Database Users

How should I store my contacts?

This is my first Android phone so I'm a little unsure of the following.
I've got a number of contacts that were on my sim card as well as my Google contact list, so now I've got double entries for a number of people. Is it best to just delete the Google contact ones or the sim contacts? Are there any advantages or disadvantages of one over the other? Like for example if I have no network connection does my phone still list the Google contacts?

I went for storing my contacts only on google.
As far as I know contacts are stored on the phone locally, so even if you dont have a network connection, you still have access to your contacts.
As far as duplicate entries, you can choose which contacts are shown on the phone. I would pick a method and stick with it. I've never been a big fan of storing contacts on a sim card. I prefer having them stored in the cloud.

Red Arrow said:
This is my first Android phone so I'm a little unsure of the following.
I've got a number of contacts that were on my sim card as well as my Google contact list, so now I've got double entries for a number of people. Is it best to just delete the Google contact ones or the sim contacts? Are there any advantages or disadvantages of one over the other? Like for example if I have no network connection does my phone still list the Google contacts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look for an app called MyBackup pro which basically helps you to store all kinds of stuff including contacts to the sd card or on its servers.
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.rerware.android.MyBackupPro

I've moved over to storing them on Gmail. For some reason yesterday they all vanished (I had synced them with Outlook too) but the Gmail ones got sync'd back pretty quickly. Then it hooked up with Facebook and put contact profile pictures back in too

+1 for google.
knowing that they are all there and will come back as soon as i sign in, means i am not worried about trying every app under the sun for the first few weeks to see what works, what doesn't and what breaks the phone, knowing i can just hard reset afterwards if the worst happens and everything is back within seconds!!

+1 for gmail. You can edit the phonebook from any web browser. You can force-sync by turning off&on the gmail syncing on the Hero. You can turn off displaying the SIM card contacts in the Peoples app settings, no need to delete them in case you need to use the SIM in a dumb-phone later.

I opted for storing contacts all on gmail and went through the following process.
Sync'ed all my old contacts from previous Kaiser into outlook
Manually updated outlook contacts merging in all google email contacts aswell.
Used HTCSync to update phone with contacts - worked a charm and kept all contact pictures.
Forced a sync with google on my Hero hoping that all new contacts now on my Hero will automatically become updated/created in GMail.
Unfortunately this isn't the case and all emails were sync'ed between gmail and hero, but contacts still only appear on my device.
Have I missed a setting or is it not possible to bi-directionally sync contacts between gmail and hero ?

When you create the calendar/contact item, are you selecting to put it in the google group?
Create a new contact and in Contact type (just below the name) make sure to select Google. It usually defaults to Phone, which only syncs with the god awful HTC Sync software.
once created a contact in the wrong group, you can't change it. delete it and start again.

For those of us a bit paranoid about OUR data, Is there a built in way to sync/export/import data as in Active Sync?
I mean also accessing my data while in out-of-coverage areas, in-flight mode, etc.
Regards.

The data is always available on the phone, no matter whwere you store it.
Just cos it's stored on the google servers does not mean that you can not access it when you are out of service area...that would be stupid.
It just means that instead of you having to hook the phone up to your pc using that god awful HTC Sync software, it syncs automatically to the google servers.It is still stored on the phone locally as well.
Whatever gave you the idea that it would not be?

Looking Glass said:
For those of us a bit paranoid about OUR data, Is there a built in way to sync/export/import data as in Active Sync?
I mean also accessing my data while in out-of-coverage areas, in-flight mode, etc.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your contacts are also stored locally on your phone, so even if you don't have service, you won't lose your contacts.

rhedgehog said:
The data is always available on the phone, no matter whwere you store it.
Just cos it's stored on the google servers does not mean that you can not access it when you are out of service area...that would be stupid.
It just means that instead of you having to hook the phone up to your pc using that god awful HTC Sync software, it syncs automatically to the google servers.It is still stored on the phone locally as well.
Whatever gave you the idea that it would not be?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for explaining, but post #4 above looks scary. Since I don't have any Android phone yet, I thought they might come as the g-mail servers, if you are not online, you can not browse through your "archived" mail.
Regards.

