[gbatch]

Almost from the day I got my Blackberry 9650 and set up my gmail account on it and then setup Google Sync, my contact list of about 800 has been exhibiting a mind of its own. A few months ago, I looked at my contact list and it had grown to 1200. A little digging revealed that several contacts had been duplicated - some had 20 repeats of the same name. Furthermore, some contacts that had not been duplicated now had up to 12 addresses and / or phone numbers, many merely duplicates of the original. In a few cases, addresses were transposed from one contact to another. I checked some of the forums for (1) the reason this was happening and (2) a solution.

Many people seemed to think the fault lay with Google and some that it was the way the Blackberry was syncing with gmail. I haven't found a satisfactory explanation yet. As far as a solution, I found several that I had already tried. The untried one was to turn off "Allow duplicate names" and sync manually. OK. So I cleaned up my list over a weekend and turned off the allowance for duplicates. Did it work?

NO. Why? I observed that even though I turned off allowing duplicates and doing a manual sync, Google sync was still behaving the same way. Great.

So, I let it slide for a while until I recently downloaded BB version 6, bundle 1741. Once I downloaded this update, many of my settings disappeared and I had to work to get things back the way I was used to. I decided to take the time to, once again, clean up the contacts. So I spent time yet again deleting duplicates and deleting duplicate address info and got my list down to the 808 names that I knew were clean.

I also was confused as to why my Blackberry had 2 contact lists - One associated with my gmail account one called "Default". I only wanted one list. So here is what I did. Maybe this will help others experiencing the same or a similar problem.

1. Clean up the list on your gmail account using your PC. Get rid of dupes, added info gmail seems to add (10 addresses, several phone numbers etc.). I also got rid of all groups, and merged the "other' contacts into the large list.

2. Export the cleaned file to somewhere on your PC - this is merely a backup save after all the hard work. Export it as the gmail CSV format.

3. Now, use the Blackberry Desktop Manager to back up your BB, just in case.

4. Make sure that wireless sync is checked as On (Open Contact List, Options, choose the contact list associated with your gmail account and check the box for "Wireless Synchronization")

5.If you have Google sync installed, make sure it is set to Manual and that "sync contacts" is set to Off. (Open Contact List, go to menu, choose Google Sync and Options. Then set "when to sync" to Manual and make sure the "Sync Contacts" box is NOT checked.) Also make sure that "Allow duplicate contacts" is Off within the Contacts Options. If you sync your Google Calendar, leave that checked. Save these settings. When it asks if you want to sync now, choose "No".

6. Now go to Contacts and highlight the contact list you wish to delete (your gmail account list). Type "rset' and follow the instructions.

8. I did the above for both my gmail contact list and the Default list that BB seemed to have added.

9. Right after you do the 'rset' step, the BB and gmail will begin a conversation and in a few minutes, you will have your clean gmail contact list on your BB. This happens even though Google Sync is not doing the syncing. It seems to me that BB and gmail 'talk' without the need for Google sync.

10. I even checked by adding a new contact to the list - one on my BB and one on my desktop gmail. In a short time, BOTH new contacts had been synced. It seems that changes made on the BB make it to the gmail list faster than the reverse.

11. Now, run another backup with BB Desktop Manager and give it a name like "Clean Contacts backup". This will preserve your settings with your clean list.

12. Now, I hope and pray that the contact list won't grow and the data won't get changed. Only time will tell.

13. 2 weeks have gone by. The number of contacts on my BB is the same as the number in my gmail contact list. There is no sign of any duplicates or self reproducing data.

Don't know if it'll work for other BBs, but it worked on my 9650.

NOTE: Any pix you have added to your contacts on your BB will have to be reset.

[trucky]

On your BIS email setup page you should see 2 check boxes for automatic sync. One is for Contacts and one is Calendar. By default these are checked when you create a new Gmail account there. This may be the reason you have that magic Gmail and Contacts "talk" in #9 above. You should check and make sure you're only asking one service to sync, either BIS or Google Sync.

[gbatch]

trucky:
You are correct. Problem is it took me 6 months to figure this out. It'd be nice if, for ignorant folk like me, BB or Google had some pop up or caution or whatever that warned users. Better yet, build in some code that doesn't cause the problem. Just my $.02.

[trucky]

trucky:
You are correct. Problem is it took me 6 months to figure this out. It'd be nice if, for ignorant folk like me, BB or Google had some pop up or caution or whatever that warned users. Better yet, build in some code that doesn't cause the problem. Just my $.02.

I agree... It would be nice. I just doubt that we'll ever see that level of integration between RIM and any third party vendor.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[TJC70]

This is great information...thank you! I never knew in the gmail setup that you could chose synchronization preferences like this. I don't remember those options coming up when I created my gmail?!?!

Thanks again!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[berryaddictnoza]

This post sounds like it should moved to; Tips, How To & FAQ, so future Google users can find it!

[nokomisite]

This ended a 72-hour nightmare for me when I migrated to a BB 9700...and perplexed both T-Mobile and BlackBerry support people: "It's a Google problem, not ours."

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Where can I mail you a gift in appreciation?

Almost from the day I got my Blackberry 9650 and set up my gmail account on it and then setup Google Sync, my contact list of about 800 has been exhibiting a mind of its own. A few months ago, I looked at my contact list and it had grown to 1200. A little digging revealed that several contacts had been duplicated - some had 20 repeats of the same name. Furthermore, some contacts that had not been duplicated now had up to 12 addresses and / or phone numbers, many merely duplicates of the original. In a few cases, addresses were transposed from one contact to another. I checked some of the forums for (1) the reason this was happening and (2) a solution.

