Help I'm desparate -- contacts are a mess

[saintdanbert]

Can someone explain how and when "Android contacts" sync with the Google or Gmail mother ship?

For example, I get a call from a stranger. Caller-id provides the number.
I decide to save this into my contacts. I get the option to save to SIM or save to Phone without mention of Google.

I choose to save to the phone because I can store more details. Eventually, I might copy that contact to SIM ... just in case.

Eventually, I find out that the contact has been sync'd to my Gmail contacts behind the scenes. How do I know? I view the contact and see at least two links -- one phone and one google.

I'm completely confused.
~~~ 0;-Dan

 

[La Luna]

I used an app called Contact Remover (free) from the Market to get rid of the duplicate contacts. It was driving me nuts too.

 

[CrimsonPride]

im on a custom rom but i believe it works stock too. if you go to your contacts, press the menu button, select more, select display options, you can go to your google account and unselect it so it doesnt appear in your list

 

[saintdanbert]

Thanks to all for responding. It seems I need to clarify "mess."

After a long series of copy-to and copy-from and sync-to and sync-from
not only do I have multiple copies of the details for the same contact, but one copy has this detail another copy has those details still another has a photo still another has web and social site details.

The bottom line is that a simple duplicate removal causes data loss.
If I had a complete deck of v-cards or a CSV file, I could edit and consolidate then "import" or similar.

I find utilities for copy-SIM-to-phone.
I find utilities for export Gmail(tm) contacts to vCard and other formats.
How do I force copy from phone to Gmail?
How do I cause contact-pix and notes and similar to reach Gmail?

Thanks,
~~~ 0;-Dan

 

[sremick]

How do I force copy from phone to Gmail?

Export from phone to VCF. Import VCF into Gmail. Delete all phone contacts. Sync phone to Gmail contacts.

More info on understanding contacts on the Captivate can be found in the Captivate FAQ:

Contacts - CapFAQ

 

[BookLover]

Export from phone to VCF. Import VCF into Gmail. Delete all phone contacts. Sync phone to Gmail contacts.

More info on understanding contacts on the Captivate can be found in the Captivate FAQ:

Contacts - CapFAQ

Sremick,

Do contact pictures get transferred into VCF?

When I first got the phone, I had a problem with sync'ing my contacts to gmail. I had to do a double purge. Exported my contacts in gmail into csv. Then purged both the phone data and gmail data. Then re-imported the csv into gmail. But all the linked images were lost and I had to relink.

Does VCF retain linked contact pictures? Just curious.

 

[saintdanbert]

...
Does VCF retain linked contact pictures? Just curious.

The vCard specification does in fact permit the storage of a contact image within the vCard.

I have used Bump move my contact record from the phone to others and the linked photo moves with the other details.

PHOTO;TYPE="X-EVOLUTION-UNKNOWN";ENCODING=b:/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wB 
 DAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQNDAsLDBkSEw8UHRofHh0aHBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0H 
 ...
dxYXnJ7n6V48XaWVndizsSSTzmt 
 nxVrx1vU90eRbRDbGvbPc/n+mKxFIxmuxnlj8H6ClUYHNC9KWmAZI+tP85vWmUm00Af/Z

Joyeaux Noel,
~~~ *<;-}( )( )// Dan

 

[timbuk2]

I used an app called Contact Remover (free) from the Market to get rid of the duplicate contacts. It was driving me nuts too.

But don't they come back? I was told to go to my Gmail account online and fix everything there the way I wanted it... profile pics & all, which I did. Deleted all other groups and duplicates. Sync to phone and at least 5 duplicates. Only syncing gmail contacts. It's getting them all again from somewhere else... I mean I don't have Bill Clinton in any of my contacts on any program, but he keeps showing up on my captivate contact list.