No, they are stored locally.
also, with the mail program, that stores them locally once it has recieved the ones you choose to sync as well.
it's all good!

moved all mine to google
very easy and i love it!

rhedgehog said:
No, they are stored locally.
also, with the mail program, that stores them locally once it has recieved the ones you choose to sync as well.
it's all good!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for info. Still waiting for may Hero....... no chance to try it yet.
Regards.

Does a google contact sync to outlook from the phone?

can i DELETE ALL CONTACTS
I'm having such a hard time with contacts on my hero. Wish I would have just had Sprint transfer them over from my Touch Pro. Anyways, I want ONLY the contacts from my old phone, which have been imported into gmail. Is there a way to delete all the crap that was imported into my contacts from Windows Contacts via HTC Sync? Then I can sync only my google contacts and just live with that.
how do I delete all contacts?

The missing integration between Google and google phone.

The missing integration between Google and google phone.
Being an android phone for seveal months. I feel that there's some missing integration between Google and google phone.
for example:
1. Why can't we sync outlook's memo with Google doc?
2. Why can't we sync outlook's todo list with Google task?(Currently,gTask can do this)
3. Google checkout: Google already got this payment mechanism,but should be integrated with google phone and market.
4. Google books: why can we browse and buy those books on google phone?
5. Youtube: Why can't we pay for TV drama or movie?

matika said:
The missing integration between Google and google phone.
Being an android phone for seveal months. I feel that there's some missing integration between Google and google phone.
for example:
1. Why can't we sync outlook's memo with Google doc?
2. Why can't we sync outlook's todo list with Google task?(Currently,gTask can do this)
3. Google checkout: Google already got this payment mechanism,but should be integrated with google phone and market.
4. Google books: why can we browse and buy those books on google phone?
5. Youtube: Why can't we pay for TV drama or movie?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. why is it phone related if you can't sync between outlook and google?
2. see 1.
3. how do you think paid apps are paid for in the market?
4. can't you browse google books via the website? besides that, there are apps for that on the market...
5. please enlighten me: is it possible at all (i.e. in webbrowser on pc)? tbh, who wants to pay for something and then watch it in youtube quality on a 3" screen?

1. Since PalmOS and WM phone can sync with outlook. Why not google? Many people still rely on outlook for daily work and personal life.
2. See 1.
3. For payment of the market. Please note that there still is still some country without payment mechanism. Like where I come from. I'm not able to buy any AP directly from market.
4. Of course I can browse google books on my PC. But I wish I had a dedicate program to view those book,just like those ebook reader on PalmOS and WM.
5. The movie and TV show on iTunes store would be a good example. Wish we can use it on Android phones.

matika said:
1. Since PalmOS and WM phone can sync with outlook. Why not google? Many people still rely on outlook for daily work and personal life.
2. See 1.
3. For payment of the market. Please note that there still is still some country without payment mechanism. Like where I come from. I'm not able to buy any AP directly from market.
4. Of course I can browse google books on my PC. But I wish I had a dedicate program to view those book,just like those ebook reader on PalmOS and WM.
5. The movie and TV show on iTunes store would be a good example. Wish we can use it on Android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. i'we sync with outlook without any problem, mail, contacts and appointment with HTC sync are always ok.. and when i'm away i use an exchange server and all is fine
2 se 1
3 for payment is not a problem of the phone but is a legislation/country problem, in my country google as discussed with cell operators (safe data transfer with CC an so on) and when as recived the ok google as opened the market to paid apps...
4 there are many ebook reader for adroid...just search!
5 no idea about that, i don't use this...
and at the end why i love so much the iphone or a WM palmOS and u have buyed an android platform?

if you want itunes go get an iphone. the other points are not google's fault.