Many people seemed to think the fault lay with Google and some that it was the way the Blackberry was syncing with gmail. I haven't found a satisfactory explanation yet. As far as a solution, I found several that I had already tried. The untried one was to turn off "Allow duplicate names" and sync manually. OK. So I cleaned up my list over a weekend and turned off the allowance for duplicates. Did it work?

NO. Why? I observed that even though I turned off allowing duplicates and doing a manual sync, Google sync was still behaving the same way. Great.

So, I let it slide for a while until I recently downloaded BB version 6, bundle 1741. Once I downloaded this update, many of my settings disappeared and I had to work to get things back the way I was used to. I decided to take the time to, once again, clean up the contacts. So I spent time yet again deleting duplicates and deleting duplicate address info and got my list down to the 808 names that I knew were clean.

I also was confused as to why my Blackberry had 2 contact lists - One associated with my gmail account one called "Default". I only wanted one list. So here is what I did. Maybe this will help others experiencing the same or a similar problem.

1. Clean up the list on your gmail account using your PC. Get rid of dupes, added info gmail seems to add (10 addresses, several phone numbers etc.). I also got rid of all groups, and merged the "other' contacts into the large list.

2. Export the cleaned file to somewhere on your PC - this is merely a backup save after all the hard work. Export it as the gmail CSV format.

3. Now, use the Blackberry Desktop Manager to back up your BB, just in case.

4. Make sure that wireless sync is checked as On (Open Contact List, Options, choose the contact list associated with your gmail account and check the box for "Wireless Synchronization")

5.If you have Google sync installed, make sure it is set to Manual and that "sync contacts" is set to Off. (Open Contact List, go to menu, choose Google Sync and Options. Then set "when to sync" to Manual and make sure the "Sync Contacts" box is NOT checked.) Also make sure that "Allow duplicate contacts" is Off within the Contacts Options. If you sync your Google Calendar, leave that checked. Save these settings. When it asks if you want to sync now, choose "No".

6. Now go to Contacts and highlight the contact list you wish to delete (your gmail account list). Type "rset' and follow the instructions.

8. I did the above for both my gmail contact list and the Default list that BB seemed to have added.

9. Right after you do the 'rset' step, the BB and gmail will begin a conversation and in a few minutes, you will have your clean gmail contact list on your BB. This happens even though Google Sync is not doing the syncing. It seems to me that BB and gmail 'talk' without the need for Google sync.

10. I even checked by adding a new contact to the list - one on my BB and one on my desktop gmail. In a short time, BOTH new contacts had been synced. It seems that changes made on the BB make it to the gmail list faster than the reverse.

11. Now, run another backup with BB Desktop Manager and give it a name like "Clean Contacts backup". This will preserve your settings with your clean list.

12. Now, I hope and pray that the contact list won't grow and the data won't get changed. Only time will tell.

13. 2 weeks have gone by. The number of contacts on my BB is the same as the number in my gmail contact list. There is no sign of any duplicates or self reproducing data.

Don't know if it'll work for other BBs, but it worked on my 9650.

NOTE: Any pix you have added to your contacts on your BB will have to be reset.

[austriker]

WOW! This seems like the end to a nightmeare and surely needs to be stickied. I, as well, have been having problems syncing my gmail stuff as I just came from android (looove BB, so glad I did) where it was perfectly synced. I like using both my computer and phone to schedule appts and such.

I tried google sync and actually think my duplicates were a cause of a the BIS sync feature. So I am cleaning it all out and have removed the BIS gmail acct. After trolling lots of similar posts like this it seems that that the BIS sync is the problem. So I will try google sync solely. If it works fine, then I will come back here and give my findings. If not, I will use your technique, as obviously it looks to be solid.

[pcgizmo#IM]

WOW! This seems like the end to a nightmeare and surely needs to be stickied. I, as well, have been having problems syncing my gmail stuff as I just came from android (looove BB, so glad I did) where it was perfectly synced. I like using both my computer and phone to schedule appts and such.

I tried google sync and actually think my duplicates were a cause of a the BIS sync feature. So I am cleaning it all out and have removed the BIS gmail acct. After trolling lots of similar posts like this it seems that that the BIS sync is the problem. So I will try google sync solely. If it works fine, then I will come back here and give my findings. If not, I will use your technique, as obviously it looks to be solid.

+1 BIS creates more problems that it solves as far as contact sync goes. Google sync app is definitely the way to go.

[gbatch]

nokomisite:
No remuneration necessary. Make a donation to your favorite charity if you like. Sorry I haven't been here for a while - have been going through chemo. Gag.
gbatch

[austriker]

google sync is definitely the way and the truth. I have been using it error free for a few days now!

[gbatch]

austriker:
Glad it's working for you.

[GLOCKshooter]

Great info. Thanks

[phillymcg76]

Oh man, I'm sorry to head that you were going through Chemo at the time of this post. It surely helped me, just like the others have said. BUT, you are correct about how long it takes for a contact created in Google to show up in BB contacts. I'm at around 15 mins and the one that I created in G still not showing up in BB.

Take care man!

[phillymcg76]

Oh man, I'm sorry to head that you were going through Chemo at the time of this post. It surely helped me, just like the others have said. BUT, you are correct about how long it takes for a contact created in Google to show up in BB contacts. I'm at around 15 mins and the one that I created in G still not showing up in BB.

Take care man!