iCloud Contacts NOT Syncing with MAC - FIX

100% agree

Agreed. I cam to the same conclusion independently and have posted in this thread - before reading your comment, I might add. So independent confirmation of your conclusions.

Whatever we all say, Apple doesn't do anything about the problem.

YES !! Success this solution worked well for me thank you! thank you!! thank you!!

how is the antivirus modified??? I believe this is my solution, as i have many updates on my mac address book, which have not been updated to cloud -- and doing the swap ONLY updates mac from teh cloud -- no way to push the mac to cloud...if that makes sense?

So glad I read the comments first. While this solution apparently works, it was too much trouble, not to mention losing the pictures, so I did not try it. However, when I ran across Brian Yip's solution in the comments, I tried that and it worked perfectly. Thank you!

Tom Kenney, this one threw me off for a minute as well. They are not in the main library, but in the user library, which is hidden. To find it, be in the finder, hold down the [Option] key while clicking on the "Go" menu, and select "Library", which will now show up in the list. Now you should be able to find all of the mentioned folders.

I had this same problem and Apple Support advised me to take the same steps the OP proposed. It did, of course, cause the loss of all groups and photos, but I was willing to do it to get rid of the problem.

Unfortunately, after a few months, the problem is right back again.

I think one of the other posters may be onto something about photos causing the problem. I suspect that adding photos on the Mac rather than on the phone may be causing corruption of some contacts, but I can't be certain that's the problem. We do absolutely need a fix from Apple on this.

It would be helpful to be as specific as possible when providing answers. For instance, your step 2 is compound. Is the first half of the sentence just a general comment or is there a means to make sure all contacts are up to date, and if there is, what is that means. Then, how to you "Export ALL" contacts to a vCard? I've looked through all of the menus and combed the window, but there is nothing that I can find that says anything about exporting contacts to a vCard.

I went through this process and it eventually worked but it was a bit messy.

I must have had a corrupted file somewhere because only a portion of the contacts would re-import. I was a bit panicky about the thought of losing several hundred contacts that I needed.

After numerous attempts at importing the various backup files I created, finally one worked, but only after I restored my phone from a backup version.

I had the same issue, but the solution for me was to go into the Contacts preferences, under accounts and change the "fetch" frequency from "automatic" to "every minute" - Then everything synced up.

Might be helpful to some 🙂

Regards,

Brian

I was able to permanent fix this problem without deleting or doing any of the instructions below. If your mac (I have a MacBook Pro) running in High Sierra (2018 model). My contacts were not syncing with my mac, but were syncing with my iPad and Iphone. This is what I did:

1. verified all my contacts were correct on my iCloud account

2.then unselected my iCloud account to sync with contacts in "settings", internet accounts, selected iCloud account and "deselected contacts"

3. Deleted the contacts in my macbook pro

4. logged in to my iCloud again and verified my contacts were still in my iCloud plus I pay to backup my iCloud in case and verified that the last backup was July 1

5. in the bottom of my iCloud went to settings and selected "export vcard"

6. my Contacts were back in my Macbook Pro

7. went back to settings on my macbook Pro and selected settings, and activated contacts under my iCloud account again.

Done! Happy camper! solved it without waisting valuable time going to Apple store and/or on the phone. For some reason you sometimes have a corrupt contact in your mac that doesn't let you sync.

Hope this fix helps others. I usually don't post my fixes, but I thought I would appreciate if someone lent me a hand....

Definitely was photos causing the problem for me. I tried several of the other ideas listed here. What eventually worked was a painful process of going through every one of my Mac contacts to the photo if there was one. Once I'd done that all started syncing again. I suspect it was only a recent updated photo causing the problem, but I didn't know which one so I had to go through the lot.

The other way works as well!

Make sure your iPhone has the same contacts as iCloud.com. Turn off your contacts in the iCloud setting on your phone but KEEP it on your phone (do not use the option 'remove').

The remove all contacts on your Mac which will remove it on iCloud.com as well. If not, remove it there manually as well.

Then turn on Contacts in the iCloud setting on your phone again and choose 'Merge'. After a while they will be back on iCloud.com and download to your Mac. Syncing works again... create a test contact on your Mac and it appears on your phone, create a test account on your phone and it appears on your Mac.

Hello!

This is really, yes really a GOOD trick, answer, ... to restore CONTACTS on your devices! I had this problem too and went trough the same 'CALL-SUPPORT'-CAN'T-HELP from Apple. At least I will be able to reset and sync my contacts once for ever!

Glad to have read your clear explanation!

Thank you!

Pansel