Lets not get too blinded by our like of our Heros. I am a great fan of this phone and it does most of what I want it to do very well. But the one disapointment is the syncing.
I use the phone for business and leisure and I use Outlook to manage lots of things - it is the industry standard. I need to see those things when on the move - like waiting at an airport or sitting in a train, and my phone is a convenient way of doing that without having to get the laptop out every time. On my previous WM TD using Activsync I could sync across my emails, tasks, contacts and diary. In addition I could choose other Office docs like excel and word files to sync across too.
Now all I can sync across is my contacts and diary. And an additional frustration is that the Quickoffice app for reading word and excel files can't read Office 2007 docs! Sorting that out is not rocket science is it? And it SHOULD be google's responsibility

@peterc10, With 2.1 you can sync exchange accounts. There are several apps on the Market that will allow you to view & even edit any file types that can be create by Office. Last time I checked MICROSOFT made office & Windows Mobile was create by MICROSOFT, so I fail to see Google's requirement to support a none standardized forum like Office 2007 creates.

gu1dry said:
@peterc10, With 2.1 you can sync exchange accounts. There are several apps on the Market that will allow you to view & even edit any file types that can be create by Office. Last time I checked MICROSOFT made office & Windows Mobile was create by MICROSOFT, so I fail to see Google's requirement to support a none standardized forum like Office 2007 creates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Don't use MS exchange, as I said I use Outlook. If there are several apps available perhaps you could point me to them, if it is not too much bother.
I am not sure what your definition of "non-standardised" is but it certainly aint the same as mine if it includes a 3 year old version of the most commonly used office software in the world - i.e. Microsoft Office
Oh and by the way I thought Windows Mobile and Windows may have had some sort of connection, but thanks for letting me know they are both made by the same company - I would never have guessed. But then I guess it must be all my fault . after all Google can do no wrong

peterc10 said:
Now all I can sync across is my contacts and diary. And an additional frustration is that the Quickoffice app for reading word and excel files can't read Office 2007 docs! Sorting that out is not rocket science is it? And it SHOULD be google's responsibility
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can - just get Documents2Go.
Note Quickoffice is not a Google product in the first place - it just so happens that HTC decided to bundle it with the Hero. At present, there is no Premier version of Quickoffice (required for Office 2007 compatibility) for Android.
Regards,
Dave

foxmeister said:
You can - just get Documents2Go.
Note Quickoffice is not a Google product in the first place - it just so happens that HTC decided to bundle it with the Hero. At present, there is no Premier version of Quickoffice (required for Office 2007 compatibility) for Android.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Dave. Others have pointed me to Documents to go so i will investigate that. Any other suggestions on the syncing front would be gratefully received.

Sync Contacts from Tmo Mobilelife to my phone

I can not for the life of me get my contacts to sync from Tmobile website to my phone, it's annoying as hell! How do I get my contacts from the website to my phone? Ive tried everything, including mobile backup.

Raadius said:
I can not for the life of me get my contacts to sync from Tmobile website to my phone, it's annoying as hell! How do I get my contacts from the website to my phone? Ive tried everything, including mobile backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't get it to work either...but when I looked in the list of phones that are able to sync it from the website, there's no WM or other smartphones listed, only dumbphones, mostly samsung and nokia, so I don't know if there's a way (yet) for us to pull them straight from the site yet. And yes, I know there's a mobile backup client on our stock ROMs, but while it seems to update the site list from the phone, I couldn't get it to push them manually from the site.
I didn't even have the "syncronize" button visible on the website until I created a new contact via the site...but then when I hit the button it just sat there and showed the status bar but never did anything.
EDIT: I do see where you can use a .csv file to import contacts, like from outlook etc, but I can't find any way to export to .csv, or any format for that matter (which could then be imported to outlook)

Does the "Microsoft My phone" app work for you?

Same issue here. The phone stays on the "Authenticating user" screen

[Q] microsoft my phone sync

So... I'm 100pct up and running wp7 except for the SD card and I want to eventually set up dual boot with android off the SD card... but I know that's covered on here and I have more reading to do.
BUT... I've searched and browsed and googled and can't find anyone mentioning a similar situation.
I had a hacked tytnII which I used the myphone service for (I also used the it on the hd2 when it had the stock winmo6 on it.)
now that WP7 is on there it's VERY strange... a LOT of my contacts populated... but some were missing pictures and others were not there entirely.
I've clicked around the myphone website and tried to find any kind of settings for it and can't... then I swiped around the phone looking for anything but really can't see where/if there are setting for it.
Is this normal?
PS. I have not outlook install to sync the missing contact... it's not the end of the world but I'd definately prefer not having to enter the 30-40 contacts missing.

