ronaldfromescondido

Q: my contacts did not sync with El Capitan

After uploading El Capitan, mu contacts did not sync.

Mac Pro (Early 2008), OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 8, 2015 3:55 PM

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Q: my contacts did not sync with El Capitan

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  • by Falcon27453,

    Falcon27453 Falcon27453 Dec 7, 2015 12:58 AM in response to Newmaccy
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    Dec 7, 2015 12:58 AM in response to Newmaccy

    I'm having a very similar problem.  If I add a new contact, or modify an existing contact in either Contacts on my MacBook or Contacts in iCloud, the changes are immediately seen in the other Contact record.  But not modified in the Contacts on my iPhone.

    If I add a new contact or modify an existing contact on my iPhone, it's not reflected on my MacBook or in iCloud.

    I've followed a few of the detailed suggestions, found in the various forums, to force a sync with the iPhone, and it will occassionally work.


    Prior to El Capitan, I would demonstrate how "it all just works" to my friends and family by having iCloud Contacts, Contacts on my MacBook and Contacts on my iPhone open... and then modify one of the records and watch how the other two quickly incorporated the change... without any prompting.


    IT ALL JUST WORKED!


    My question is... What's going on, why isn't it working?

  • by robertfromdumfries,

    robertfromdumfries robertfromdumfries Dec 8, 2015 3:44 PM in response to Falcon27453
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 8, 2015 3:44 PM in response to Falcon27453

    I just updated to iMac 10.11.2 and iPhone and iPad to 9.2.  The groups on my iOS devices are now sorted.

     

    BUT I still cannot sync my contacts on my Mac.  Update my contacts on my phone or iPad and they are synced between them AND iCloud.  However, nothing I do gets the updates to or from my Mac.

     

    Come on Apple.  This is taking way to long to fix.

  • by Falcon27453,

    Falcon27453 Falcon27453 Dec 8, 2015 8:22 PM in response to robertfromdumfries
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 8:22 PM in response to robertfromdumfries

    Having read robertfromdumfries' response, I updated both my 13.3" MacBook Pro Retina to OS X 10.11.2 and my 32gb iPhone 4S to iOS 9.2.  And then started testing.

     

    Once again I can have Contacts on my MacBook, Contacts in iCloud and Contacts on my iPhone open... and then modify one of the records and watch how the other two quickly incorporate the change... without any prompting.


    Thank you Apple... for listening.  IT ALL JUST WORKED... again!

  • by robertfromdumfries,

    robertfromdumfries robertfromdumfries Dec 9, 2015 4:23 AM in response to Falcon27453
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 9, 2015 4:23 AM in response to Falcon27453

    Results of a test I just ran:

     

    1.  added dummy contact to iPad air 2.

    2.  checked and found dummy contact in my iphone 6+ contacts.

    3.  checked iCould and found dummy contact there as well.

    4.  checked my iMac and NO DUMMY contact.

         4a:  verified that all the iMac contacts were designated as iCloud

         4b:  Verified that the iMac was attempting to sync with the iCloud

         4c;  Under contacts preferences, verified that my iMac contacts were enabled for iCloud.

     

    Bottom line.  My problem still exists in that my iMac is NOT sending nor receiving contacts info NOTHING  from iCloud.

     

    I AM VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I CANNOT USE MY IMAC TO SEND EMAILS AS MY CONTACTS ARE ALL OUT OF DATE!

  • by Falcon27453,

    Falcon27453 Falcon27453 Dec 9, 2015 5:11 AM in response to robertfromdumfries
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2015 5:11 AM in response to robertfromdumfries

    Robert,

    My first test was limited to modifications only between my MacBook Pro and iCloud.

    What happens, when you have Contacts on your iMac, and Contacts in iCloud both opened on screen to the same record... and then test, first, editing and completing a modification to the record in Contacts, and then editing a completing a modification in iCloud?

    I'm getting a slightly less than two second successful response when editing in MacBook Pro Contacts and reflected in iCloud, and a slightly less than three second successful response when editing in iCloud and reflected in MacBook Pro Contacts.

    I am also seeing modifications reflected in my 4S, but much slower, and I haven't been able to specifically identify the triggering action.

    If and when I better understand the iOS interaction, I'll post it.

  • by robertfromdumfries,

    robertfromdumfries robertfromdumfries Dec 9, 2015 5:50 AM in response to Falcon27453
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 9, 2015 5:50 AM in response to Falcon27453

    Falcon27453

     

    Thanks for your assistance.

     

    I ran the tests as you described and my results were the same as I had gotten before.  No interaction at all between my iMac and iCloud, after several minutes of wait time.

     

    However, I did notice one oddity, which I think is very significant, if not relevant.

     

    In my iMac contacts (as I assume for all users), I have a section for contacts on imac, and a section for contacts on iCloud.  All of my contacts appear under the iCloud section.

     

    However, when editing my contacts info.,  ALL pre-existing data (i.e., data that has existed under yosemite and has not been synced since upgrading to el capitan) is grayed out and cannot be edited when in edit mode.  Any data/records I added/modified during my testing appear as normal in edit mode and can be deleted/modified.

     

    I believe this is significant but do not know what it means or what I can do about it.

  • by Falcon27453,

    Falcon27453 Falcon27453 Dec 9, 2015 6:34 AM in response to robertfromdumfries
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2015 6:34 AM in response to robertfromdumfries

    Robert,

    In my MacBook Pro Contacts, I have only iCloud and gmail options.  I seem to recall I also had an on this Mac option, but at some point synced to iCloud as the default.

     

    I've also been testing the iOS to MacBook Pro Contacts relationship... and it's WEIRD!

