Phone numbers missing from SD card copy of contacts.

[Jim0000]

I am experiencing compounding problems with the actual phone numbers going missing or dropping out from contacts in my M11 Android 10 mobile phone.
Everything worked fine until I added data connection to my phone; I previously only had a phone call/text service.
I have updated my phone contacts to the SD card. This works, but the phone numbers (which are most important to me) are missing.
I have sync enabled and some of my contacts now show in my gmail account page, but not all of them!
(This is most strange??).
I have read a number of websites describing how to address fixing missing contacts, but none have worked so far.
Can someone assist me with this please?

EDIT:

Solved!

 

[dvhttn]

Do you really mean SD Card or do you mean SIM card? If the former then how are you syncing your contacts and if the latter then read up on the limitations of SIM card contacts for starters.

 

[Jim0000]

Thanks for the reply dvhttn.
I really meant SD card and I have read up on the limitations of saving contacts on both the SIM and SD card.
The fact is that I have reached a point of desperation as the "loss of phone numbers" problem is far more general that I have described so far.
So much so, that I have taken to writing numbers down in a phone book, old fashioned style.
For years I used a phone only SIM card service with non of these problems; they have only manifested since I "upgraded" to a data plus phone call SIM.
I am now seriously considering going back to the phone call/text message only service.
I've spent many hours reading instructional websites on how to fix this; to absolutely no avail.
Also, I have read several old threads describing the same, or similar problems, with no resolution.
That is less than encouraging.

If there is something completely fundamental that I am missing, I would very much like to know.

Jim.

 

[Dannydet]

Just install Google contacts as your default contacts app.
It's free, no limitations and it's tied to your Gmail account, so it goes to whatever device you are using, or replacing. The days of saving contacts to a Sim card is obsolete.

 

[Jim0000]

Danny,
Thanks for the reply with detailed advice. I did have the Google Contact application installed.
While it may appear to be totally illogical, this is what I am trying:

1. I have started to save all known phone numbers in "Phone Contacts" only.
2. I have turned sync OFF.
3. If this does succeed, I will then need to find out how to backup my phone contacts without the use of Google Contacts.

So far, (only 24 hours), no numbers have disappeared.
I know all the advice I have read on multiple websites stress to turn ON sync, but I am suspecting that is where the glitch was originating from.

Time might prove me totally wrong. If I am totally confused and off track, (very possible), please feel free to tell me so!
More later.

Jim.

 

[Jim0000]

This solution that I have resorted to seems to be providing me with a stable list of Contact phone numbers, as I have described above.
Other users have taken this approach as described further on this thread:

https://androidforums.com/threads/how-to-separate-phones-and-gmails-contacts.1145575/

I will now edit this thread as solved.

Thanks for all replies.

Jim.