How to sync phone contacts to Google?

W

Werewolfer Guy

New member
Hi all,

While using the Android OS for a couple of months, I found one thing that seems to not working very great with my HTC Hero.

I have imported my contacts from my Addressbook (Mac) to Google Mail. From there I set up a sync with my Hero. So all contacts are copied/synced nicely to my Hero.

But in time I also added new contacts in my phone, however they appear only to be in the Phone Memory and will not be synced to Google Mail.
When I add a contact my hero only give me the option to store in in the phone- or sim-memory and it does not sync it to Google Mail/Contacts.
So in my Contacts list you see behind a lot of names Google and a few contacts (I personally added) names Phone.

How can I add the functionality to store my 'internal' contacts to Google Mail automaticely? Because I like the way to keep it in sync so I always have a backup of my contacts and also to assign e-mail adresses to my contacts.

I hope this question is clear and somebody can help me out with this issue
 
I don't understand how you can have this problem. You need to have a Google account to use the phone, and (unless you've turned it off) it will automatically sync your contacts with your Google account.

Check to see if you have turned synchronization off for contacts by going to Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Data synchronization. Make sure Auto-sync, and Contacts, are both on (green tick in their boxes). Ideally, everything in that list should be on.

Do you get email on your phone sent to your GMail account?
 
Yes, I have a Google account.
In the settings everything is checked (Gmail, Agenda and Contacts). I also receive my email and the calendar works fine, everything syncs flawless. If you see the data synchronisation settings, it also tells me that today it has synced my contacts a few hours ago. Gmail also works without any problems. If I send an e-mail to someone from my phone I can see it on the Gmail website too.

The problem is, that my phone stores contacts that I create on the phone in the phone memory and not on the Google (?) memory.

I have uploaded some screenshots for you.

In "snapshot.jpg" you will see that everything is synced correctly.
In "snapshot (1).jpg" you will see that in this example one contact is stored on the phone memory (telefoon).
In "snapshot (2).jpg" you will see that I have got only 2 options to create a new contact and choose to store it. Telefoon (Phone) and Simcard.

So what am I doing wrong?
If I create a contact from within Gmail does sync to my phone. But creating a contact on my Hero it won't sync it to Gmail.
 
That's strange. Everything seems correct. However, I'm not familiar with your version of Android and/or the UI. When I go to Contacts on my phone I just have a list of contacts. I don't see "Telefoon" or "Google" on the right of each contact. It's just blank for me.
 
If you go to Applications -> Contacts you will get a different contacts screen than if you just press Contacts on the homescreen.

But if you add a new contact, do you have the choice to store it on google (see screenshot 3)? Maybe I am missing some option?
 
I don't have a contacts icon on my home screen. I can only get to it by pressing the Call button, or by going to Applications -> Contacts. Both are the same for me.

If I go to Applications -> Contacts -> Menu -> New contact, I don't have any option to choose where to store it. It seems to go to the phone + Google, but it doesn't say it's doing this.

What version of Android are you using? Are you using a custom Home application or maybe the Sense UI?
 
I am familiar wit this UI that is Hero in a different language, when it asks you where u want to store it just select tetlfoon, if u like go to settings-data sync and force it to sync. Maybe he means the contacts widget.
 
@extorian,
It is Android OS 1.5 in the Dutch language with Sense UI from HTC. Should be alright I guess. Only thing I use is the Modaco custom rom, which just adds some functionality. I don't know if that could be the cause of the problem.

@djunio,
I tried force syncing, as far as I can see it does syncs successfully, but somehow I guess that the contacts I create myself will just stay on the phone, like it's a different part of the contacts or something. I just don't get it. It has never worked for me as of yet and I really would like it to work :/
 
Yeah - that's two negative things I've heard about Sense this week. The first was that the LED can't be used for custom notifications (i.e. you can't have green for email, purple for an SMS, blue for a new Tweet, etc etc), and now no proper Google sync.
 
But how do I make sure I will always save my contacts as Google contacts in the future? Because I don't have such option.. Man this really is a let down..
 
don't know about the contacts that are stored in the phone's memory, but for those that are stored on the sim card you can try sim manager, you can use a built in command to copy all the contacts from phone's memory to sim card, and then use sim manager to sync them with google contacts. here is a link on how sync
http://www.lazybit.com/index.php/2010/02/03/google-contacts-sim-card-sync-tool?blog=2
 
HTC Desire. Google Contacts on pc (and laptop) and phone.

These USED TO sync okay between each media. Whatever I changed on the pc/Laptop, would be reflected on the phone, and whatever I changed on the phone, would be reflected on the pc/Laptop. For the last week or so this has not been happening. Whether I change, add, or delete, on the pc/laptop or mobile phone, these changes are NOT reflected on the other media :-(
The CALENDAR still syncs okay between the phone and pc/laptop.

Now, is this a phone issue? A Google issue? A sync issue? Has anyone else been having this problem, and have they been able to resolve this??

Thanks in anticipation,
 
Yes. Everything is set to sync as normal I have since found that if I add on my phone, then it is since to pc/laptop (cloud?) but will NOT sync TO my phone
:-(, running 2.2 by the way

Cheers
 
And without meaning to be patronising or stating the obvious, I take it you did click the Save button on the contact in Google? Did you wait a few minutes then try turning off and back on the Contact syncing option in your phone (this forces it to re-sync).
 
"Extorian" (Ii, cheeky!) ;-),

No problem. "If you don't ask the question".....
Everything was saved as it should be, although the desktop app now does so automatically, but 'yes', I did hit the save button too. As I ADDED TO MY POST, I AM able to create on the phone, snd then that IS reflected on the desktop, but it does NOT work from pc to phone :-(. Calendar works fine, both ways.

Cheers for your interest.
 
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