Contacts and iClouds question

[vong]

Okay, so I know that I need Mountain Lion to have my address book updated via iCloud. But is there anyway to just use iCloud to update my contacts onto iPhone, then from my iPhone to update onto my address book?

Edit: I guess my problem is; under Contacts. There are two groups: On my iPhone and iCloud. The two groups does not contain the same 'contacts' that I have updated via iCloud. I just want the iCloud contacts, Macbook Address Book & iPhone to all be teh same.

 

[BrianBaughn]

If I understand correctly, you have contacts on your iPhone ("On my iPhone") that are not in the iCloud group, therefore you'd like to move them over to the iCloud group so that all your contacts will be the same in all three places.

First, on your iPhone turn off contacts syncing in Settings>iCloud. This will leave only the contacts that are in the "On my iPhone" group.

Next, on your iPhone download the free app "My Contacts Backup" (the free version will work with 500 or less contacts). This will allow you to email yourself a VCF file of all the contacts on your iPhone.

Then, on your MacBook you can get the VCF file from your Mail and import the contacts into your iCloud contacts in Address Book. Here you'll have to remove any duplicates that show up.

After verifying that the above has worked, you can go back to you iPhone and in the "My Contacts Backup" app settings there's a button to delete the contacts from the iPhone. Then quit "My Contacts Backup", go back to Settings>iCloud and turn contacts syncing back on. The only group in Contacts should be iCloud and the contacts should be the same everywhere once re-syncing is complete.

 

[vong]

Dang, seems like it's going to be a lot of hassle to keep my address book updated with SL.... Thinking about updating to ML.

Does anyone use the iCloud for everything? Including their backup? I finally got around to using iCloud and still learning my ways around it. Which one is better; backup via iCloud or to my Macbook?

PS: BrianBaughn, Thank you for your help.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Ahhh. Which MacBook do you have? You should have at least 4GB of RAM if you want ML and your apps to run decently on it. Also, make sure you aren't running any important PowerPC apps that will not run in ML.

As for iCloud, if you want to use the iCloud email address then having your contacts and calendar there makes sense. If you currently use a GMail address you can have everything there and sync it everywhere, even in SL.

Those are decisions you have to make. I have my stuff syncing with Google, as my domain email is hosted there. That's another option for you...buy a domain name that no one will ever change on you for $10/year and let Google host the email.

iCloud is pretty good and very easy but currently (and probably forever) you'd be tied to Apple products. With your own domain there are several options for hosting your email-contacts-calendars, not including iCloud.