IOS7, Contacts, change what account a contact belongs under

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Level 1

1 points

IOS7, Contacts, change what account a contact belongs under

Hi all.

TL;DR : How do I change a contacts group from exchange to gmail?

Added a contact private contact, while the "default" contact account in settings was my company exchange, and the contact was suppose to be added to my private gmail account.

I've just now changed the "default account" to gmail, but that doesn't change the already added contacts group, and neither should it. In short, how do I change a contacts group, when the contact is already made. Or am I supposed to enter settings, and change default account everytime I add a new contact?

iPhone 4S, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Dec 2, 2013 12:27 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,037 points

Dec 2, 2013 12:31 PM in response to Deyardly

You don't. You will have to re-create the contact in the correct address book or invest in an app that will export your Exchange contacts.

The lock is placed on the contacts by Exchange.

Once the default account is changed, all new contacts will be added to the account you have set as the default. Existing contacts are not magically moved to the new default account. You can change what account a contact belongs to for any account type except an Exchange account.

It's a security thing. You don't own the data on a corporate Exchange server, your employer does.

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Answer 2

Deyardly Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 2, 2013 12:39 PM in response to KiltedTim

Ok, that partially answered my question. Thanks.

However, the problem isn't really that I wanted to export them per se, I merely wanted the created contact moved, but I'm able to recreate the contacts in the right account, no problem.

Now, I've juste re-created the contact, with my "default account" being my gmail account, but now I'm not able to change the new contact to any group either. I just can't seem to find the option of choosing what account a contact belongs to? Either when creating it by hand or adding it from a contact-message from a mutual friend.

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,037 points

Dec 2, 2013 12:52 PM in response to Deyardly

You can't manage what "group" a contact belongs to on the phone. Only what account it belongs to. You'll need to manage that you the web-site for you email account or in a contact manager on a computer that syncs with the same service.

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Answer 4

Deyardly Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 2, 2013 12:59 PM in response to KiltedTim

Well, I might be mixing up the words for what I really want to do, but basically I would like to add a contact on my iPhone and then, while adding it change what account it actually belongs to (and possibly at a later time change it). I get that I couldn't do it by adding it while the Exchange account was the default, because that would mean I added the contact to the corporate server (which my company owns, and owns all data on), thus I couldn't take the contact off of there.

But, I thought that I might be able to add the contact while the gmail-account was the default one, and then change the contact to an Exchange contact.

As it stands I have to enter Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> change default account (and make sure I'm on the correct default account), and then add a contact. And I would have to do that every single time I added a contact, instead of it simply being Add contact -> "choose which account the contact belongs to".

Is it only me that considers this illogical behavior?

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Answer 5

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,037 points

Dec 2, 2013 1:03 PM in response to Deyardly

OK. That's freaky... re-booting my phone. I see what you're talking about. Either something is wrong, or somethin has changed since the last time I added a contact by hand.

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Answer 6

Deyardly Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 2, 2013 1:08 PM in response to KiltedTim

btw. Thanks for taking the time to answer me!

It seems really strange, unless Apple hopes to have all us Exchange and Gmail users switching to iCloud (not gonna happen, at least with the company I work for), and only using that.

I found the following with a "sort of" work around, that only works when adding the contact by hand, in the contacts app:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5426964?answerId=23346345022#23346345022

Anyway, it's 22.00 in Denmark, and I have work in the morning, so I'll have to respond in the morning.

Thanks in advance for your help, and interest!

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Answer 7

Deyardly Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2013 12:50 PM in response to KiltedTim

Hi KiltedTim.

Sorry to disturb you, but I just had to check. Did you reboot your phone and experience the same difficulties as I have encountered?

Thanks in advance.

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