How to sync Google Contacts with Apple macOS and iOS

How to sync Google Contacts with Apple macOS and iOS

You can sync your U-M Google Contacts across all your devices, including Apple iOS and macOS. When you change a U-M Google contact entry on one of those devices, it will change across the rest of your devices. That way, you won’t have to make changes on each device, and you won’t lose anyone’s contact info.

Note: These screenshots are from macOS version 10.13.6 (High Sierra) and iOS version 12.1.1. These steps may look different on different versions.

Important: Following these steps syncs your contacts to your U-M Google account and not to your personal iCloud account.

1. Decide on your preferred platform

Don’t bother attempting to treat the competitors as equals: Pick a favorite operating system and keep that phone or tablet as the primary one. This is where you’ll store your most vital data and apps, so it should be the one you feel most comfortable with, have been using the longest, or already have most of your information on. The second one can act as a backup with a more limited selection of apps and data.

There are a few reasons to pick favorites. First, incompatibilities between the systems mean you won’t be able to get every app you want on both gadgets. In addition, some apps, such as Snapchat, only let you sign in on one device at a time. If you download one of these device-limiting programs on both, you’ll have to log in and out constantly.

How to transfer contacts from iOS to Android using iCloud

1. On your iOS device, head to Settings.
2. Tap on your Profile.
3. Tap on iCloud.
4. Make sure the Contacts toggle is turned on.
5. Scroll down to iCloud Backup and tap on it.
6. Tap on Back Up Now and wait for the backup to complete.
7. On your Android device, open your browser, head to icloud.com, and log in with your Apple ID.
8. Switch to desktop mode using the three dot menu in Chrome.
9. Once logged in, tap on Contacts.
10. Tap on the Gear settingsicon at the bottom left and tap on Select All.
11. Tap on the Gear settings icon again and select Export VCard.
12. A vcf file of your contacts should be downloaded. Openit.
13. You will be asked to save contacts with options to save them on your phone or email IDs. Select Phoneand the import process will start.
14. Your contacts should now show up on your Android phone.

Alternatively, you can do this through your desktop browser as well.

1. Follow the first six steps mentioned above.
2. On your desktop browser, head to icloud.com and log in with your Apple ID.
3. Select Contacts.
4. Tap on the Gear settings icon at the bottom left and tap on Select All.
5. Tap on the Gear settings icon again and select Export VCard.
6. A vcf file should now be download on your PC.
7. Head to the Google search homepage and make sure you are signed in with the same account that you will use on your Android phone.
8. Select the Google Apps icon next to your profile and select Contacts.
9. Select Import and then click on Select file.
10. Navigate to the newly downloaded vcf file and Openit.
11. Select Importand the contacts should be added to your Google account.
12. Now, on your Android device, head to Settings.
13. Tap on Accountsand select your Google account.
14. Tap on Account Syncand make sure the Contacts toggle is switched on.
15. Tap on the three dot menu and select Sync now.
16. You contact will start syncing and once the process is done, they should show up in your phone’s contacts.

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Uncovering and explaining how our digital world is changing — and changing us.

Welcome to the second episode of “S/He’s Just Not That Into You: Smartphone Edition.”

As I noted yesterday, there may come a point where you realize that you and your smartphone’s operating system might not be the best match. It may be that you’re not getting what you need from the platform’s features, or maybe you’re tempted by the offerings of another. Hey, it’s okay — we’re in a judgment-free zone here.

In Part 1, I showed you how to make the switch from iPhone to Android. And, as promised, here is its companion — a step-by-step tutorial on how to move from Android to the iPhone. Again, making the switch requires some work, but it’s completely doable without expert assistance. And if you run into any problems or are at a complete loss, remember that Apple offers free in-store help at its retail locations for transferring data to your new iPhone.

Contacts and calendar

Method 1: Migrate from your email account and social networks

If you’ve been using an Android device, it’s very likely that you have a Google account. If so, this will make moving your information to the iPhone easy.

You can repeat this process for any other email accounts you have, including Yahoo or Outlook.

You may have contacts and calendar appointments associated with various social networks like Facebook and Twitter. To sync those, simply download the apps from the iTunes store and then enter your account information.

Method 2: Use a third-party app

If you find that all of your contacts didn’t copy over using Method 1, you can also try using a third-party app. Previously, I highlighted using My Contacts Backup to sync your iPhone’s address book to Android, but it also works in reverse. I used it to migrate contacts from my Nexus 5 to the iPhone 5 with no problems.

Screenshot by Bonnie Cha

Another solution that worked well and is recommended by Apple on its support site is an app called Copy My Data by Media Mushroom. It’s a free app for iOS and Android, and can wirelessly transfer data between two devices.

