why are my contacts on phone not syncing to google?

[AC Question]

My phone contacts are listed a Google Contacts yet when entered on phone are not appearing on the Google contact list online. Settings are set to sync and I've done so manually without success.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Just to be sure -- where are you looking to confirm that those contacts are indeed saved to your Google account? If you edit one of those contacts, do you see your Google account listed at the top of the edit screen?

 

[RLE ANDROID]

Thank you for responding.
Yes, I verified over and over that I am in my Google account.
Their seems to be other factors:
1. It may be syncing yet my Google Contacts online are not same numbers as Google Contacts on phone. Yes, I selected to see only Google account contacts on phone.
2. Sync to Google apparently does NOT pull over all information. I was searching online account for "Donna Carlson". Several things occur (found in hindsight)... The name did not appear on the quick drop-down (from Google contact search box); only another "Donna." Attempted with last name with same results. Finally typed entire name, selected search, and her contact came up MINUS her name. The contact was searchable yet only under her Google+ account name (different).... Crazy. I edited online contact to add name and can search and find contact online now.
>> ? Why does it not pull over the name? Part of challenge may be I use "Organization" block on phone to list my names. I don't put anything in name block usually.

Bottom Line: Seems I am going in circles. You have my apologies yet I am pulling my hair out. Even though numbers don't match between online and phone, majority (or more?) seems to be backed up and that is main concern. I will conduct maintenance on my contact list (will take weeks or months) and resubmit questions more directed.

Thank you for your time.

 

[B. Diddy]

Aha! Listing names in the Organization field and leaving the Name field blank can cause problems like this. I just encountered this issue when trying to sync my contacts with my car -- the ones that only had Organization or Company fields entered, without Names, didn't show up.

 

[Chance Hobby]

Likely because the contact was created with the phone and saved locally... this is indicated by the 'phone icon' in the 'connected via' area of the contact details page.......

When you create a new contact there is a drop down option to save your contact to your Google account... saving a contact this way will allow it to sync to Google or Gmail....

The BIG question, is now that you have spent months/years creating contacts that are only saved locally on your phone, how do you 'transfer' them to be 'connected' via Google !?!?!

The answer is simple... most internet sources will tell you it can't be done or you have to recreate each contact (saving to Google).... before you explode, try this:

In the contacts page (the one displaying all your contacts) select the pop up menu (three vertical dots) and select 'settings'. select 'contacts'. select 'import/export contacts'. select either 'export to device storage' OR 'export to SD card'.

This will save a list of all your contacts to the location you selected.

next, again select 'import/export contacts'. select either 'import from device storage' OR 'import from SD card' (dependent on the storage location you first selected) and select 'save contact to' = Google.

BAM! all of your contacts should now be 'connected via' phone AND Google. this is indicated by the 'phone icon' AND the 'Google icon' in the 'connected via' area of the contact details page

Next time your phone syncs your contacts they will also sync to Google and be visible in Gmail.... Hurray!