How to sync contacts between iCloud and Gmail with Mavericks [duplicate]
I recently started using the Gmail app on my iOS devices because it has better search functionality than the native Mail app. However, that means that when I'm writing emails the app is using my Gmail contacts and not the local phone contacts, which is annoying. The solution is to keep my iCloud contacts, which currently sync between my Mac and my iOS devices, in sync with Google as well. What is the best way to do this? It appears that I can sync my computer's local contacts using Address Book, but that won't help with my contacts which are stored in iCloud.
I found it quick and easy to go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, & Calendars -> Add Account -> Other -> Add CardDAV Account (under Contacts). Type google.com as Server, then type your Google email as username, password and click Done.
I had to use the application specific-password because I have a 2-step verification security setting with google but apart from that it was the easiest and quickest way I have seen yet.
Here's a way that works effectively, but can be time consuming, so just warning all you guys.
First, you go to iCloud.com and sign in. Go to your Contacts, and select all of them by pressing Ctrl + A. Then, you press that little gear button in the lower left-hand corner and click Export vCard.
Now that you've downloaded your vCard file with all your contacts, you're probably wondering why there's only one file. I advise you not to open it. It will open this huge number of windows that you have to close one by one, which is especially tedious if you have a lot of contacts. I had to learn the hard way, so just a warning for you curious bunch that likes to click random things!
Anyway, that aside, go to Google Contacts and click that tab on the right that says More. Click Import, and it should tell you to go to the old Contacts page, so do that and click Go to old Contacts. Click the Import Contacts... button on the lower left-hand corner, and select your file that you just downloaded from iCloud. It should import all your contacts into your Google account. Yay!
Also, about duplicates, there should be a notification saying to merge your duplicates. You should probably do that. You can also merge duplicates in the new Contacts page by clicking that tab thing on the right.
If you are going to use the native Mail app for your iPhone or Mac, just go to Settings and disable contacts for your iCloud account. That way, if you add a new contact, it'll go straight to your Google account!
I have this setup too and using an Exchange account only for syncing contacts between Google and my iPhone.
The process is described here:
http://support.google.com/a/users/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138740
So I set up an Exchange account but ONLY syncing contacts.
Another video version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVEf-skW-Kg
I have used SyncMan to do exactly this in the past. SyncMan offers bidirectional sync that will offer you the opportunity to confirm changes (definitely a plus when syncing two differing address books!). However, I don't use the bidirectional sync feature. Instead, I do the following:
- Add/Edit all my contacts only in Apple's iCloud Contacts
- Setup SyncMan to perform a uni-directional sync from iCloud to Google
This allows me to have my contacts accessible in Google and avoid any sync conflicts that may arise from bidirectional sync.
Give the software a try (they offer a thirty day trial) but before you do (and as with any new program) make a backup of your data:
- Open Contacts.app
- File > Export... > Contacts Archive...
NOTE: This solution requires you to use your Mac to sync to Google.
A great way to do it is via a new third-party webapp ('ShuttleCloud') officially integrated now in Google Contacts.
Step 1:
Go to https://contacts.google.com
Step 2:
Under the side menu on the left go to 'More' then 'Import'. Select 'Other email provider' (where Apple is mentioned) and input your Apple iCloud address (you had to choose an @icloud.com username when creating your iCloud account, find it at https://appleid.apple.com if nowhere else), follow the prompts and it will neatly import all iCloud account contacts into Google Contacts
Step 3:
Google Contacts then conveniently shows you that some imported contacts may need to be merged with existing ones (maybe ones from an earlier sync). The interface is clean and successful and you can manually merge individual contacts or do all at once after perusing the list.
This is by far the quickest and cleanest method I have found thus far, finally in 2016.