iOS will get synced (i.e. replicated back) to Google Contacts

3. New contacts added on iOS WILL NOT get pushed/copied back into Google Contacts. You specifically have to create new contacts in Gmail in order to get them to "sync" with iOS.

I hope this helps anyone out there having this same issue.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2008040816265078

However, if you want to add a new contact to a group that is already on the iPhone, first go to the Phone Application, then tap "Contacts" and then tap the "Groups" button at the top left of the screen to select the group to which you want to add the new contact. It will return you to the Contacts screen with the group name at the top. Now tap the "+" button to add a new contact that will be associated with that group.

If I get a call or email from someone not in my contact list that I know I want in a particular group (like "Work" contacts), I go through the above steps to create the new contact in that group, then go back to the phone call or email and tap on "Add to Existing Contact" to make the new contact. If I "Create New Contact" from a recent call or an email there's no way to edit the group into which the new contact is placed.

mightyquark wrote:

What seems to be the case given my extensive testing is as follows:

1. Contacts from Google will get copied to iOSContacts.

2. Updates to those contacts made on iOS will get synced (i.e. replicated back) to Google Contacts

3. New contacts added on iOS WILL NOT get pushed/copied back into Google Contacts. You specifically have to create new contacts in Gmail in order to get them to "sync" with iOS.

I add new contacts to my iPhone regularly, to the Contacts app. This is the way I generaly add contacts. They always sync to my Gmail contacts. Never had a problem with it.

Omg this was the issue for me. Thanks so much!

This worked for me, thanks sportsphysiouk! They should move your answer to the top so people read it first.

Unlike others on here who don't grasp the issue you nailed it and explained it perfectly. I searched through so much ignorance and your solution was quick and solved my problem too.

sportsphysiouk wrote:

Now click 'Import SIM Contacts'

This step could only be relevant if you were using a SIM that had been used in a different kind of phone. iPhones do not store any contact information on the SIM. The rest of the setting information is what's making it work.

This was the best and the least confusing answer. thanks. you rock!

Hi guys,

I followed all the steps in sportsphysiouk's post, and it's still only half worked - any new numbers I add to my iphone appear in my gmail contacts straight away, but my older contacts created in my phone have still not transferred over!! Any more ideas on how i can push them over (without making a Vcard?)

If you created them on your phone while it was not synced to Google, you'll probably have to go the VCard route.