iCloud contacts do not sync on macOS Sierra

The contact.app on my mac does not download the new contacts that I have added to iClound via iPhone. I am sure the contacts are added successfully as I have checked on iCloud.com.

I have also check and unchecked "Enable this account" (iClould Account) in Contacts.app preference but it does not work. The Fetch setting is set to "Automatically" or "Every minute" but neither solves the problem.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), macOS Sierra (10.12)

Posted on Sep 25, 2016 8:26 PM

Top-ranking reply

Azezul

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Oct 6, 2017 2:34 PM

For anyone else having this issue who has already tried turning everything off and on etc, I found the cause of this for me was actually because the contacts were being saved to the wrong account.

When I added my companies Exchange email account to my iPhone it changed my settings to make that account my default for adding contacts.

This meant every contact I added was being saved to my work email account, and not my iCloud account. Meaning they wouldn't sync across to my other devices.

Just go into settings, contacts, and change the default account back to iCloud (you will need to re-add those contacts to your iCloud account though)

Hope this helps.

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67 replies

May 26, 2017 11:24 AM in response to nectarina

Hum... When I reopen the Contacts app, it did NOT create a new folder it shows only "No Contacts"

Jon64

Level 1

50 points

May 29, 2017 5:26 AM in response to nectarina

Perfect solution. 🙂

Hond70

Level 1

15 points

Jun 9, 2017 2:14 PM in response to VickeVireG

Great! Thanks VickeVireG. That worked like a charm!

Tried first the solution of renaming the address book folder, but it didn't work

Jul 21, 2017 2:11 AM in response to nectarina

Its perfect, thats work for me 🙂

many thanks

Oct 4, 2017 12:36 PM in response to nectarina

Thanks, it solved my problem.

All connexion/deconnexon to iCloud did not change anything.

Renaming the contact library and open the app again refresh the folder, and it's now all ok.

Thanks.

Oct 5, 2017 10:28 AM in response to Z-Ray

Open contacts. Import the list you saved on your Mac.

Done.

Oct 30, 2017 3:26 AM in response to nectarina

Thanks for this. The only solution that worked for me (High Sierra).

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iCloud contacts do not sync on macOS Sierra