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January 25, 2014
Apple ID's - The Nightmare Continues
Although I was finally able to get my iPhone working with a single Apple ID for both the iCloud and Apple's App Store, I subsequently realized that all of my contacts were gone. (Or certainly most of my contacts were gone.)
Eventually, it dawned on me that my iPhone had automatically synced my contacts with the iCloud using the new Apple ID.
So, slowly, it dawns on my how the silly little iPhone works. Basically, it periodically checks your contact data against what it has in the iCloud. And, it destructively syncs the contacts from the iCloud down to your phone, if you can believe it. That's right, buddy. You've got 942 contacts in your phone, but then...hmm....iCloud only has 11? Goodbye 942 contacts! iPhone just unceremoniously blows them away. Doesn't ask for permission. No warning. Nothing. Goodbye contacts. Voila. They're gone.
However you can export all your contact information as a .vcf file
OK. Now, to get them back. Go to www.icloud.com and sign in with your old Apple ID and password.
Click on Contacts. They should all be listed there still.
In the lower left corner is a little gear symbol.
Click on the little gear symbol and then choose "Select All".
Click on the little gear symbol again and then select 'Export vCard'.
This will export all your contact information as a .vcf file. Try to pay attention to where it is saved.
Click up on your name in the top right corner and select "Sign Out" to sign out of iCloud.
Now sign back into iCloud under your new Apple ID.
Click on Contacts.
Click on the little gear symbol in the lower left corner and then choose "Import vCard".
Select the .vcf file that you exported from above.
Only, mine says "Unable to import vCard. This vCard cannot be imported because it contains invalid contact data."
Brilliant. Thanks for that Apple.
This guy explains how to solve the Unable to import vCard error.
Basically, he says that " iCloud requires the minimum of vCard(.vcf) version 3.0". So, I'm hoping this is my issue.
But, I checked, and my vcf file appears to be at version 3.0. So, that's not the problem, I don't think...
Finally, I sort of guessed that I needed to delete my contacts in the new Apple ID. I only had 22 in there. So, I clicked on the little gear symbol, "select all", and then "delete".
Then, click on the little gear symbol, select "Import vCard", selected my .VCF file and imported it successfully. Wooohooo!!!!!
Now....when will it sync with my iphone? I have no clue.
OK. I just checked my iphone...it's been about 13 seconds...the new contacts are already in there. :)
Posted by Rob Kiser on January 25, 2014 at 7:49 PM
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