iCloud Contacts failing to sync after High Sierra

I have found a solution that works for me.

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

I was working directly on a user's Mac and saw the problem first hand. He has 4 devices. Sync works on 2 devices (all Sierra) but on the other two only contacts are partially syncing and no groups. One device is a brand new iMac. So new Mac, new User, no import, connect to iCloud and he gets approx half of the contacts and no groups. All this points to iCloud as the source of the problem.

We talked with Apple and they were unable to fix and agreeded that there is a problem on the cloud with his data. His issue has been sent to the tech guys for iCloud and we expect an answer in a few days.

It's possible you are experiencing the same issue. I suggest you call Apple Support and report your issue. the more reports they get the higher it will go on the list to fix.

BugReporter http://bugreporter.apple.com

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Mac OS X Feedback (no account needed)

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

From my general experience, I believe the following steps could fix the issue.

Turn off iCloud for Contacts in System Preferences > iCloud.

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

Step 2) Test in a new User

Move the archived data you exported from the cloud to the Shared Folder. Data in the Shared folder can be accessed by another User. When you "Switch Users", you can access the files in the shared folder.

Your Hard Drive/Users/Shared

• Log into a new User. Log into iCloud and select only contacts to sync.
• Open Contacts.app - verify that it is empty
• Drag from Shared the archived contact data to the Desktop
• In Contact under File in the Menu bar, select Import. Navigate to the Desktop and select the All Contacts first.
• Did the imported contacts go to "On My Mac" or to iCloud?
  * If iCloud, wait until it completes sync, then check in your browser that the contact synced.
  * If "On My Mac", drag to iCloud. Wait until it completes sync, then check in your browser that the contact synced.
• Add a contact in Contacts then verify in browser to make sure it synced.
• In Browser, edit the contact you just added then check back in Contacts that the edits synced.
• Next, import your groups. Move to iCloud if needed.
• Verify that you can edit/add on Contacts and in iCloud.com that changes are synced.
• Log out of Test
• Log into your regular User

If all this works in the Test user, you will need to wipe the data for Contacts in your regular user, empty the trash, restart then check sync for Contacts in System Preferences > iCloud. All the data you imported in Test should download to your regular User.

Update to this. I've found that the syncing worked once, then does not continue to work. Contacts I add to my phone end up in iCloud.com but they never reach either of my macs. Contacts entered into either mac never reach iCloud.

....the process of trying to fix this issue I lost my whole desktop folders

This sounds like you selected to sync Desktop & Documents folders.

If you did you can find your Desktop folders in the sidebar under iCloud.

Uncheck the option then you can move the data back to the default location.

Jackbox1, Yes, "~" equals the "users" Library -NOT- the HD Library. It may be very true that AddressBook resides in the "containers" -ONLY- folder on a newer system... I think the problem that the OP is having is on a older system that has migrated from previous OS installs BEFORE Apple re-organised (basically) Everything... As you can see (in my screen grab), AddressBook is in the User/Library/Application Support folder on my MBP as well as many other Macs in my home and business... *NOTE - The other mentioned "AddressBook" folders in the containers folder ARE ON MY MAC'S TOO... Again, here-in lies the problem... Apple's migration, over time, has left things behind... IMHO...

Again, Quitting Contacts, Renaming the AddressBook folder (in the Application Support folder) then. Launching Contacts and letting AddressBook re-create itself and sync-up WORKED for me as a permanent fix... If there are issues you still have the "Re-named" folder as a backup... This is the fix until Apple does it right... Macsterguy :-)

(by "~" i'm assuming you mean the name of your computer...mine is "Macintosh HD" ??...so "Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support" right ??)

Dan it looks like you found the correct folder but for anyone following this thread....

The ~ (tilde) is shorthand for your User's folder. That's the folder with the House icon.

There are three Library folders on your Mac:

Applications

Library

System > Library

Users > You > Library

The User's Library folder is hidden by default. To unhide:

Option 1) Select the Finder in the Dock. Under Go in the Menu bar > hold down the Option key and you’ll see the Library.

Option 2) You can also select the Home folder in the sidebar of a Finder window.

Pull down the “View” menu and select “Show View Options”

Check the box for “Show Library Folder”

Most likely you are looking in the wrong Library. There are 3 library folders. You need to look in your User's Library.

Macintosh HD Root folders

Applications

Library

System > Library

Users > Library

Show User's Library

The User's Library folder is hidden by default. To unhide:

Option 1) Select the Finder in the Dock. Under Go in the Menu bar > hold down the Option key and you’ll see the Library.

Option 2) You can also select the Home folder in the sidebar of a Finder window.

Pull down the “View” menu and select “Show View Options”

Check the box for “Show Library Folder”

Most likely you are looking in the wrong Library. There are 3 library folders. You need to look in your User's Library.

Macintosh HD Root folders

Applications

Library

System > Library

Users > Library

Show User's Library

The User's Library folder is hidden by default. To unhide:

Option 1) Select the Finder in the Dock. Under Go in the Menu bar > hold down the Option key and you’ll see the Library.

Option 2) You can also select the Home folder in the sidebar of a Finder window.

Pull down the “View” menu and select “Show View Options”

Check the box for “Show Library Folder”

Try deleting com.apple.addressbook in Containers.

User's Library/Containers

Log out/in or Restart

Hmm...anything's worth a shot.

I was just reading this tread Problems adding a new contact since upgrading to high Sierra?

It's not completely the same problem because it's to do with syncing contacts to Google, but I wonder if the problem has the same root cause...

Two points:

Others prior thought they had a solution, only later for the malady to

resurface later.

a 'real fix' needs to be integrated into macOS and/or iOS. for each

troubled soul reporting here, we can assume many more have the condition

and are unaware. This needs a real software fix.

On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 11:12 AM, Apple Support Communities Updates <

Jan 18, 2018 12:13 PM <https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8086745?answerId=32891096022#32891096022>in <https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8086745>

Spoke with Apple support and seem to have solved problem so far.

1. Go to system preferences

2. go to iCloud and uncheck all boxes

3. sign out of icloud on the left bottom of screen

4. close system preferences

5. now open system preferences click on icloud and sign in.

6. now click on all the boxes of programs in the window on right side

7. open Contacts and now your iCloud contacts should sync.

The support person I spoke with was very helpful, but he nor his supervisor had dealt with this problem. Their quidance and the way they worked through the problem was successful so far. Spent 45 mins on phone trouble shooting with them trying multiple ways to work the problem

I had this problem and contacted support. After trying a few typical things like disabling and re-enabling contacts in the iCloud pref pane, and deleting the Containers folders as mentioned in a previous reply, we found this solution to work:

• Log out of iCloud
• Delete all caches from ~/Library/Caches
• Restart
• Log back in to iCloud

m

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.