iCloud Contacts failing to sync after High Sierra

This alleged solution was for a Mac if you are talking about the re-naming of the AddressBook folder (in Application Support or Containers Folders). My fix was renaming the AddressBook folder in the Applicant Support Folder NOT the containers folder. Those fix's worked for me and others... Maybe not for you.

For your iPhone 7 (I am assuming all your devices are on the same Apple ID and Sync is turned on for contacts on all devices in iCloud settings) I would "toggle-off" the contacts sync in iCloud prefs and when ask "keep or delete contacts" choose "delete". Reboot your phone, then "toggle-on" contacts sync in syst prefs. Wait a while depending on # of contacts and Test... If that doesn't do it I would MAKE SURE all contacts are EXACTLY as you want them at iCloud.com (online), then remove all contacts on all devices and reboot each.Turning them on one at a time and testing as you go... These problems were the normal back with all the older services iTools, iSync, MobileMe and it is truly a shame they have returned...

HighSierra now has many of the tools from Server hidden under the hood and I suspect this may be part of the issue...

OMG thank you all who figured out the weird connection to adding an image! I have numerous Macs & devices and never had an issue. I also never bothered much with adding images. Since I got the newest Mac with HS, it was showing some odd image for my main Contact card so I changed it a day or so ago. Everything seemed fine and suddenly yesterday in the midst of updating details in a note on a contact, I got home and it wasn't on my phone or other Macs, nor in iCloud contacts on the web.

I just now deleted the image I put in the contact and it worked!

This is a bizarre kink they definitely need to fix. I keep 99% of the most important stuff in the Contacts notes areas...

I am assuming this is just recent behavior yes? If so, try and recall if you added images to any of your contacts on your Mac (not phone) AFTER you upgraded to High Sierra.

In my case I had only done a couple so they were easy for me to remember and delete this images.

Also I am presuming you're already syncing Contacts in System Pref>iCloud and have Contacts checked, yes?

I would try to delete the images trick before deleting container & library files. Back up your Mac before you delete anything like that!

chrisadamswilson1087 wrote:

Fixing Address iCloud Sync Issue

***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. Empty Trash

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

11. 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 process syncs iCloud contacts that are on your iPhone and iCloud with the Mac Book or Mac Desktop

This appears to be consistently working tonight for me to sync both my primary iCloud contacts and my shared iCloud contacts. Thank you.

(Removing recently updated contact photos only partially fixed the sync issue for me - sync in one direction. I found updates on the Mac did not get sent to iCloud, but updates from iCloud worked.)

Try deleting com.apple.addressbook in Containers.

User's Library/Containers

Log out/in or Restart

Thank you Bryan, I also had used images from Photo's - once removed I'm syncing between MBP, iPhone, iPad and iCloud #happydays as this has been driving me crazy for months.

I'm really convinced at this point that adding an image is the culprit. I tried your solution (along with every other one from the previous 10 pages) and at best, this only works on the first sync (if you have pics on the Mac contacts). Out of curiosity, can you try adding a picture from your Mac to your contacts (this normally shuts down the syncing process for several of us), then try adding new contacts.

So here is my 2 cents. I have seen this happen before, but it was a while ago for me. I took the drastic move and logged out of iCloud on all devices that I have. Then rebooted everything 1 by 1 and logged back into my iCloud account 1 by 1. This did solve my problem. I do not recommend this solution, this is a last ditch move. My guess was there was a bad record/file trying sync somewhere/something. So when I started logging back into iCloud it recreated a record deep in the library that was not synced up correctly. This is just my best guess. I hate when these things happen and there is not concrete reason why.

Very much like this thread. We all know that it has something to do with a photo in the contacts that causes the issue, but what kind of photo, from where etc. I am still working on trying to figure this one out.

@Rob-my suggestion is try and hold off before doing the iCloud log out routine. There had to be something posted somewhere on this.

Deleting iCloud from my Mac (2016 MBP running 10.13.3) seems to have fixed the Contacts not syncing problem for me. iPhone changes download instantly to my Mac, whereas changes to my Mac contact take a little longer to appear on my iPhone but eventually sync up. However, I also remember signing out/in of iCloud a few months ago and it eventually stopped working again. We'll see how long it lasts...

This is exactly the behavior I see. Contacts sync is broken on macOS, probably due to new changes in CloudKit.

For now, while working on macOS, I enter any new contacts or changes through the browser to my appleID login at www.icloud.com

Yes, for those using Apple synchronization for the first time that is a good point... Since the 0P obviously knows how to use Apple services and his question was regarding iCloud contacts synchronization it would go without saying you would have to toggle the contacts checkbox in preferences on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad in order to reset sync. Or, in this case, you simply quit contacts, rename the addressbook folder, and re-launch contacts which rebuilds the addressbook folder and there you have it… Simply checking and unchecking the box fixes nothing. It just starts and stops sink.

Ahh, I don't know those Apps, but do you ever just use plain old "Contacts" app that came with your iPhone? That's what should be syncing with your Mac computer Contacts if you have them both set in their preferences to sync with iCloud.

If you're using the 3rd party "Recent #s" app its possible that may be what's not playing nice with your High Sierra mac. What happens when you add a test contact on your computer and then look in plain old Contacts app on your iPhone?

Not using a third party contacts app... I think you are misunderstanding the earlier instructions. If you added a photo to an iCloud contact after upgrading to High Sierra, you may encounter this bug.

Use the iOS app "Recent #s", or something similar, to determine which iCloud contacts you recently updated after upgrading to macOS High Sierra... remove the photos from any recent contacts, if there are any, and allow to sync again. This might fix the iCloud contacts sync issue.

I'm not having problems with Contacts.....but everything else! For some reason my Mac is not syncing iCloud to my iPhone and iPad(s). I'm real frustrated....but I'm a Computer Engineer. What do you do when something stops functioning? "If all else fails, reboot." So I did. AND everything magically synced properly to all devices....until the next time I added something to iCloud (from my MBP).....it again failed......this time I didn't wait. I rebooted.....and it works! Now, I've searched all the settings and I cannot find any setting that says "Don't sync until the mac is rebooted". So my real question is: Why is my Mac only syncing iCloud AFTER it gets rebooted???? Does anyone know?

ps....Not sure if this helps but it might

In addition to my last post do this

Open iTunes

i have version 12.8.0.150

w phone plugged into mac

click on iphone icon upper left

under “settings”

info

check box

sync contacts

scroll down

check box “add contacts created outside of groups on this iPhone to: “

(choose group)

click sync, done, or apply bottom right

mine works now

tried several of above methods did not work for me