I have a MacBook Air, iPhone Mini 12 and a M2 Mini, all sync'd to an iCloud account.
Back in November, I noted that my Contacts on the Air and the Mini were starting to see duplicate Lists/Groups show up. Also some Contacts - but not all. Not the case however with my Mini. I went to the online iCloud, and noted the same issue. Laboriously - because there were so many and one is unable to bulk delete Lists/Groups - I removed all the duplicates. This showed up on the Air and iPhone. Good.
A couple of days later, I noted they were showing up again. Tried a different route - again deleted the duplicates in online iCloud, let the changes show up on the devices and then turned off the sync on my MacBook (making sure to to copy the Contacts to 'On My Mac'). A day later, duplicates were again showing up on the online iCloud and on the iPhone. Deleted them online, let it take effect on my iPhone, and turned off the sync on my iPhone.
And a reminder, none of this duplicate activity was showing up on my Mini at all.
A couple of days later, and duplicates are again showing up in online iCloud. Its about then I contact Apple Support and, seeing the issue, immediately escalate the matter up the food chain. Describing (and they viewing the issue remotely) they suggested I do what I had already done, and I told them so. And they were totally baffled as to why whatever was happening on iCloud was not replicating on Mini's Contacts. They even suggested a purge of my entire Contacts List, but weren't even sure that could be done - even at their Engineering level. And whatever copying of my Contacts List I was to do would certainly lose the Lists / Groups, and they have to be rebuilt manually. I even voiced the idea about creating a whole new iCloud account and moving my whole service there. No enthusism for that at all from Apple.
In the end, I ended up with my Air and iPhone disconnected from sync with iCloud, but with intact (and non-duplicated) info in them. Mini operating as normal.
A week or so ago and out of curiousity, I went into my online iCloud > Contacts. Literally dozens of Lists / Groups duplicates as well as many more duplicates of different Contacts. Contacted Support again. Talked though history of issue, Support exploring issue with screen share - and they left completely baffled. Again. And I again proposed shifting to a new iCloud account. And it was here we found a workaround.
I have always had a separate iCloud account for App Store / iTunes, etc purchases. We signed into that on my iPhone and added Contacts to it. Within moments, my iPhone had populated that account's Contacts with my phone's contacts - as well as the Groups. This even surprised Support. Then signed my Air into that, an it all sync'd across. Ditto Mini (turning of original iCloud Contacts sync'ing first). All other iCloud syncing remain with the original account. Its all a bit of a bodge job, but days later and no duplication is showing up in Contacts whatsover. Only drawback - I can't use my original @icloud.com address in this iCloud account via online. Wants me to create a new address. Okay on devices, though - so that's fine.
Meanwhile, in an effort to just cut down on the amount of iCloud real estate, we then deleted all of my Contacts (and their many duplications) from original account, but Lists / Groups will require individual deletion - and because of the duplication, that's something like 2000 (on was should be 25) individual deletions! That'll take more time than I had available. Apple Support made aware that the inability to group delete Lists / Groups (as one can do with indidual Contacts) a bad idea.
And they still have no idea why online iCloud Contacts created all the duplications. Ain't Technology Grand?
Back in November, I noted that my Contacts on the Air and the Mini were starting to see duplicate Lists/Groups show up. Also some Contacts - but not all. Not the case however with my Mini. I went to the online iCloud, and noted the same issue. Laboriously - because there were so many and one is unable to bulk delete Lists/Groups - I removed all the duplicates. This showed up on the Air and iPhone. Good.
A couple of days later, I noted they were showing up again. Tried a different route - again deleted the duplicates in online iCloud, let the changes show up on the devices and then turned off the sync on my MacBook (making sure to to copy the Contacts to 'On My Mac'). A day later, duplicates were again showing up on the online iCloud and on the iPhone. Deleted them online, let it take effect on my iPhone, and turned off the sync on my iPhone.
And a reminder, none of this duplicate activity was showing up on my Mini at all.
A couple of days later, and duplicates are again showing up in online iCloud. Its about then I contact Apple Support and, seeing the issue, immediately escalate the matter up the food chain. Describing (and they viewing the issue remotely) they suggested I do what I had already done, and I told them so. And they were totally baffled as to why whatever was happening on iCloud was not replicating on Mini's Contacts. They even suggested a purge of my entire Contacts List, but weren't even sure that could be done - even at their Engineering level. And whatever copying of my Contacts List I was to do would certainly lose the Lists / Groups, and they have to be rebuilt manually. I even voiced the idea about creating a whole new iCloud account and moving my whole service there. No enthusism for that at all from Apple.
In the end, I ended up with my Air and iPhone disconnected from sync with iCloud, but with intact (and non-duplicated) info in them. Mini operating as normal.
A week or so ago and out of curiousity, I went into my online iCloud > Contacts. Literally dozens of Lists / Groups duplicates as well as many more duplicates of different Contacts. Contacted Support again. Talked though history of issue, Support exploring issue with screen share - and they left completely baffled. Again. And I again proposed shifting to a new iCloud account. And it was here we found a workaround.
I have always had a separate iCloud account for App Store / iTunes, etc purchases. We signed into that on my iPhone and added Contacts to it. Within moments, my iPhone had populated that account's Contacts with my phone's contacts - as well as the Groups. This even surprised Support. Then signed my Air into that, an it all sync'd across. Ditto Mini (turning of original iCloud Contacts sync'ing first). All other iCloud syncing remain with the original account. Its all a bit of a bodge job, but days later and no duplication is showing up in Contacts whatsover. Only drawback - I can't use my original @icloud.com address in this iCloud account via online. Wants me to create a new address. Okay on devices, though - so that's fine.
Meanwhile, in an effort to just cut down on the amount of iCloud real estate, we then deleted all of my Contacts (and their many duplications) from original account, but Lists / Groups will require individual deletion - and because of the duplication, that's something like 2000 (on was should be 25) individual deletions! That'll take more time than I had available. Apple Support made aware that the inability to group delete Lists / Groups (as one can do with indidual Contacts) a bad idea.
And they still have no idea why online iCloud Contacts created all the duplications. Ain't Technology Grand?