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Help me understand phone contacts vs Google contacts

G

gracey1103

Lurker
Hi! I just joined the world of smartphones and I'm loving my HTC Hero and the Android platform but I'm not understanding all the contacts. I've never been one to keep a very neat & tidy Google contact book (though, I guess it's about time to start), so I'm noticing that now that I've synched my phone with my Google account, I have TONS upon TONS of contacts -- many of which I don't even want in my phone.

Obviously, the phone has added my Gmail contacts. So now, as I'm adding everyone's phone numbers (something I never kept in Gmail), I'm added it to their Google Contacts listing. Is that the best way to do it? I've read a few posts about the topic and I see a lot from people who are previous smartphone users, but what about us newbies?

So my question: Is there a way to make it so Google synchs everything *but* my Google Address Book, allowing me to only have my phone's contact list? Whatabout hiding some contacts? If not, what are your suggestions for managing your Google contacts.

Thanks!
 
Phone contacts are only stored on your phone and would be lost if you had to reset your phone or upgrade the software. Contacts that are set up as google contacts will be saved to your gmail account and could be synced back to your phone. The best way to not sync all of your google contacts to your phone is to set up a contact group in your gmail account, then under your people settings on your phone you can choose to sync only that group.
 
I have set up a second Gmail account, and only use it for the Hero (just the people I call). I don't use it for email, so all my (phone number) contacts are there, so if I get a new android phone, or have to reset, or upgrade the software, or root, and intsall a new ROM, all my contacts are there automatically. I use my other Gmail address for emailing, and those contacts stay there, not added to my phones contact list.
 
when you open People and go to Menu > View there is an option to show auto gmail contacts, uncheck it. at least in 2.1 that's how mine is setup.

I'm not sure if i did it or what, but my Gmail shows a group called "My Contacts" it doesn't contain any of the "auto" contacts. Not sure if i did this somehow with 1.5 previously or what...
 
V425 said:
Phone contacts are only stored on your phone and would be lost if you had to reset your phone or upgrade the software. Contacts that are set up as google contacts will be saved to your gmail account and could be synced back to your phone.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. When I upgraded to 2.1 I would have lost all my phone contacts had it not been for the fact that I had Lookout running ... sync'd them back flawlessly.
 
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