Level 1

43 points

iCloud Contacts NOT Syncing with MAC - FIX

This is not a question but a fix...

After spending HOURS on-line with Tech support and then eventually being disconnected with no help, I managed to find a fix.

The Issue:

On initial setup MacBook Pro with High Sierra downloads contacts from icloud.com

However subsequent entries and/or edits made on iPhone are not replicated to MacBook Pro address book. These changes are instantly visible on iCloud.com

Changes made to contacts on MacBook Pro are NOT visible in iCloud.com

Proposed Fixes (didn't work):

Spent about 2 hours with 4 different Apple advisors, who were no help. Last chap who was a supervisor (Jeremy) just d/c me.

I was even advised to re-install macOS which I did, but made no difference.

I also deleted the com.apple.addressbook in ~/Library/Containers. restarted etc...

This took me back to stage one, where contacts are pulled down fine but no subsequent changes are reflected in address book.

The Fix that DID work:

1. Log into iCloud.com > Contacts.

2. Make sure ALL your contacts are up to date on ICLOUD.com then Export ALL contacts to vCard which will then be downloaded to Mac nice and safe!

3. DELETE all contacts from iCloud.com

4. wait a few minutes for contacts to disappear from your iPhone etc...

5. IMPORT the contacts which were downloaded to your Mac, BACK into iCloud.com

6. MacBook Pro address book will now populate, along with your iPhone, iPad etc.

😁 ALL FIXED! 🙂

REMINDER: MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CONTACTS ARE UPTO DATE ON ICLOUD.COM before DELETING them!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.1), null

Posted on Nov 27, 2017 9:47 AM

Top-ranking reply

Brian Yip

Level 1

21 points

Posted on Mar 17, 2018 9:33 AM

I have this problem on my iMac but not on my MacBook and iPhone.

I found this solution which does not require deleting all the iCloud contacts and this solution can keep all the contact photos.

This is copy from:

Re: iCloud Contacts failing to sync after High Sierra

I have found a solution that works for me.

quit Contacts
open ~/Library/Containers and delete anything with addressbook in its name
open ~/Library/Application Support and delete anything with addressbook in its name
open ~/Library/Preferences and delete anything with addressbook in its name
open ~/Library/Caches and delete anything with addressbook in its name
opened System Preferences : iCloud and uncheck contacts
restart your mac
when it boots back up open System Preferences :iCloud and check contacts

a little spinner spins saying "setting up"

Once that's done then open Contacts and wait. I have around 5000 contacts so it took about 10 minutes to fully sync.

View in context

95 replies

Pansel

Level 1

4 points

Aug 7, 2018 11:02 PM in response to brianfromhobro

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

Level 1

4 points

Aug 7, 2018 11:05 PM in response to Pansel

Hello all Mac and Other people with this Contact-Sync problem,

Which seems to be old fashion but CAN be a great help is to PRINT all the contacts and put them on a safe place...

One can compare which contacts didn't sync and which not. It is also fine to HAVE the Contacts 'for real'.

Thanks to all of you!

Pansel

DaveCee

Level 1

8 points

Aug 8, 2018 2:18 PM in response to DaveCee

One thing I should add. When I deleted all the contacts on my Mac, I then checked iCloud.com and discovered two "rogue" contacts still up there - so, I deleted them manually, as suggested. It was the rogues that I believe caused the sync failure in the first place....Now, AOK as mentioned previously.

Dr.Hook

Level 1

4 points

Aug 8, 2018 2:52 PM in response to Hoppla

Actually, after some testing I see that the contact photos are good. The exercise did not remove them.

They get synced with your iPhone in the first place and re-synched to iCloud.com after turning the iCloud setting back on.

Aug 9, 2018 2:32 AM in response to ashr1uk

I have had the same problem, but didn't want to go to some of the extreme lengths suggested below. I have a mac mini, a MacBook pro and several iPads and iPhones. My mac mini is my most used machine, living on my desk, and it was from that that contacts were not syncing. A few users have commented on there being a possible issue with photos in contacts, so I thought I'd test that. I only had one contact with a photo assigned - my own. I deleted the 'my card', then recreated it without a photo. Hey presto! All worked fine. I then added the same photo via my iPhone to my contact, and all is still syncing and working - so there is I suspect some issue with older macs running the latest IOS that means adding photos to contacts causes a problem. Pretty simple fix, but an irritating bug that took a long time to resolve. I would suggest that anyone having this issue at least tries this fix before resorting to some of the other more drastic solutions suggested in this post.

Dr.Hook

Level 1

4 points

Aug 30, 2018 12:18 PM in response to fratkid21

Hi, why would you wanna export your contacts.

You need to deselect the iCloud for Contacts on your iPhone (don't remove them from there). Then they are saved only on your iPhone.

Then u delete the iCloud Contacts which and also remove them on your Mac.

Then you turn on iCloud for Contacts on your iPhone again and select 'Merge'.

Voila, they will appear on your iCloud and on your Mac again.

Sync works again.

I've already described this procedure in one of my posts.

ndocds

Level 1

7 points

Nov 15, 2018 4:01 AM in response to ashr1uk

So, this worked for me and I wanted to share.

While doing some investigating I found that I had a separate carddev account under "internet accounts" that was exactly the same as my iCloud. At somepoint a separate login for the same account.

1. Delete the two contacts in the contacts app

2. Close Contacts App

3. Turn off iCloud contacts

4. remove extra account under Internet accounts

5. Enable iCloud

This solved it for me.

Doeh

Level 1

13 points

Dec 20, 2017 4:25 AM in response to ashr1uk

worth to mention that all Contact pictures will be gone afterwards.

alwinoei

Level 1

35 points

Mar 8, 2018 2:24 AM in response to ashr1uk

I can't believe to fix this important issue one needs use a trick. Why doesn't Apple implement this important issue in the next IOS Update? I can't do this trick with icloud.com each time as i change/add contacts in my Mac.

Mar 29, 2018 7:20 AM in response to ashr1uk

Cheers, somehow only deleting the contacts on my Mac, started syncing again.. but I didn't know ! and still ended up deleting all my iCloud contacts.

it did fix it, but as lots of other people said, the contact pictures are gone. hehe

cheers

igima

Level 1

11 points

May 8, 2018 3:58 AM in response to Edward Evans1

I agree. Syncing has been working perfectly until the day a system update messed with it. The fix is up to APPLE, not to me or to any other customer.

May 12, 2018 4:03 AM in response to RLevitz

This worked for me. My iOS devices where syncing with iCloud. It was just the Mac OS one that was causing my problem. This was a quick, safe fix.

May 12, 2018 6:13 AM in response to RLevitz

Help.

I cannot find an AddressBook folder in Application Support. I am running OS 10.13.4

May 16, 2018 7:59 AM in response to Brian Yip

YES! This worked. Thank you Brian Yip!

May 16, 2018 1:34 PM in response to Brian Yip

Help.

I cannot find "~/Library/Containersan AddressBook", or "~/Library/Application Support", or "~/Library/Preferences", or "~/Library/Caches."

I am running OS 10.13.4

Help.

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iCloud Contacts NOT Syncing with MAC - FIX