    My Contacts, like my Email and Calendar are set to PUSH, which, as you know, should be an immediate movement of all new data.

    However, modifications to Contacts in either iCloud or on my MacBook Pro... Do Not immediately appear on my iPhone 4S... nor after a significant delay.

    Nor do the modifications appear, if I sync my iPhone 4S via Bluetooth.

    Nor do the modifications appear, if I sync my iPhone 4S via cable.

     

    However, if I sync via cable AND attempt to modify the questioned record... ALL changes are immediately incorporated.  AND, additional changes are exchanged, no matter where they are initiated, be that iCloud, MacBook Pro or iPhone 4S.  Then it gets REALLY WEIRD.  Successful modifications, WITHOUT cable attachment, continue for a short period after the sync has been establish.  AND it occurs for ALL modified or added records.

     

    Hey Apple!  Based on the preceding, the "It all just works" might have a caveat when it comes to Contact syncing between iOS to OS X El Capitan.  The scary part is... I'm not sure exactly WHAT the caveat is!

  • by Falcon27453,

    Falcon27453 Falcon27453 Dec 9, 2015 7:37 AM in response to Falcon27453
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2015 7:37 AM in response to Falcon27453

    Robert,

    Just discovered an interesting fact via Contact Preferences.  As I noted before, I have iCloud and gmail categories listed under All Contacts in the Contacts app on my MacBook Pro.  However, if I go into Contact Preferences and de-select "Enable this account" for my iCloud account, and only have my gmail account "Enabled" an "All on My Mac" category appears under All Contacts.  It's empty of records... but I found it interesting that it came into existence.

     

    If I "Enable" my iCloud account, the All on My Mac category disappears.

     

    I think the issue is transfering the contents of your Contacts (or old Address Book) to iCloud.  When I queried "how do i move contacts on my mac to icloud?" I found a number of fixes, albeit listed under earlier OS X operating systems, that provided step by step solutions.

     

    However, ALWAYS remember to... Backup... Backup... Backup, prior to any signifcant "screwing with" your Contacts!  I've had to exercise the "Undo" button more times than I care to admit.

  • by robertfromdumfries,

    robertfromdumfries robertfromdumfries Dec 10, 2015 8:08 AM in response to Falcon27453
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 10, 2015 8:08 AM in response to Falcon27453

    Problem is resolved, via Shannon from apple Tech Support (who was absolutely wonderful).

     

    i Had to sign off (logout, deactivate, disconnect, whatever) all components from iCloud from system preferences, including mail, contacts, calendar keychain, find my devices, etc.  Then I logged back into iCloud and reconnected the components.

     

    thanks to Shannon for spending almost an hour with working through the problem towards the solution.

  • by Gimmedap,

    Gimmedap Gimmedap Dec 22, 2015 3:43 PM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 22, 2015 3:43 PM in response to Barney-15E

    excellent!  That did it.  Thanks

  • by Kevin Quincey,

    Kevin Quincey Kevin Quincey Dec 31, 2015 6:39 AM in response to robertfromdumfries
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 31, 2015 6:39 AM in response to robertfromdumfries

    Thank you Robertfrmdumfries and ShannonfromApple -

     

    You fixed a problem I've been having for weeks now.  Each time I simply turned off contacts and turned it back on in the iCloud system preference, it solved a part of the problem for about a day until I started adding or modifying records on the mac.  But now it's completely working.  Thanks again!

     

    I did encounter another problem in fixing this one but it's unrelated and a bug that Apple knows about but I'll mention it anyway: When I signed out of iCloud and back in, it needed to link back up my photos in iCloud with the full copy on my mac (It hadn't deleted them when I signed out).  In doing this, it calculated, I'd need another 170 GB in iCloud so my 200GB subscription wouldn't be enough.  Since the photos were already in both places, it was double counting them but wouldn't let me past this so I needed to upgrade to 1TB. I then downgraded and asked them to refund the upgrade difference.  This is the third time I've needed to do this because of different problems I needed to sign out and back in for.

     

    Thanks again Robert and Shannon!

  • by zee818,

    zee818 zee818 Jan 10, 2016 6:50 AM in response to ronaldfromescondido
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 10, 2016 6:50 AM in response to ronaldfromescondido

    Hi all,

     

    I found solution on this problem.  Make sure the setting in Mail, contact, calendar "Fetch New Date" set to Push, also in iCloud. Once this setting enable contact is sync fine for OS to iOS all devices.  Please try and hope it helps :-)

  • by DonnaPL,

    DonnaPL DonnaPL Mar 9, 2016 1:46 PM in response to Newmaccy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mar 9, 2016 1:46 PM in response to Newmaccy

    You said you can drag the contacts to the icloud account. How is that done? TIA

  • by cisaacson,

    cisaacson cisaacson Apr 26, 2016 12:01 PM in response to Newmaccy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 26, 2016 12:01 PM in response to Newmaccy

    I checked my contacts on iCloud.com and saw that they were not synching from my Mac. I tried lots of things but then just quit and restarted Contacts on my Mac and it worked. You can see the iCloud synching icon if it is working.

  • by Andrey D,

    Andrey D Andrey D Jun 28, 2016 7:51 AM in response to ronaldfromescondido
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 28, 2016 7:51 AM in response to ronaldfromescondido

    It is very weird that no one from Apple gave some answer or solution for this more than one year problem. It looks like they are is very busy with Sierra.

    iPhone and iMac and iCloud, all of them live their own life without any connection. I think the issue is in iCloud because I get this problem on Mavericks when iCloud drive is appeared. I thought this is because of Mavericks and I should move to El Capitan to fix this issue... Nothing happened. Actually it is more probably to sync contact within Gmail folder or Yahoo folder then within iCloud.

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