Apple don't like you leaving iCloud, contacts become a mess

[cyberone]

Oh well, Apple made sure once your in iCloud you won't leave, just to mention the duplicate entries in Address Book - unavoidable? Well ask Apple.

And many missing entries on the iPhones Address Book. Had no option but to go back to iCloud.

Apple is obviously trying to make sure to keep access to your data once they got it... Oh don't tell me the duplicates are not avoidable.

Trying to get out of this Apple trap.

If they just wouldn't build this beautiful MacBook Air... phone-wise there are alternatives, luckily.

 

[iammike1]

It's all a master plan to tie you into their free platform with no advertising. Damn they are crafty at how to not make money.

 

[hafr]

Oh well, Apple made sure once your in iCloud you won't leave, just to mention the duplicate entries in Address Book - unavoidable? Well ask Apple.

And many missing entries on the iPhones Address Book. Had no option but to go back to iCloud.

Apple is obviously trying to make sure to keep access to your data once they got it... Oh don't tell me the duplicates are not avoidable.

Trying to get out of this Apple trap.

If they just wouldn't build this beautiful MacBook Air... phone-wise there are alternatives, luckily.

So you mean that it's not possible to sync your contacts to your computer, deactivate iCloud and then re-sync your phone with your computer?

---

I just tried it. I deactivated Contacts in iCloud settings both on the phone and on the macbook, both asked me if I wanted to save a local copy of the contacts. By doing so, I got the exact same contacts on both my computer and on my phone, just like I had when I used iCloud. No duplicates, no missing contacts, and as far as I can see - no missing contact information anywhere. The only difference is syncing isn't immediate anymore, so I'm going back to iCloud syncing...

I don't know what you did wrong or if you were just unlucky, but getting out of iCloud without messing up your contacts is obviously very easy.

 

[cyberone]

So you mean that it's not possible to sync your contacts to your computer, deactivate iCloud and then re-sync your phone with your computer?

Basically yes.

You can sync, but - at least with my MBA and 3GS - it leaves a whole mess.

Only about two thirds of the contacts get synced (100% on Mac, far less on iPhone).

And a message at some stage warns that contacts in Address Book might get duplicated. But don't expect the Look for Duplicates function to work/help.

Won't find any.

So I had to manually delete hundreds of contacts, then tried to delete all contacts, sync again - still a mess.

Try re-import addresses, sync again, and other ways. To no avail.

Once your information is up in the iCloud - at least for me - there's no way back.

Never had a problem with sync for years. Until now.

Tried to get off iCloud because of the phone's miserable battery life.

But had to switch the iCloud syncing on again.

And yes, when syncing via iCloud all contacts are restored properly.

iCloud's a trap over here.

No way out.

 

[noisycats]

Time Machine?

 

[hafr]

Basically yes.

You can sync, but - at least with my MBA and 3GS - it leaves a whole mess.

Only about two thirds of the contacts get synced (100% on Mac, far less on iPhone).

And a message at some stage warns that contacts in Address Book might get duplicated. But don't expect the Look for Duplicates function to work/help.

Won't find any.

So I had to manually delete hundreds of contacts, then tried to delete all contacts, sync again - still a mess.

Try re-import addresses, sync again, and other ways. To no avail.

Once your information is up in the iCloud - at least for me - there's no way back.

Never had a problem with sync for years. Until now.

Tried to get off iCloud because of the phone's miserable battery life.

But had to switch the iCloud syncing on again.

And yes, when syncing via iCloud all contacts are restored properly.

iCloud's a trap over here.

No way out.

I don't know why it doesn't work for you, because it was super easy for me to both leave iCloud and then go back.

 

[cyberone]

I don't know why it doesn't work for you, because it was super easy for me to both leave iCloud and then go back.

Happy for you.

 

[hafr]

Happy for you.

Thanks. But why don't you try doing it the way that I did?

----------

Happy for you.

You say that in the cloud, everything is the way it should be, right? Well, then if you deactivate iCloud's contact syncing in Settings on your computer and choose "remove" when prompted if you want to save them or delete them you'll be able to clear out any "hidden" contacts from your contact book on your computer. Then if you reactivate syncing of contacts - you'll get everything the way it looks on iCloud on your computer. Then deactivate it again and choose "save".

Then you go to your phone, deactivate syncing of contacts with iCloud, delete them, clear out the address book, go to iTunes, check "sync contacts with this computer" and voilà, you should be set.