contacts

Backing Up Your iPhone Contacts the Right Way

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IDrive

IDrive

If you have your iPhone set to synchronize your contacts to iCloud, Google Contacts, or another service, then you should realize that those contacts are likely not backed up. They’re just synchronized, which is very important. But it’s just half of what you need. You need your contacts backed up, too!

When a contacted is deleted or altered, it is sync’d with, say, iCloud. You will not be able to recover the previous state of that contact. For example: Let’s say I change Jesse’s phone number and tap Done. The contact is sync’d to iCloud. Then I realize that his number didn’t change, but I don’t remember the old one. Unfortunately, iCloud won’t let me recover that old number. And I’m in a lurch, because now I don’t have Jesse’s correct phone number any longer.

So what can you do? Get an app or service that will back up your contacts.

During my research I noticed there are several solutions will only restore all of your contacts and others that allow you to download them from a Web site in spreadsheet form so you can enter them back in manually (??!). These are less than optimal.

The best solution I found was IDrive. It backs up your contacts to the cloud and allows you to restore all or individual contacts when you need them. You can also view them in the cloud on IDrive’s Web site.

You need to create an IDrive account, and you get 5GB of free storage (which should be more than enough for your contacts). You can earn more storage by installing their desktop and mobile apps and inviting friends to join. You can also use IDrive to back up more items than just your contacts, such as pictures, videos, and calendar events.

IDrive on iOS

Overall, IDrive is a good service. And it’s excellent for free, reliable contacts backup.

IDrive on the App Store (FREE)

Stay Connected to Google with CardDAV and CalDAV

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Account Choices

On January 30, Google ended support for a Microsoft technology, Exchange ActiveSync, many Apple iPhone users employed to synchronize their phones with your Google Calendar and Contacts. New accounts and reset phones reconnecting to Google services must use a different connection technology.

This post will step you through the simple process of using CardDAV and CalDAV to sync with your Contacts and Calendar, respectively. One benefit of CalDAV over ActiveSync is support for calendar colors when your account is set up to view other calendars (like a friends, significant other, or group calendar).

The steps mention iPhone, but they will work for iPad and iPod touch.

Set up CardDAV for Google Contacts:

Account Choices

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down a bit and tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
  3. Tap Add New Account…
  4. Tap Other.
  5. Under Contacts, tap Add CardDAVAccount.
  6. Fill in the form with the following information:
    Server: google.com
    Username: Your Google email address
    Password: Your Google account password
    Description: Enter a meaningful name for the account such as Google Contacts
  7. Tap Next.

 

The iPhone should sync with the account and populate the iOS Contacts app with your Google Contacts.

Set up CalDAV for Google Calendar (if you did the CardDAV setup, this will be familiar):

Add Account Settings

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down a bit and tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
  3. Tap Add New Account…
  4. Tap Other.
  5. Under Calendars, tap Add CalDAV Account.
  6. Fill in the form with the following information:
    Server: google.com
    Username: Your Google email address
    Password: Your Google account password
    Description: Enter a meaningful name for the account such as Google Calendar
  7. Tap Next.

The iPhone should sync with the account and populate the iOS Calendar with Google Calendar events.