Gran Maestro
Level 3 (702 points)
Apple Watch

Q: Groups show double on iPhone contacts

I recently noticed that contacts on the iPhone 5S were not syncing properly.

Probably since the upgrade to iOS 9.

 

I tried toggling on/off iCloud syncing on the iPhone without deleting my existing contacts in order not to loose the most recent entries.

Turns out I didn't solve the problem and now all my groups show double.

Mac and iPad seem to be working just fine.

All devices running the latest software update.


Any suggestion on how to solve this without loosing data?

 

Thanks and regards

 

/P

Posted on Dec 9, 2015 2:24 PM

by Gran Maestro,Apple recommended
Gran Maestro Gran Maestro
Level 3 (702 points)
Apple Watch
A:

OK guys, I found a solution for this without nuking completely everything, maybe some is interested in how.

 

  • Turned off iCloud syncing of contacts on the iPhone and the Macbook.
  • Made a wired syncing and copied all contacts into the Macbook Pro.
  • Edited contacts by removing all duplicates of both, contacts and groups.
  • Resumed iCloud syncing on the Mac.
  • Resumed iCloud syncing on the iPhone selecting to replace all contacts on iPhone when asked.
  • Edited all contacts again on Powerbook.

 

Syncing correctly has now resumed among all devices and contacts appear to be the same number on all of them.

As a side effect also automatic backups on the iPhone have restarted regularly.

Posted on Dec 15, 2015 12:03 AM

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Gran Maestro

Q: Groups show double on iPhone contacts

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  • by Gran Maestro,

    Gran Maestro Gran Maestro Dec 9, 2015 3:04 PM in response to Gran Maestro
    Level 3 (702 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 9, 2015 3:04 PM in response to Gran Maestro

    Further to my previous post and to be more accurate.

     

    I have now 2608 contacts showing on iCloud, on my iPad and on the Mac.

    On the iPhone I have 2659 and, as previously explained, groups show double.

     

    Kind of weird behavior, isn't it?

  • by zinacef,

    zinacef zinacef Dec 9, 2015 3:06 PM in response to Gran Maestro
    Level 5 (5,938 points)
    Applications
    Dec 9, 2015 3:06 PM in response to Gran Maestro

    Did you log out of iCloud from all your devices, then wait a couple minutes...or more, then log back in?

  • by Gran Maestro,

    Gran Maestro Gran Maestro Dec 9, 2015 3:22 PM in response to zinacef
    Level 3 (702 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 9, 2015 3:22 PM in response to zinacef

    I did on the iPhone. All other devices are fine.

  • by zinacef,

    zinacef zinacef Dec 9, 2015 6:36 PM in response to Gran Maestro
    Level 5 (5,938 points)
    Applications
    Dec 9, 2015 6:36 PM in response to Gran Maestro

    Gran Maestro wrote:

     

    I did on the iPhone. All other devices are fine.

    I would try logging out of ALL devices and see what happens then....

  • by Gran Maestro,

    Gran Maestro Gran Maestro Dec 9, 2015 11:27 PM in response to zinacef
    Level 3 (702 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 9, 2015 11:27 PM in response to zinacef

    zinacef wrote:

     

    I would try logging out of ALL devices and see what happens then....

    Thank you but I am reluctant to do so.

    For the sake of debugging, why ALL devices and not just one other?

    And what about the contacts, should I keep them on the device/s or erase them?

    Erasing them would mean for sure loosing the 51 extra contacts I now have on the iPhone and don't sync, don't you think so?

    Last time I tried such an action, things probably got worse with the duplication of Groups on the iPhone hence, I would rather not poke randomly into the system without any indication that such action can definitely fix my issue.

     

    I wonder if a complete “reset“ of cloud contacts is possible similarly to what was available a few years ago with the Photostream.

    In that process (data reset) the integrity of data was still preserved whereas logging out all devices doesn't really do much to cloud settings, does it not?

  • by Gran Maestro,Apple recommended

    Gran Maestro Gran Maestro Dec 15, 2015 12:03 AM in response to Gran Maestro
    Level 3 (702 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 15, 2015 12:03 AM in response to Gran Maestro

    OK guys, I found a solution for this without nuking completely everything, maybe somebody is interested in how.

     

    • Turned off iCloud syncing of contacts on the iPhone and the Macbook.
    • Made a wired syncing and copied all contacts into the Macbook Pro.
    • Edited contacts by removing all duplicates of both, contacts and groups.
    • Resumed iCloud syncing on the Mac.
    • Resumed iCloud syncing on the iPhone selecting to replace all contacts on iPhone when asked.
    • Edited all contacts again on Powerbook.

     

    Syncing correctly has now resumed among all devices and contacts appear to be the same number on all of them.

    As a side effect also automatic backups on the iPhone have restarted regularly.