Google sync RUINED my contacts

S

sowlerrmgh

macrumors member
This is a post of warning for people thinking of setting up Google Sync on their iphone. I have just done it and it has copied every single email address i have ever sent an email to onto my phone. I now have 1000 contacts instead of my usual 250. Also (at the moment) google doesn't acknowledge more than one mobile phone number so every contact that had more than one mobile phone contact has been deleted, I now have to enter them manually from Address Book on my mac which has them all backed up.

Once I have deleted all the contacts I don't need it will be a really good service, it's just the pain of having to do it now!!!
 
I never thought of that, but it makes sense because Gmail saves like... every email address you have into your contacts.
 
I believe there is a setting in gmail (might be in the Labs) that turns off the feature where gmail address all addresses to your contact list. Sounds like that certainly needs to be turned off before using Google Sync.

Good warning. Thanks.
 
Google Contacts is a hot mess. The Contacts team, if there is one, really needs to fix it and make it a bit more intuitive. I've had Gmail for 5 years now and I refuse to go in there and try to clean it up.

Now, the GCal <-> iPhone Calendar sync? Sliced bread.
 
sowlerrmgh said:
This is a post of warning for people thinking of setting up Google Sync on their iphone. I have just done it and it has copied every single email address i have ever sent an email to onto my phone. I now have 1000 contacts instead of my usual 250. Also (at the moment) google doesn't acknowledge more than one mobile phone number so every contact that had more than one mobile phone contact has been deleted, I now have to enter them manually from Address Book on my mac which has them all backed up.

Once I have deleted all the contacts I don't need it will be a really good service, it's just the pain of having to do it now!!!
Click to expand...
Interesting.

I always clean out my Suggested Contacts, so that did not happen to me.

It sounds like that is what happened.

And as far as the phone numbers, it clearly states that it only supports 1 mobile in the instructions.
 
pacmantech said:
Google Contacts is a hot mess. The Contacts team, if there is one, really needs to fix it and make it a bit more intuitive. I've had Gmail for 5 years now and I refuse to go in there and try to clean it up.

Now, the GCal <-> iPhone Calendar sync? Sliced bread.
Click to expand...

+1. I just sync'd my calendar only and it worked beautifully. I didn't want to mess with my contact. I just don't see the benefit of doing this. However, I don't use iCal on my laptop, but I use Google Calendar (because everyone at work can also access it).
 
sowlerrmgh said:
...every contact that had more than one mobile phone contact has been deleted, I now have to enter them manually from Address Book on my mac which has them all backed up.will be a really good service, it's just the pain of having to do it now!!!
Click to expand...
Assuming you did a sync and backed up all your contacts before doing this, why can't you just do another sync and overwrite the phone contacts with your AB backup?
 
im the only successful google sync user i guess? i musta had auto-add-to-contacts off, because my contacts synced perfectly
 
macfanboy said:
im the only successful google sync user i guess? i musta had auto-add-to-contacts off, because my contacts synced perfectly
Click to expand...
Same here.

No issues at all.

And I think the OP's thread title is beyond misleading.

Google sync didn't ruin anything.

If you deleted your suggested contacts, or, make them real contacts, AND, read and understand the limitations, it works great.
 
sowlerrmgh said:
This is a post of warning for people thinking of setting up Google Sync on their iphone. I have just done it and it has copied every single email address i have ever sent an email to onto my phone. I now have 1000 contacts instead of my usual 250. Also (at the moment) google doesn't acknowledge more than one mobile phone number so every contact that had more than one mobile phone contact has been deleted, I now have to enter them manually from Address Book on my mac which has them all backed up.

Once I have deleted all the contacts I don't need it will be a really good service, it's just the pain of having to do it now!!!
Click to expand...

did you think to read the warnings that google gave when setting up the synce in the first place?
 
My sync experience turned out just fine because when I set it up I turned off contacts. The only bad thing is that you're limited to 5 calendars, I have 6 because of all my classes at school.
 
Not one problem here either! Although, I can't seem to figure out if the address book on my mac now automatically syncs with my Google contacts?

macfanboy said:
im the only successful google sync user i guess? i musta had auto-add-to-contacts off, because my contacts synced perfectly
Click to expand...
 
I was very hesitant to set up the new google sync as well because I knew my gmail contacts were a mess and I'm happy with my current contact list.

So there is a way to only sync calender?

Is it an obvious option to set?
 
Same thing happened to me, but luckily, I had a backup of my contacts on my desktop.

Before doing these types of things (especially with a Beta Product), I would recommend making backups -- both for iCal and Address Book.
 
I didnt have any issues either, i use the gmail as a secondary account anyways but no extra email address were added, nor do i see any option for add email address as contact.
 
kicko said:
I didnt have any issues either, i use the gmail as a secondary account anyways but no extra email address were added, nor do i see any option for add email address as contact.
Click to expand...

thats probably bc you never replied to any/many emails from the gmail webclient or you could have turned that setting off. people that are experiencing this issue have used the gmail web app which added to their contact lists.
 
tombee said:
I was very hesitant to set up the new google sync as well because I knew my gmail contacts were a mess and I'm happy with my current contact list.

So there is a way to only sync calender?

Is it an obvious option to set?
Click to expand...

When you set it up, there are 3 on off buttons on your iPhone.

Mail, Calendar and Contacts.

Turn Mail off obviously since it is not yet supported.

Also turn off Contacts if you don't want to do those.

brn2ski00 said:
thats probably bc you never replied to any/many emails from the gmail webclient or you could have turned that setting off. people that are experiencing this issue have used the gmail web app which added to their contact lists.
Click to expand...
I don't have the option turned off because I can't find the object.

But I did delete all the "suggested" contacts BEFORE syncing.

Suggested contacts are email addresses you have emailed that are NOT attached to a contact.

I would love to know how to turn this off in Google. Where is the option?
 
SO last night i tried to set my wife's iphone up with google sync and it was not so smooth, but still i got it to work. I was nervous because were are using the same pc and same itunes account. As far as normal itunes syncing it sperates both phones so no issues. I was just unsure if google would so the same, you would think so.

Well the 1st attempt would not sync her contacts to google, but it said it did.. mine went so smooth i didnt double check and BAAM i lost her contacts. So after several nasty looks. I tried a 2nd time. That attempt did throw all her contacts and mine to google. I then cleaned out all of mine and proceeded to set up the google sync account on the phone. All works great now.

I only really wanted to set this up so we can you the calendar feature together so its easier to keep track of things between each other. PLus using the contacts having them already in gmail makes for simple invites and events for friends and family.

My qestion was what happens on future backups with itunes will it also back up contacts or i have to depend on google sync forever. Also what happens if you want to undo the google sync? I see no way of disabling the sync without losing the contacts on the phone. To me it looks like a one way street. How would you ever get the contacts back on the phone without google?
 
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