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The sync that Google offers for Google Contacts <> Mac OS X Address Book is seriously flawed. It doesn't sync automatically, it doesn't sync all contacts, it doesn't sync all fields. See here for a list of warnings and issues.

Is there a better way to sync Google Contacts to Mac Address Book bidirectionally? Preferably free, and preferably without adding extra software.

I have tried to do it through Plaxo (which has an excellent Mac Address Book sync, albeit through an extra software install), but Plaxo doesn't handle Google Sync well (no updates).

UPDATE: For the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard this shouldn't be an issue. This question is looking for a Leopard answer.

Lance Roberts
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dyve
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3 Answers3

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Honestly, just hang in there until Snow Leopard, and its Exchange support for Address Book. Until then, just try to only add information through http://google.com/contacts, and perform a manual sync to pull the updates back to address book.

And make sure you regularly backup your address book and your google contacts, I've had one or the other blown away before by the sync utility on a rampage.

Curtis Tasker
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It's extra software and it isn't free, but Spanning Sync's website says that it can sync your Gmail contacts with Address Book (and your Google Calendar with iCal).

Justin Voss
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For those on Snow Leapord

After configuring my address book to sync, it synced eventually, after being turned off for the night and being on the next morning for 3 hours. I know the sync occurred sometime in the morning after turning it on, but don't know when.

I don't have an iPhone and couldn't get iSync to sync my contacts, or get the sync menu button to show up in Address book like it is supposed to.

After syncing, there was no record of the sync in iSync.

After syncing, I created a new contact, and updated notes on one of my contacts. After saving and going into Google Contacts, the changes were not there. I have that machine off right now, but expect those changes will be synced at some point after turning that machine back on.

David Silva Smith
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