How to upload contacts to an Android phone?
December 17, 2011 7:04 PM Subscribe
How can I copy my phone book from my old Blackberry to my new Galaxy Nexus without uploading the data to Google, Facebook, or any other service? I have a Mac and a USB cable; this ought to be possible, right?
My employer just gave us all shiny new smartphones, and I'd like to use mine to replace my aging Blackberry (which honestly works just fine except for the sticky trackball, which is infuriating).
I have managed to extract the Blackberry's contact list into my Mac's Address Book database. Now I want to upload the list to the Samsung phone so I can actually use it, but I can't figure out how to do this. The official instructions are all about syncing to a Google account - they seem to assume that everyone using an Android phone either has or wants to have all their contacts in Google's system. This can't be the only way! Is there some uploader app I can run on my Mac? Can I email myself a file in some format and import it on the phone?
My employer just gave us all shiny new smartphones, and I'd like to use mine to replace my aging Blackberry (which honestly works just fine except for the sticky trackball, which is infuriating).
I have managed to extract the Blackberry's contact list into my Mac's Address Book database. Now I want to upload the list to the Samsung phone so I can actually use it, but I can't figure out how to do this. The official instructions are all about syncing to a Google account - they seem to assume that everyone using an Android phone either has or wants to have all their contacts in Google's system. This can't be the only way! Is there some uploader app I can run on my Mac? Can I email myself a file in some format and import it on the phone?
Copy your address book to your SIM card and use that SIM card in your Nexus. Done and done.
Android is absolutely and inextricably linked with google services unfortunately. I do have my address book and calendar synced with gmail and google calendar and for better or worse, transition from my blackberry (9900) to an Android phone would be incredibly easy as would it be for any phone that supports the ms exchange- and that makes wonder if there isn't an out there; I have my email and calendar linked via exchange and both show up, with no fuss at all, on both my iPod Touch and my Nokia C7 backup phone.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 7:32 PM on December 17, 2011
Android is absolutely and inextricably linked with google services unfortunately. I do have my address book and calendar synced with gmail and google calendar and for better or worse, transition from my blackberry (9900) to an Android phone would be incredibly easy as would it be for any phone that supports the ms exchange- and that makes wonder if there isn't an out there; I have my email and calendar linked via exchange and both show up, with no fuss at all, on both my iPod Touch and my Nokia C7 backup phone.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 7:32 PM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Copy your address book to your SIM card and use that SIM card in your Nexus. Done and done.
That's the first thing I looked for - the blackberry does not appear to have any way to copy an entire address book to the SIM. You have to copy each contact over one by one, and you lose a fair bit of data in the process.
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:41 PM on December 17, 2011
That's the first thing I looked for - the blackberry does not appear to have any way to copy an entire address book to the SIM. You have to copy each contact over one by one, and you lose a fair bit of data in the process.
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:41 PM on December 17, 2011
I think you can do it via Exchange possibly, but I actually don't think there's a built-in way to simply import a flat file of contacts. You'll need an app like the one mentioned above.
posted by GuyZero at 8:53 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by GuyZero at 8:53 PM on December 17, 2011
If it's a company phone, your contacts should be saved on your company's Exchange server. Then when you set up your Exchange account on your new phone, it should bring in the contacts.
posted by radioamy at 11:10 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by radioamy at 11:10 PM on December 17, 2011
You know that the trackball is easily replaceable, right? Just google for " trackball replacement" or whatever. Mine cost $1 on Amazon (not including shipping.)
posted by joshu at 11:28 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by joshu at 11:28 PM on December 17, 2011
I just migrated away from BB, and IIRC under the BB Desktop application there is a method by which you can get a .csv file.
Good for backups and not depending on my Large Company's IT group to handle the switch via Exchange.
posted by scooterdog at 5:23 AM on December 18, 2011
Good for backups and not depending on my Large Company's IT group to handle the switch via Exchange.
posted by scooterdog at 5:23 AM on December 18, 2011
If you can convert your contacts to a .vcf file, it's a snap to import those (open People, menu import/export, import from storage). I'm no help on how to get them out of your blackberry though.
posted by samj at 5:37 AM on December 18, 2011
posted by samj at 5:37 AM on December 18, 2011
Best answer: This program for your Blackberry will let you export your contacts into a .vcf file like samj mentioned above. Use this program on your Android phone to import the contacts from the .vcf file.
posted by erstwhile at 7:59 AM on December 18, 2011
posted by erstwhile at 7:59 AM on December 18, 2011
(I forgot to mention, you just have to swap the SD card from your BB to your Android temporarily. Once the contacts are copied over, you can use whatever SD card you would like).
posted by erstwhile at 8:01 AM on December 18, 2011
posted by erstwhile at 8:01 AM on December 18, 2011
Won't Doubletwist sync your Mac address book with an Android?
posted by caution live frogs at 8:03 AM on December 18, 2011
posted by caution live frogs at 8:03 AM on December 18, 2011
Response by poster: I realize that I didn't make this clear in the question: the phone was a gift from the company, sort of like a Christmas bonus: we are free to keep it or give it away or sell it or whatever. I have no need for a company phone, so I'm going to use it as my personal phone, and thus there's no server to sync with. (I work for Google, so the server would be Gmail anyway.)
You know that the trackball is easily replaceable, right?
Yes! I'm just tired of having to replace it.
posted by Mars Saxman at 10:04 AM on December 18, 2011
You know that the trackball is easily replaceable, right?
Yes! I'm just tired of having to replace it.
posted by Mars Saxman at 10:04 AM on December 18, 2011
I didn't even need a third-party app. I paired my Blackberry with my laptop via bluetooth and then transferred the contacts over. They're sent as a .vcf file which you can use however you want.
Here's a Youtube video that provides more details.
posted by purephase at 4:23 PM on December 18, 2011
Here's a Youtube video that provides more details.
posted by purephase at 4:23 PM on December 18, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jozxyqk at 7:14 PM on December 17, 2011