Import Contacts into K-9 app

[wpw]

I am running the K-9 email app on my Acer android A500 and I need to import my existing contacts into the K-9 contacts list. Where do they have to be imported from? How do I go about this importing?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Polish Prince]

K9 does not have contacts. It's an email program.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[wpw]

Well, maybe I used the wrong word! I'm talking about the built in list of email addresses for the people I might send email to. Every email program I've used has had a list like that and at least some of them have called it the Contacts List. Maybe someone else will chime in with a better answer.

Bill

 

[Polish Prince]

Excuse me if this sounds stupid, I'm trying to be helpful... You realize that when you enter (or import via vcard, csv, etc.. ) your contacts in Gmail on a computer, then you add that same Gmail account to any Android device, all of your contacts will be available on that device.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[wpw]

No I didn't realize that! In my case I didn't know that Gmail had anything to do with this. I guess I'm missing an important concept here. My actual mail box is on FastMail.fm and I have my home PC set up to retrieve the messages from there using POP3. I was expecting to set up something similar to that on my tablet. I hope you can explain the tablet's real world to me.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Polish Prince]

Gmail should also integrate with your fastmail account. Basically, get yourself a Gmail account, then go into your email settings & you can see how Gmail will start getting all your fastmails.

You can then reply from a computer, tablet, or your phone using Gmail, and the recipient sees your address as your fastmail account.

I believe you can port over up to 5 different email accounts for each Gmail account you have.

If you do this, and start putting all your contacts into Gmail, you'll be on easy street from here on.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[wpw]

Thanks for the explanation and the suggestions. My tablet is the Wi-Fi only kind and I want to be able to retrieve messages from my FastMail account when Wi-Fi is available and then read them and maybe write replies when Wi-Fi is not available. I should explain that I use the tablet for email only while away on a trip. So, I need an email app that can use POP3 to retrieve my messages and then allow me to read them later. From what you have explained, it sounds like there may not be any email apps that have their own Contacts lists. I've used Enhanced Email and I'm actually wondering what the K-9 email app's capabilities are.

If anyone knows of an email app that is best suited for my application, please let me know.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Polish Prince]

The next time you are on a computer, go to your fastmail and export your contacts to your desktop in csv format.

Then, log in to your new Gmail account you created. While you are in Gmail you have the ability to import that csv file that has all your contacts.

As long as your tablet has this same Gmail account associated with it, you will see all of your contacts on your tablet under the app called "People" or "Contacts".

Remember that Android syncs your contacts with your Gmail account!

My prior email was probably too complicated for what you want to do. So, just try this method instead.

You can use K9 as your POP3 client. You can also use pretty much any email app that supports POP3.

Once you have your K9 set up, go ahead & compose a new email, in the "To" field, simply type the first few letters of the recipient's name or email address & you will see it populate for you to choose.

Once you get this down pat, and everything is working well, I would recommend you read my prior post again & associate your Fastmail account with your Gmail account. Then, you don't even need a 3rd party POP3 email app on your tablet. You can use the native Gmail app for your Fastmail.

Once you grasp this concept of what Gmail is and how it's designed to sync with multiple devices and email accounts, you will realize that you won't even need to log in to your fastmail account any longer.

Also, you'll see the benefits of putting your contacts into your Gmail account from now on instead of your Fastmail account.

I'm on an Android phone here, but I will share a screenshot here to help you understand how you can incorporate your normal POP3 with a Gmail account. I cropped out the top part of the screenshot to hide my Gmail address, but you can see that I am receiving emails from my Elks and Penshells (non Gmail) email accounts all within my Gmail account.

You can only start this type of integration by logging in to your Gmail on a regular computer and dig into your Gmail settings. All the instructions are there for you.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[wpw]

Thanks for all the details Polish Prince. I will do most of that and give it a try. However, there are a few differences with what you outlined. I almost never log into my FastMail account. At home I use Thunderbird on my laptop to manage my email and it uses POP3 to retrieve the messages from my FastMail account, so all my contacts are in Thunderbird, not FastMail. I will export them from there. You suggested that I just use Gmail to read all my email but one of my objectives is to be able to read emails while not online! That is why I'm asking questions about the K-9 app. As I said earlier, my tablet is a Wi-Fi only tablet so I want to be able to get to a Wi-Fi connection (like in a resturant) and download all my messages and then read them later as I have time while not at a Wi-Fi connection.

I will transfer my contacts into Gmail and then see how it goes.

Thanks for the help.
Bill

 

[Polish Prince]

If that's the case it sounds like K9 is the simplest way to go. Export your contacts from Tbird & import them into a Gmail account using a computer.

Add that same Gmail account to your tablet & all your contacts will then sync to your tablet.

Install K9 on the tablet & set it up for your Fastmail account.

Then, you will be golden.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[koshkas]

Won't this allow Google / NSA to access all of my contact information???
How do I do this without use of an outside server?
What files must I replace?

 

[LuigiBleu]

Yes, anything stored on a server like Google's gives Google and the NSA access.

Downloading your emails via pop3 and deleting them from your mail server makes them private and not accessible except by search warrant or subpoena.

You can use a program like MyPhoneExplorer to sync your Thunderbird contacts with your Phone contact list (NOT your Google/Gmail list) and your contacts will not be stored on a server anywhere, only on computers and phones you control.

 

[WWInd]

My comment may be a bit late, but I feel it is still very relevant because I know lots of people running away from Google after recent revelations about the indiscriminate violation of our privacy, so ..

/ Avoid webmail systems like you avoid the devil.
/ It is not at all necessary to create a gmail account you don't want just to import contacts from thunderbird. You can import directly to the contacts in the android tablet or phone. There are simple apps to do that
/ Although at that point the US and UK spies already have a copy, it is still a good idea to download your emails with POP3 and erase them from a private server.
/ Use encryption. Thunderbird + GPG4win and Enugmail is a good choice for the PC. K9 + APG is a good choice for Android.
/ You should also switch to encrypted instant message. ChatSecure + OTR is a good choice (create account that supports XMPP).
/ One final recommendation :
Install a Firewall in your tablet or phone (NoRoot Firewall is a good choice) and watch the log to see Google apps trying to go to the internet every few seconds even if you disable all google sync functions.
Your address book, SMS, call logs, etc are all being sent to Google regularly.
Many of us

Good luck.