Google contacts iOS 9 sync problem

Anyone else in here using google contacts and calendar with their iPhone?

I did some googling and apparently only changes you make on your iPhone are pushed instantly to your Google account. The other way around though, if you make changes on the web or from an android device, push doesn't work. So far so good.

I set fetch to manual because I'm pretty much adding calendar events and contacts 99% of the time from my iPhone. Calendar events sync as soon as I open my calendar app.

The problem is contacts.app. No matter what I do it just won't sync. The refresh button in the upper left corner does nothing. The only way I can force a sync is when I change something else on the iPhone. For example when I add another contact the little spinning wheel appears and it pushes the change to Google and at the same time it seems to fetch the changes I made on the web or on my android tablet.

I honestly can't remember if it has always been this way or if iOS 9 broke the refresh button in contacts.app

iPhone 6, iOS 9.0.1

Posted on Sep 24, 2015 11:43 AM

68 replies

Apr 11, 2016 9:13 AM in response to jcalvi

I also don't have icloud for contacts. but following your steps, I got an instant refresh. thanks for sharing

"Don't use icloud for contacts but going to settings>icloud then opening the contacts app and pressing the refresh button causes it to sync with google. If I don't do the above process pressing refresh does nothing."

eliter1

Level 1

4 points

Apr 26, 2016 9:24 PM in response to bronin7

iPhone 6s Plus iOS 9.3.1 and I can't get it to sync updates to contacts. Sometimes I save a contact quickly on my Nexus 6P and I end up having to edit it later but it doesn't update. I really don't understand why syncing contacts is such a pain...

May 21, 2016 3:20 PM in response to bronin7

Turn off your contacts for the iCloud!! It worked for me!

Vishal14

Level 1

8 points

May 28, 2016 2:03 AM in response to iPodTouch(4th)

I don;t how it happened .. it dd not work for me

YKTEO

Level 1

4 points

May 29, 2016 4:11 AM in response to bronin7

the refresh button doesn't work. hope apple do smth about it soon.

but there is a solution for now.

after you have made changes from the web, go to your iphone contacts and made some changes too, then only it will sync!

on your iphone you can just simply add a new empty contact name "a" and save, after saved it will start fetching changes made from the web.

then you can delete the useless contact "a".

Jun 29, 2016 6:35 PM in response to bronin7

I have same issue!!! settings --> mail, contacts, calendars --> gmail --> turn on "contacts" but nothing sync.

Oct 10, 2016 12:39 PM in response to Delawaredave

This worked for me, thank you so much for the headache saver.

Nov 15, 2016 10:37 AM in response to bronin7

I followed Apple's instructions and nothing happened. After futzing around, I ended up deleting all contact from my iPhone and still nothing would import or sync. I'm running an iPhone 5s with iOS 10.1.1.

So I've just now shelled out the $2.99 for this app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/contacts-sync-for-google-gmail/id454390333?mt=8 and it has worked. It remains to be seen how it holds up when I make changes. (The app is free, but free only gets you 40 contacts synced. $2.99 imported all my GMail contacts.)

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Google contacts iOS 9 sync problem