What is the best way to clean up Contacts?

Question

Level 1

10 points

What is the best way to clean up Contacts?

After synching multiple email address books and 3 Mac devices into Contacts, then that backing up to iCloud, I now have a mess in my Contacts App. There are so many duplicated entries! I thought the smartest thing to do was to link duplicates, since some sets of duplicates having info the others didn't, under one main entry that I was labelling by adding "-OK" at the end of the Last Name. I found many of the linked up cards would update and then also have the "-OK" label, though I hadn't touched them — the only problem being the card does not always include the same info which is what I was trying to combine into one *complete* entry/name that was blessed (with "-OK") as the edited & incorporated one. *sigh*

My goal was to make one master list saved on iCloud which all my devices (iPhone 5S & iPad2 both w/iOS 7.0.4; MacBook Pro w/OS X Mavericks 10.9) would pull from. I wanted to gather the address book info (as well as Calendar, but that's another discussion) from several email accounts and then be able to toss them or "uncheck" the box for that option in Mail set-up.

What is the best and/or easiest way to clean up Contacts, now that it's a mess/monster? I've wanted to delete everything out and start over by manually adding from different email accts' addy books and, most importantly, from the contact list on the Android cell I used before getting an iPhone 5S last month.

so many duplicated entries!

Posted on Dec 3, 2013 4:46 PM

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Answer 1

maryfmcg

Level 1

8 points

Apr 24, 2014 6:30 PM in response to Barney-15E

I'm having a similar problem. Duplicates everywhere. So to stop this a couple of years ago I turned off the "iCloud updating and just worked with my computer and phone. But now I have an iPad and it has absorbed my old contact list from iCloud. You say, Barney: "then go into the Mac and fix all the contacts, which should fix all the contacts on iCloud." But my iCloud is sticking with it's old list. How can I get the iCloud to accept the newer list on my Mac, which should be the Master? I can't find anything in preferences to do that. There must be something.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,898 points

Dec 24, 2013 8:47 AM in response to goohiostate

goohiostate wrote:

Thanks for the question, I'm am experiencing the same with duplicate contact information spread across all devices. When I clean up the ICloud assuming that the updated contacts in the iCloud will populate and overwrite all my devices...it either doesn't update or creates duplicates. I then tried to clean up my contacts on my desktop then sync all devices and iCloud with the new updated list but more duplicate contacts were created or new contacts from my IPhone didn't update anywhere on the desktop or ICloud...I'm confused! Where is the master copy of the contact information stored and when a sync is done with all Apple devices what contact list is considered the master. Merge option doesn't work.

Disable Contacts on all of your devices, then go into the Mac and fix all the contacts, which should fix all the contacts on iCloud. Then, re-enable contacts on the devices.

The iCloud might be considered the master, but there really isn't one. Last change in wins.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,898 points

Apr 24, 2014 7:07 PM in response to maryfmcg

Export the contacts on your Mac to a contacts archive. Disconnect your contacts from iCloud, the log into iCloud.com and delete all contacts.

Restore the contacts on your Mac, then enable contacts in iCloud.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,898 points

Dec 3, 2013 5:29 PM in response to MouseBug

There is a command to Look For Duplicates. It will then ask if you want to merge cards with duplicate info.

I'm not sure how well it does, but given the mess you currently have, I'm not sure it can make it worse.

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Answer 5

Dec 24, 2013 8:11 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks for the question, I'm am experiencing the same with duplicate contact information spread across all devices. When I clean up the ICloud assuming that the updated contacts in the iCloud will populate and overwrite all my devices...it either doesn't update or creates duplicates. I then tried to clean up my contacts on my desktop then sync all devices and iCloud with the new updated list but more duplicate contacts were created or new contacts from my IPhone didn't update anywhere on the desktop or ICloud...I'm confused! Where is the master copy of the contact information stored and when a sync is done with all Apple devices what contact list is considered the master. Merge option doesn't work.

Reply