How do you sync contacts with Android?

[JohnJSal]

I should soon be moving from my Blackberry to an Evo, so I'm wondering how this works. Currently I just sync my BB with my Outlook contacts list. Is there anything like this for Android? Perhaps an online Google address book or something?

I know there may be an option to sync with Gmail contacts, but seriously, I don't want 100s of names on my phone just because I happened to email someone a year ago.

So how does the default "Address Book" work for Android? How does it sync and/or back-up the contact list?

Thanks.

 

[mrqs]

it syncs with your google account's contacts (unless you turn that off of course)
it doesn't automatically add everyone you send a mail to (tho' i guess there might be an option for that too...)

 

[takeshi]

Syncs automatically with your email accounts that support it.

Or are you referring to migrating your contacts to Android? Unless your device comes with a sync app you'll need a sync solution if you intend to sync with a standalone Outlook install (i.e. not Exchange).

 

[JohnJSal]

No, I don't need to migrate contacts. I can use my Google contacts list, but which contacts specifically does it put on the phone? I have a "My Contacts" group, divided into Family, Friends, and Co-Workers (by default), and then there is the "All Contacts" list that contains just about everyone I've ever emailed since I've had Gmail. I definitely don't want that to sync.

Does it just sync with the "My Contacts" list? If so, does it divide is somehow by the groups Family, Friends, Co-Workers, or does it just make one big list?

 

[Dmtalon]

Does it just sync with the "My Contacts" list? If so, does it divide is somehow by the groups Family, Friends, Co-Workers, or does it just make one big list?

Yep, it syncs "My Contacts" including groups within My Contacts.

 

[JohnJSal]

Yep, it syncs "My Contacts" including groups within My Contacts.

What do the groups look like on the phone? I'm not familiar with the Address Book of Android yet. When you go to your contacts on the phone, do you then have to choose a group before you can see the people's names? Is there an option to just have them all listed together (without removing the groups from the website)?

 

[Dmtalon]

What do the groups look like on the phone? I'm not familiar with the Address Book of Android yet. When you go to your contacts on the phone, do you then have to choose a group before you can see the people's names? Is there an option to just have them all listed together (without removing the groups from the website)?

The main "people" app shows all of them, but at the bottom you can select "groups" and it shows all your groups and how many people are in each. Selecting one of them would show all of "Family" etc...

 

[mrqs]

haven't used groups myself so wouldn't know, but if you don't like the default dialer, i'm sure you can find an alternative contacts app from the market that suits your needs best

 

[JohnJSal]

Thanks all. Maybe I can find a video on youtube or something, just to see some images.

 

[Boria]

The main "people" app shows all of them, but at the bottom you can select "groups" and it shows all your groups and how many people are in each. Selecting one of them would show all of "Family" etc...

Where are you selecting the groups from? I don't understand what you mean by the main "people" app. Where is the main "people" app?

I am new to android and I can't find any of what you are talking about.

 

[Dmtalon]

Where are you selecting the groups from? I don't understand what you mean by the main "people" app. Where is the main "people" app?

I am new to android and I can't find any of what you are talking about.

Sorry if I was confusing... At least with the HTC Incredible (and Sense UI) the contact app is called "People"

The People app opens to "all contacts" which if synced with gmail shows "My Contacts" by default. (under menu, then view, you can choose to include "all" contacts from gmail also if you want 4 million to show up )

So, at the bottom of the screen when in the "People" app, there are icons, the second one over shows two "card" looking things, that's the group view, and shows any groups you synced via gmail. In fact across the bottom there is an icon for: "All", "Groups", "Online Directories", and "Call History"

Hope that's explained better.

 

[mrqs]

that seems to be a sense ui specific thing - on vanilla android, contacts are found in the dialer -app (also brought up by pressing the physical dial button when in the home screen), which has 4 tabs: dialer, call log, contacts & favourites
menu button brings up an option for "groups" when viewing contacts

 

[JohnJSal]

Sorry if I was confusing... At least with the HTC Incredible (and Sense UI) the contact app is called "People"

The People app opens to "all contacts" which if synced with gmail shows "My Contacts" by default. (under menu, then view, you can choose to include "all" contacts from gmail also if you want 4 million to show up )

So, at the bottom of the screen when in the "People" app, there are icons, the second one over shows two "card" looking things, that's the group view, and shows any groups you synced via gmail. In fact across the bottom there is an icon for: "All", "Groups", "Online Directories", and "Call History"

Hope that's explained better.

Thanks, that gives a much better picture.