For anyone using Go Contacts EX...

[kuoirad]

I use Go Contacts because it lets me save my contacts on the phone, instead of with Google. Personal preference.

After the upgrade, I had to re-import my backed up contacts. I also noticed that my contacts kept disappearing from the "Phone" account in Go Contacts and moving over to the "Google" account.

I thought I'd found a bug in Go Contacts, but after a little more poking, I think I found the problem. Under System Settings -> Backup & reset, "Back up my data" was on by default. I turned that off, and my contacts seem to have stopped getting moved.

Long(er) term, I don't know what the "correct" solution for this is. Perhaps someone can port the backup program Paul627g's been touting to OS X and I can use that for a "full" backup. For now, I'll just keep using my "partial" rsync-based occasional backup to my laptop at home. Perhaps this is a moot point because I'm an outlier as someone who doesn't want their contacts in Google/gmail.

 

[mikiemike]

Kinda strange I guess, you are baking them up but not with Google? If you don't mind me asking; why? Turning off the back up my data may have some undesired side effects later. Not sure though, maybe if you did a factory wipe you wouldn't get to restore most of your apps as easily or something minor like that.

 

[kuoirad]

Realistically, the only "important" and "unrecoverable" things on my phone are my contacts, which I export to vcf from Go Contacts every so often then rsync my "sdcard" to my laptop at home (which is Time Machine'd...).

I don't want Google having my contacts. No substantive reason behind that.

 

[whippingboy]

I feel your pain, unfortunately, us old guard VCF folks are left to rot.

HTC has some great support for VCF and local sync imbedded in sense and give you options for this when you first set up an HTC phone. They used to also have an HTC sync app for PC users- not sure if that's still supported- I never used it.

Keep in mind, many phones only support a limited number of contacts if you don't use google contacts (around 600) this alone was a dealbreaker for me and why I finally caved and began using google contacts.

I know this post comes off as somewhat off topic being a Nexus thread- but keeping personal data off the cloud is still a concern for some people- and in some cases a requirement, and "naked or pure android" doesn't support these people's needs as well as some of the OEMs in my opinion.

 

[caleb02]

Why would you NOT want to use google Gmail to save your contacts? If your phone is lost or stolen or broken its backed up online no lost contacts. Be smart and not an idiot about it.

 

[zoozygue]

I suspect this is a Google "problem"; I've found that the Google account will still steal the contacts from GO Contacts Ex even in the following case:

GO Contacts Ex > Settings > Backup and Recovery > Account Sync (left blank)
AND!
Android Desktop > System Settings > Accounts > Google > Contacts Sync (set to OFF)

============WORK-AROUND============

For you tech-savvy types, I have been getting by with the following (admittedly-laborious) short-term solution:

1) From within GO Contacts Ex, Back up your contacts to a VCard file
2) Connect your phone through USB and copy the backup file to an external drive
3) Wipe out your contacts
4) Sign into the Google account in question with a desktop, and verify that your contacts are deleted as per this article: How to Delete a Contact from Gmail - About Email
5) Delete the Google account from your phone as per this article: Removing Google Account ANdroid 4.3 Nexus 4 : AndroidQuestions
6) Through USB, restore the contact file to GO Contacts Ex

For software updates:

1) back-up contacts
2) remove contacts from phone
3) restore Google account to phone
4) Update/install software
5) delete Google account from phone
6) restore contacts to phone.

I recommend doing it once a month. A longer-term solution would be for an open-source contact manager to be developed and posted to https://f-droid.org/ ; I would do it myself if I had the talent.

Why would you NOT want to use google Gmail to save your contacts? If your phone is lost or stolen or broken its backed up online no lost contacts. Be smart and not an ***** about it.

I know this is an old thread, but it still comes up pretty high on a Google search for "go contacts ex backup". So I wanted to address the above comment just in case someone were to accidentally think it's not completely devoid of merit or logic.

It's not about "not wanting" to use the Google account. One might very actively WANT TO NOT have one's Google account steal contacts for any number of reasons:

-Gmail is used as a work e-mail account, and one's phone is a private phone that also syncs e-mail just in case of work emergencies
-One has a data segregation policy that involves discrete Gmail accounts for e-mail/phone/Google Play
-One uses a Google account for the Google Play store, and a non-Google e-mail account as one's primary address
-One uses a custom desktop contact manager that relies on data integrity and logic transparency
-One cares about identity theft and data privacy

If my phone is lost or stolen or broken, I would rather it behave reliably and consistently so I know how to backup and update my own data, wouldn't you? All this besides the fact that the option you espouse is not only eminently possible, but the DEFAULT in the Android + GO Contacts Ex combination. Be "smart" about it indeed.

 

[Atharkhan101]

I am not able to restore contacts groups and notes in go contacts EX. Please help.