What is the best way to sync my contacts (name, email, phone number) between my iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Gmail? I am using Address Book at the moment but should I be using something else?

May 3, 2009 2:50 PM

What is the best way to sync my contacts (name, email, phone number) between my iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Gmail? I am using Address Book at the moment but should I be using something else?

What is the best way to sync my contacts (name, email, phone number) between my iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Gmail? I am using Address Book at the moment but should I be using something else?

I just synced them using the "Sync with Google" option in Address Book. Then, I deleted all the garbage contacts that Address Book pulled in from Google since it apparently takes in the "My Contacts" and "All Contacts" contacts. (I ended up with a bunch of stupid Craiglist emails getting pulled in to Address Book; aggravating.)

Then, I plugged in my iPhone and it updated itself with the Address Book.

After that, I went back and completely deleted my Gmail contacts since Gmail wouldn't sync itself back with Address Book in order to delete all the garbage Craiglist contacts it had created.

Then, I used "A To G" to create a .CSV from Address Book to import into Gmail. The big pain this creates (other than not having Gmail sync in the step previously) is that I have to re-add all of Google Talk contacts.

There HAS to be a better way? Does anyone have any ideas?

And I haven't even begun to bring my PC into this equation. Does anyone have any tips for that, too?

posted by decrescendo to computers & internet (8 answers total)

No real answer here, but if gmail and the iPhone both support LDAP, that's a solution. You could also pay Apple for MobileMe.
posted by floam at 3:51 PM on May 3, 2009

Look at Google Sync (google.com/sync). It'll let you sync your contacts via ActiveSync on the iPhone
posted by ConstantineXVI at 3:55 PM on May 3, 2009

Seconding Google Sync. Basically, Google's 'My Contacts' is the main server, your iPhone syncs with Google, and Address Book syncs with Google.

Address Book <> Google (Main) <> iPhone

Then, I deleted all the garbage contacts that Address Book pulled in from Google since it apparently takes in the "My Contacts" and "All Contacts" contacts.

This shouldn't be true -- Google only takes in the 'my contacts' for me. If you do delete the garbage contacts, delete them at https://mail.google.com/mail/#contacts.

Right now you're doing it the other way around:

Google <> Address Book (Main) <> iPhone

which is much more cumbersome. The other way has the added advantage of being able to update and sync your contacts on your iPhone on the fly over 3g/edge.
posted by suedehead at 4:15 PM on May 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Oh, and linkage now that I'm sitting at my computer
posted by ConstantineXVI at 5:38 PM on May 3, 2009

I think Soocial does all that, although I've only used it to sync my contacts between my Mac and Gmail.
posted by clearlydemon at 5:53 PM on May 3, 2009

try plaxo. I think they've got a pay model, but I have been using the free version for at least a year and it works great. Syncs outlook on the PC, address book on the mac, gmail, etc etc.
posted by Chris4d at 1:03 PM on May 4, 2009

Well I've figured out that when you delete a contact on your Address Book, it'll change on the iPhone. I assume it works the other way around? Sometimes I end up with duplicated phone numbers for some contacts when just syncing between Address Book and iPhone. Not sure why. Anyone know?
posted by decrescendo at 5:30 PM on May 4, 2009

Er, like I mentioned above, try not syncing between the Address Book and the iPhone.
posted by suedehead at 11:46 AM on May 5, 2009