• Install and open Copy My Data on both your iPhone and Android phone. On the iPhone, you’ll need to give the app permission to access your contacts, calendar, photos and reminders, if you so wish. Also make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• On your Android phone, choose whether you want to sync over Wi-Fi or from a backup stored on Google Drive. (I tested the former.)
• The app will then search for other devices connected on the same Wi-Fi network. When your iPhone appears, tap on it and select “Copy data to selected device.”
• Enter the PIN number displayed on the Android app into the iPhone app (this is for security). Select what you want synced — contacts, calendar, photos, video — and tap Next to begin the sync process. Depending on how much data needs to be transferred, it can take a few minutes.

Music

Method 1: Use Google Play Music

If you bought music through the Google Play Store, or you subscribe to the company’s monthly music service, you can continue to enjoy the tunes on your iPhone by downloading the free Google Play Music iOS app. Just sign in to your Google account after launching the app, and you should have full access to your music library.

Method 2: Drag-and-drop

If you’d rather use the iPhone’s native music player, or you have music stored locally on your Android phone, you can transfer them over using your computer and iTunes.

• Create a folder on your desktop to temporarily transfer the music from your Android phone to your computer.
• Connect your Android device to your computer via USB cable. If you’re using a Mac, you will need to download the free Android File Transfer app.
• From your computer, navigate to where you have your music stored on your Android device.

On the Windows 8.1-based HP Spectre x360 I used, it was under This PC > Nexus 5 > Internal storage > Music.

On a Mac, go to Android File Transfer > Music.

Photos

Method 1: Use iTunes

This option is very similar to the steps outlined above for Music.

• Connect your Android phone to your computer via USB cable.
• Find where you have photos and video stored on your Android device.

On a Windows PC, it will likely be found under This PC > Phone name > Internal Storage > DCIM > Camera.

On the Mac, go to Android File Transfer > DCIM > Camera. Also, check the Pictures folder.

Select the photos and videos you want to transfer and drag them to your Pictures folder.

Method 2: Use a third-party app or a cloud service

Screenshot by Bonnie Cha

Copy My Data also works well for wirelessly transferring photos and video from Android to iPhone. It synced all the files from my Nexus 5 to the iPhone 5 without incident.

Depending on how many photos you have, you may want to avoid migrating all images to the iPhone. Undoubtedly, you’re going to be taking snapshots with your new phone, and you don’t want to run out of internal memory. This is where a cloud service comes in handy.

As an Android user, you might already be storing your photos to the cloud via Google+. In that case, you can download the free Google+ iOS app and access your photos that way. Or you can try other cloud solutions, like Dropbox. My colleague Katie Boehret wrote a handy guide to using these various online photo storage options.

As I noted in my guide on switching from iPhone to Android, you won’t be able to transfer any of your apps when changing platforms. Instead, you’ll have to download and purchase them all over again from Apple’s App Store. It’s a pain, but with many apps, like Instagram and Pinterest, once you have them installed and enter your login details, all of your information is still there.

The iTunes App Store currently offers more than 1.4 million apps, and many of Google’s apps and services like Google Maps and Google Docs are available in an iOS version.

Change is always scary, but change can also be good. If you’re not happy with your current smartphone situation, it may be worth the time and effort to make a switch.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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The Ecosystem You Use Is About to Be Your Biggest Decision

As Apple and Google's ecosystems continue to expand and technology becomes more intertwined with our day-to-day lives, picking which ecosystem you use is going to change how you live your life.

It could soon be the biggest decision you have to make, up there with whom you vote for. Pick wisely because it'll be too hard to switch.

Whether you’re ditching your iPhone or canceling iCloud, learn how to remove yourself from Apple’s ecosystem the right way.

Connor is a UK based technology writer. Having spent a number of years writing for online publications, he is now spending time in the world of tech start-ups as well. Focusing mainly on Apple and news, Connor has a passion for tech and is especially excited by new technology. When not working, Connor enjoys spending time cooking, different fitness activities, and some Netflix with a glass of red.

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How to get shared Google Calendars to show up on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

1. Launch Safari or any other web browser on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
2. Go to calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect.
3. Sign in if you aren’t already.
4. Under Shared Calendars, tick the boxes for the calendars you want to see on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

It can take a few minutes for the calendars to appear. If they don’t appear right away, close the Calendar app and reopen it.

Method Way 2: Import Google Contacts to iPhone via iCloud

For the second method, you will export Google contacts and then import them via iCloud

Export Google Contacts

Step 1. Go to Google Contacts on your browser and sign in using the Gmail that has the contacts you want to export.

Step 2. Next, move to the left panel, click on “Export,” and select the contacts you want to export. After selecting contacts, right-click, and choose “Export.”

Step 3. Under Export as, click on “vCard (for iOS Contacts)” and click “Export.”

Import Google Contacts via iCloud

Step 4. Now, sign in to iCloud. Under the iCloud contacts, click on the settings button and tap the “Import vCard.”

Step 5. Next, tap on “Settings” on your iPhone and choose “iCloud” in the “Account & Settings” option.

Step 6. Tap on “Contacts” to enable it. After that, click on “Merge” contacts from the pop that appears, and you will successfully sync Google Contacts to iPhone 12.