MobileMe / Address Book / iPhone Contacts Sync Discrepancy

[EatMyApple]

I am trying to get my iPhone 3GS contact list to match the contacts in my Address Book. I just noticed that there is about a 30 contact difference between the two.

I have gone into the Address Book settings and selected to Sync with MobileMe. MobileMe settings are also set to sync just like in iTunes.

I thought the iTunes sync settings would update the Address Book, and then eventually update MobileMe.

What setting am I missing or overlooking to get the two Contact lists to match?

Thank you!

 

[swiftaw]

If you are syncing via MobileMe you need to turn OFF contact syncing in iTunes.

iTunes should tell you that contact syncing is being handled by MobileMe.

If everything is correct on MobileMe, you can try deleting your MobileMe account from your iPhone then re-entering it, forcing it to do a complete fresh sync with MobileMe.

 

[EatMyApple]

If you are syncing via MobileMe you need to turn OFF contact syncing in iTunes.

iTunes should tell you that contact syncing is being handled by MobileMe.

If everything is correct on MobileMe, you can try deleting your MobileMe account from your iPhone then re-entering it, forcing it to do a complete fresh sync with MobileMe.

My iPhone shows 194 contacts and Address Book/MobileMe show 166 contacts. I am waiting to get 194 contacts on all 3. Should I still change the syncing setting in iTunes to get that done?

Thanks!

 

[swiftaw]

My iPhone shows 194 contacts and Address Book/MobileMe show 166 contacts. I am waiting to get 194 contacts on all 3. Should I still change the syncing setting in iTunes to get that done?

Thanks!

Do the following:

1) Connect iPhone
2) In iTunes, go to the Contacts tab and make sure the Sync Contacts checkbox is NOT checked.
3) Disconnect iPhone
4) On iPhone, go to Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Your Mobile Me account, and turn off Contacts. It'll ask you if you want to delete contacts or not, choose Yes.
5) Turn contacts back on, it should now sync back all 194 contacts from MobileMe to your phone.

 

[EatMyApple]

Do the following:

1) Connect iPhone
2) In iTunes, go to the Contacts tab and make sure the Sync Contacts checkbox is NOT checked.
3) Disconnect iPhone
4) On iPhone, go to Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Your Mobile Me account, and turn off Contacts. It'll ask you if you want to delete contacts or not, choose Yes.
5) Turn contacts back on, it should now sync back all 194 contacts from MobileMe to your phone.

I have done that step in playing around with the settings. Still won't update my Address Book or MobileMe with the same contact list as on my iPhone.

 

[swiftaw]

I have done that step in playing around with the settings. Still won't update my Address Book or MobileMe with the same contact list as on my iPhone.

Ok, lets do the following. Let's disable MobileMe syncing and sync using iTunes. Then, once they are matched up, we can turn MobileMe syncing back on.

On the iPhone, go to Settings->Mail,Contacts,etc->Your Mobile Me account and turn off contact syncing. When asked DO NOT delete contacts from phone.

Now, connect phone to iTunes, go to Contacts tab and tick the check box for contact syncing.

Now, iTunes should sync your contacts.

Once you are sure they are now all the same, uncheck the checkbox in Itunes, and go back to using MobileMe syncing.

 

[EatMyApple]

Ok, lets do the following. Let's disable MobileMe syncing and sync using iTunes. Then, once they are matched up, we can turn MobileMe syncing back on.

On the iPhone, go to Settings->Mail,Contacts,etc->Your Mobile Me account and turn off contact syncing. When asked DO NOT delete contacts from phone.

Now, connect phone to iTunes, go to Contacts tab and tick the check box for contact syncing.

Now, iTunes should sync your contacts.

Once you are sure they are now all the same, uncheck the checkbox in Itunes, and go back to using MobileMe syncing.

I did that, and it updated my Address Book on my computer but it doubled the 166 to 332. So now it has every entry twice and still overlooking the 30ish that wouldn't update.

I really appreciate all your help!

EDIT: That wasn't being sarcastic - I really do appreciate your help! I am confused as to why it won't get those 30 on the iPhone. I just reread my post and was like Oh crap, that sounds bad! LOL

 

[macsimsim]

exchange?

I've had the same issue with my mobileme contacts on my iPhone and home computer (address book), through mobileme's cloud.
If you have an exchange account that you're syncing as well, that might be the issue... at least it was for me.

I had set my iphone so that the default account for contacts was my mobileme account. If I entered a new contact on the phone, they would sync through mobileme's cloud and I would find them back at home on the computer. It worked for a while, then I realised all of a sudden that my new contacts entered on the phone didn't sync anymore and they wouldn't appear on the home computer. A gap started between the 2. When it reached about 12 missing contacts, I looked into it. It turned out the phone had 'decided' by itself to set my exchange account as the default account for new contacts created on the phone. I checked my address book on my exchange account and found the dozen missing contacts... I've changed the settings back on the phone to mobileme and have checked ever since. It still does it fairly frequently... annoying!
It seems to have stopped since iOS4, though. I have another issue now, for which I'll create a post and hope to get some help.

Hope this helps.