iCloud Contacts failing to sync after High Sierra

to see ~/Library, press the Go in the Finder menu, then press the Option button at same time, voila, the Library item appears. Hope this helps

THANK YOU! After hours of digging across multiple days, weeks, and months...this is the solution that worked for me. Thank you so much.

I have been looking for days to a solution to this problem. Tried many and This is the only solution that has worked for me. I hope it keeps working!!

Thank you, Dave.... Yours was the ONLY solution of several I tried that solved this frustrating problem. Thanks!

Dan, I have same version of ios but do not get an option for "default account"...in contacts.

Hi any idea how to use the console to determine if there is a problem with the sync. I went in and all I could find related to addressbook was this reference: memory high watermark

it’s not in contacts, it’s in settings contacts, like I already said

Sorry that is what I meant. i.e. I followed your instructions but never found the option to set a default account

Apple got back to me and they are still diagnosing the issue; however, this solution worked on my desktop and now contacts are working perfectly fine. Before trying this Apple recommended keeping a back up of contacts and you can do this by going to iCloud.com and the bottom corner you can export the Card file of all your contacts just in case this solution deleted them, but it didn't... Go to the terminal window and type this:

- defaults write com.apple.AddressBook.CardDAVPlugin EnableDebug -bool true
- defaults write com.apple.AddressBook.CardDAVPlugin LogConnectionDetails -bool true

Open the contacts and see if they are working... If the contacts are still not updating then go back to the terminal window and type these commands and close as this will undo the previous two commands. This did not work on my MacBook so a further solution is being worked on. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from Apple.

- defaults delete com.apple.AddressBook.CardDAVPlugin EnableDebug

- defaults delete com.apple.AddressBook.CardDAVPlugin LogConnectionDetails

I am running the new 10.13.3 update and still having the same issue. They too asked me about the internet connection and like you it was the same both the residence and work were not updating contacts.

Apple has escalated this case for me as well and should have a resolve soon.

Yes, when you go to iCloud.com and export the contacts in the form of a vcard it creates one file. The vcard file will say how many contacts it has.

My personal advice is when you are deleting folders and making changes I recommend turning iCloud contacts off in the settings as a precaution in case it starts updating again so you don't lose the contacts.

Thanks Chris. I tried your suggestion but can confirm it made no difference. Looking in the console app (search for Contacts within your system logs) I can see that the mac 'thinks' it's syncing fine. But it just isn't. I've tried this on a variety of internet connections, with and without VPN activated, including now in multiple countries, and can confirm the issue is not related to an internet connection.

The problem is consistent between both of my MacBook Pros (work one and home one).

Changes on either Mac never end up in iCloud or my iPhone

Changes in iCloud got to the iPhone but never to either Mac

Changes on iPhone get to iCloud but never to either Mac

The problem is definitely something to do with syncing between iCloud and High Sierra (the issue never appears on an older iMac running Sierra, only on my laptops running High Sierra).

So we know it's not

* hardware (happens on multiple macs)

* internet (tried on multiple connections, and the problem doesn't happen on Sierra, only High Sierra)

* iCloud (problem is only between High Sierra and iCloud, not iOS and iCloud)

The issue appears to be specific to High Sierra.

I was working with Apple again last night. During this call we looked at some things, deleted a PList for addressbook, it did not work, but I noticed that there was a plugin folder for Skpe Contacts. It got me to thinking, I wonder if there is something in this plugin folder that may be causing the issue. However, I am not sure if you unistall Skpe if this folder is going to go away. The last time that this plugin folder was touched or updated was a year ago for mr, so I am not sure if there is an impact. Just thinking outside the box.

Two solutions helped me to get rid of the problem with sync the contacts:

1. 1. quit Contacts
2. 2. open ~/Library/Containers and delete anything with addressbook in its name
3. 3. open ~/Library/Application Support and delete anything with addressbook in its name
4. 4. open ~/Library/Preferences and delete anything with addressbook in its name
5. 5. open ~/Library/Caches and delete anything with addressbook in its name
6. 6. opened System Preferences : iCloud and uncheck contacts
7. 7. restart your mac
8. 8. when it boots back up open System Preferences :iCloud and check contacts

Turn off iCloud for Contacts in System Preferences > iCloud.

1. 1. Log into iCloud.com > Contacts
2. 2. Select All Contacts > Select All then Select Export.
3. 3. Do the same for each group.
4. 4. Delete all contact data from the cloud.
5. 5. Verify on each device that the cloud is empty.

***Problem Resolved***

I spoke with an Apple Senior Tech Advisor this morning and they were able to resolve the contact issue. Here are the steps the must be taken in the exact order for this to work.

1. Go to iCloud.com and export all your contacts to a safe file, just in case.

2. Turn off iCloud contacts in MacBook preferences so no longer connected to cloud

3. Make sure the MacBook Contacts are empty with zero contacts.

4. Restart computer and reopen contacts to make sure there are zero contacts.

5. open ~/Library/Containers and delete everything with addressbook in its name

6. open ~/Library/Application Support and delete everything with addressbook in its name

7. open ~/Library/Preferences and delete everything with addressbook in its name

8. open ~/Library/Caches and delete everything with addressbook in its name

9. Restart computer (this will restore OS operating files and folders for contacts, but not any contacts)

10. Go to preferences and check the iCloud contacts to update to contact folder.

A few other people have pointed this process out; however, Apple recommends removing contacts then restart and then empty the folders, containers, and preferences... then restarting again.

What is happening is there is an old copy of the contacts that the computer is populating instead of the new contact data feed.

This worked on my MacBook Pro and Desktop.