Self duplicating-while-syncing contacts with Google

[Fulani Filot]

Hello everyone, firstly, I don't know if I'm posting this in the correct place, if I'm not, please pardon and correct me, thanks.

Secondly, I use a Samsung Galaxy A7 (SM-A750F-D/S) running Android-10.

Thirdly, my problem has been going on for ages; my phone contacts keep on self-duplicating regardless of whether I'm using the default Samsung Contacts app or the Google Contacts app.

When I discovered the problem, I uninstalled the Google Contacts app and left the Samsung Contacts app. I also disabled syncing of my contacts with my Samsung, Microsoft and Yahoo accounts, in case that was behind the crazy mass-duplication of contacts. The problem persists and constant loss/recovery/editing of several hundred contacts is driving me crazy.

I've also tried disabling the syncing of contacts by the Samsung Contacts app thereby leaving only the reintroduced Google Contacts app...the problem persists. I don't know what-the-heck is triggering the mass self-duplication/syncing of my contacts. I've done malware checks on my Android OS, browsers on my phone and my PC (which are all cross-connected via sign-in) and haven't found any anomalous activity.

I'm getting closer to the point of completely disabling auto-sync/backup of my contacts from the phone in preference of manual management (create/delete/edit/backup-at-the-vcf-level) of my contacts if a diagnosis of this problem isn't established.

Your help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mustang7757]

[Hi, I deleted your other one , keep this one here ]

 

[B. Diddy]

In the Settings>Accounts menu, look through all of the accounts -- are you certain only Google Contacts are being synced?

 

[Fulani Filot]

In the Settings>Accounts menu, look through all of the accounts -- are you certain only Google Contacts are being synced?

Yes i checked that and none of those other accounts are syncing contacts. Thanks.

 

[Fulani Filot]

[Hi, I deleted your other one , keep this one here ]

Thanks for the that.

 

[Fulani Filot]

In the Settings>Accounts menu, look through all of the accounts -- are you certain only Google Contacts are being synced?

After checking the offline account profiles (in my phone, I thought of checking the online settings if my Google account and found a certain setting in the "ON" mode (see attached screenshot) and quickly turned it "OFF". Do you think it might be the cause? Thanks again.

 

[B. Diddy]

That might be it. Contacts that you saved to the Phone/Device account (i.e., the local account) typically don't sync to your Google account, so that might be a new feature.

 

[Fulani Filot]

That might be it. Contacts that you saved to the Phone/Device account (i.e., the local account) typically don't sync to your Google account, so that might be a new feature.

I also discovered from the Samsung Contacts app's "Merge Contacts" feature that one of my two SIM cards was always creating (its network logo icon kept appearing) its own copies of my contacts alongside Google, WhatsApp and device memory, and yet I couldn't find any contacts stored in that SIM or the device memory (WhatsApp is understandable and ok).

I took out the SIM and left my favourite SIM...the duplications have abated significantly (but not totally)...there's still a culprit out there to hunt down. As always, your advice is highly welcome. Thanks.