Soory to tell you that WP7 doesn't use and cannot access MS MyPhone.

I think, it will be easier to enter 40 contacts manually.
Another way if You don't have WM device:
- Download Windows mobile device emulator (You can find it on Microsft site),
download VirtualPC 2007
- Install both.
- Set up Your virtual WM device;
- Synchronize with Myphone;
- Synchronize with Your e-mail (I used google)
//All Your contacts will be present now on Your mail account
- Synchronize You HD2WP7 with this e-mail account.
it's worth it if You have few hundred contacts in Your address book.
//You'll certainly spend more than one hour doing this
If You have another WM device things will go easier - synchronize it with myphone service and e-mail. than synchronize wp7 to that email

That's insane... what I don't get either is in the settings for the accounts Hotmail says you can sync calender contacts mail etc... but when you click into the submenu the only selectable check box is email.
Under google I can sync contacts and calender.
It turned out that the missing contacts were in fact my google contacts that were not included under "my contacts" (on android you can search for the name and it comes up even though it's not displayed in your list of contacts... I use this for contacts at work that I don't want cluttering up my people list but need to have their numbers accessable... I've just moved them to my contacts in google contacts.
It's insane to me that windows has an online backup system in place that they didn't impliment on their "new" os... what a bunch of idiots.
WP7 has been continuously shocking me with how crappy it is.... I better get reading on how to set up a SD card to boot android... or maybe even just nand it... wp7 looks like it's not going to be worthwhile for at least another year... This OS really kind of sucks. I can't believe Nokia hoped on board.

Thats a pitty youre not able to use WP7, oh well never mind hey.
Now, "My phone" has nothing to do with WP7 it is not linked in anyway, its a service built for WM6, the my phone team are working on a WP7 version
To be honest, im not sure exactly why you are getting workd up with MS on this one, Its live service works fine, it does sync calenders, conacts etc, setup a live account, install outlook or Live mail, sync all existing calender, contacts in to outlook / live, sync live to phone. Its not very hard.
the only thing its really lacking is SMS backup, and some kind of app/settings/files skydrive intigration would be good too. but thats why they are making a new cloudbased backup solution, "my phone" was very limited in its uses, id consider it a test if anything, cloud is the future and myphone was not using all of its potential
anyhow, as i said, its a shame you cant use it because it is actually very good, but thats why our HD2s are so good, we all have a choice.

Contacts from iPhone to Atrix

Ok.... this seems to be giving me the biggest headache yet. I've tried using some of the apps available to sync contacts over-the-air.... only to come up short with chunks of the contacts names missing. I've taken the phone down to AT&T to have them copy the contacts from my iPhone to the SIM for my Atrix, and when i tried texting a friend of mine, it told me the phone number was invalid. Also noticed my contacts that i had multiple numbers for only showed one number, which could be why the text didn't work.... might have been to his home number. Now i've tried sync-ing my iPhone contacts with iTunes using Windows Contacts, went to the contacts folder for my user account on my computer, selected all the contacts, and chose to export them in CSV format, and the Moto Phone Portal utility for importing the contacts in the web browser can't complete it saying it's an invalid format.
Anyone know of an easy way to do so short of typing them all in manually?

elementaldragon said:
Anyone know of an easy way to do so short of typing them all in manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got gmail? you can import the csv directly to there, merge/delete contacts there, and they'll sync.

There's an app I used that let me export my contacts to a .csv file, and sync them with google contacts, which were pushed to my Atrix automatically.

Setting Gmail up on the iPhone as an exchange acct should definitely sync your contacts.

Yea.... but that also leads to it importing every single e-mail address i've ever sent an e-mail to..... which i'd like to avoid, even if there is that option to only show those contacts with a phone number.

elementaldragon said:
Yea.... but that also leads to it importing every single e-mail address i've ever sent an e-mail to..... which i'd like to avoid, even if there is that option to only show those contacts with a phone number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have the option in the Atrix to only show contacts with phone numbers if that's any help.

I gave up and just did it by hand.

