Help me create the perfect Contacts Manager

January 17, 2013 12:01 PM

After years of being an Android user, I finally bought my first iPhone. I'm having trouble and getting thoroughly confused with merging and syncing all my contacts. Please help me start over and create the Ultimate Contacts Manager solution that doesn't require me to become a sync wizard.

Here are the details:

I use Gmail for personal mail and Google Contacts for personal contacts.

I use Exchange at work for email and the global address book for contacts.

I am a social media manager for a living, so as you'd imagine, I have a plethora of contacts in LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In the Settings screen, I've added all my various contacts in the Mail, Contacts, and Calendar section. But I'm getting thoroughly confused trying to remember which is sync'd with which, so if I make a change in Google Contacts, I don't remember if it will also be changed in the Exchange/work address book. And with all the different info coming in from LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, I'm getting multiple versions of names or four home addresses for the same person.

Please help me start over and create the Ultimate Contacts Manager solution that doesn't require me to become a sync wizard. I'm willing to pay for an online software solution if it's $5-10/month.

posted by zooropa to Work & Money (2 answers total)

Best answer: Integrating all those services into the default settings app is going to be a bitch. I'll leave it to others to walk you through that process. But there are a number of stand-alone apps that do great contact integration.

Smartr has the most comprehensive solution. Link it to your services, Install Xobni on your work Outlook and Smartr Inbox on your gmail account, and watch it fly

Brewster has most of the same functionality, and is a little prettier, and is better about allowing you to merge contacts from multiple services into one card.

You might want to keep an eye on new startup feathr, which also looks promising. (Full disclosure, feathr is run by some aquantances of mine. It has been recognized as a start up to watch this year, though.)
posted by nickhb at 12:17 PM on January 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, Nickhb. These are all great suggestions. I'm going to look at Brewster right now, but will keep an eye out on feathr.
posted by zooropa at 1:39 PM on January 17, 2013