Don't!! OMG!! there's a SUPER easy way to do this, and it takes literally a few seconds.
1. You've got your iPhone, Sync it to iTunes (on the computer), THEN choose to sync your contacts with Google contacts.
A- Before doing this, ERASE ALL of your google contacts.
2. After you've synced with the iPhone All of your iPhone contacts will now appear magically in your google contacts in a second.
Then just sign into your atrix and they will all appear on the atrix.
Boom done.

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can use iTunes (version 7.7 or later) to synchronize your Google Gmail contact list with your iPhone or iPod touch address book
Mac OS X
Install iTunes 7.7 or later. The latest version of iTunes is available here.
Connect your iPhone or iPod touch.
Select your iPhone or iPod touch in the device list.
Click the the Info tab.
Select Sync Address Book contacts.
Select Sync Google Address Book contacts.
Click the Configure button.
Enter your Google Gmail ID and password, then click OK.
Sync your iPhone or iPod touch.
Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Install iTunes 7.7 or later. The latest version of iTunes is available here.
Connect your iPhone or iPod touch.
Select your iPhone or iPod touch in the device list.
Click the Info tab.
Select Sync contacts with.
Select Google Contacts.
Enter your Google Gmail ID and password, then click OK.
Sync your iPhone or iPod touch.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1245

computermilk said:
Don't!! OMG!! there's a SUPER easy way to do this, and it takes literally a few seconds.
1. You've got your iPhone, Sync it to iTunes (on the computer), THEN choose to sync your contacts with Google contacts.
A- Before doing this, ERASE ALL of your google contacts.
2. After you've synced with the iPhone All of your iPhone contacts will now appear magically in your google contacts in a second.
Then just sign into your atrix and they will all appear on the atrix.
Boom done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So.... you trade off the lack of useless contacts on the Atrix with the lack of your usual contacts for Gmail. That seems almost counter-productive if you ask me.
I'm just looking for a way to get my contacts, with all their numbers where they should be, and without having to do the whole "Only show contacts with phone number" thing.... and so far none of the logical ways of doing so seem to be doing the logical thing.

elementaldragon said:
So.... you trade off the lack of useless contacts on the Atrix with the lack of your usual contacts for Gmail. That seems almost counter-productive if you ask me.
I'm just looking for a way to get my contacts, with all their numbers where they should be, and without having to do the whole "Only show contacts with phone number" thing.... and so far none of the logical ways of doing so seem to be doing the logical thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
umm did you not read my post?

computermilk said:
Don't!! OMG!! there's a SUPER easy way to do this, and it takes literally a few seconds.
1. You've got your iPhone, Sync it to iTunes (on the computer), THEN choose to sync your contacts with Google contacts.
A- Before doing this, ERASE ALL of your google contacts.
2. After you've synced with the iPhone All of your iPhone contacts will now appear magically in your google contacts in a second.
Then just sign into your atrix and they will all appear on the atrix.
Boom done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would work if my iphone would actually sync with itunes in a timely fashion. I just synced my iphone 3g, to get all my pictures and music, it took 4 hours... IT was quicker for me to do it by hand.

johng75 said:
umm did you not read my post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes... i did. Did you not read mine? The part i quoted was from the post above yours. And the second part i posted was in regards to your post. Kinda would prefer not to have to use the "Only show contacts with phone number" option if i don't have to.... which is exactly what using Google Contacts entails...

btw, when I use to sync Google contacts with my iP4 I never had useless email addresses sitting there. It only saved contacts that I entered and saved intentionally.

Bump app
i just downloaded "Bump" you can get the app for the iphone and for the Android. it took me about 20 sec to transfer aprox 100 contacts with pictures and all info intact.

waltah! said:
btw, when I use to sync Google contacts with my iP4 I never had useless email addresses sitting there. It only saved contacts that I entered and saved intentionally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this.
anyhow just import your csv file to your google account.
if you're concerned about a "clean" sync...simply create a fresh new google account first.

Where is the "Show contacts with phone number only" option on the Atrix?
I just cannot seem to find it!!

tuxgurl said:
Where is the "Show contacts with phone number only" option on the Atrix?
I just cannot seem to find it!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump..... Anyone?

Holy **** guy. We don't need advertisements.
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