Google Contacts Sync Issue

[RLewy]

Is anyone having an issue with Google contacts sync battery drain? Is there a way to change the frequency of syncing? Maybe to once a day?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[B. Diddy]

Do you notice that it's constantly syncing? Because it shouldn't. Sometimes, if there's a problem with either the server or with some wonky bit of data, it might get hung up with syncing and then ultimately give you a Sync Error.

The first thing to try is a reboot. If that doesn't help, then go to Settings>Accounts-Google>[your Google account], and if you see it either syncing endlessly or in a Sync Error, then try unchecking it, and then checking it again. If that doesn't help, then try going to Settings>Apps>All, select Contacts, and Clear Cache/Clear Data, then Force Stop. Do the same for Contact Storage (but do this only if all of your contacts are in your Google cloud, because this will probably also delete any locally stored "Phone account" contacts). Now let it sync again and see if it works.

 

[RLewy]

My deleted contacts will come back when Google re-syncs them though right?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Klotar]

To step in with the reply, yes -- as long as you don't delete your contact(s) within the Contacts app, but only delete the data/cache as B. Diddy described above, they will sync back. Even in the event of total disaster (you lost all your contacts somehow), as long as you have your contacts synced at one time to google (the more recent, the better of course), you can restore contacts on the google side by minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc. and then that will sync back to your phone.

You might also try looking at your contacts list from a PC browser on google to see if any fields are amiss or might cause a problem. Sometimes all it takes is one character in a field that isn't expected and the contacts sync will have an issue. An example might be (this is not a valid example but I am using it to illustrate the scenario), let's say the phone number field is usually numbers plus a few valid characters like "-", "(", ")", etc., but there happens to be other characters, letters or symbols in there because that contact was entered directly on google, from another phone and sync'd, or from some other mail client, etc. The contacts app may be trying to sync that contact over and over again, draining battery. Sometimes contacts cleanup can be a good thing (contacts with no first name, weird symbols in the names, phonetic fields [which you can enter on google but some phones don't like that]), etc.

Good luck!

 

[Broncho]

I think the problem is the ICE-Emergency Contacts group on the phone. It tries to sync that group but since it doesn't exist in your Google Contacts it can't. I've seen where some people can create a group with the same exact name in Google and then the sync can complete successfully, but that hasn't worked for me. That being said, my phone just says it hasn't synced, although all my changes do get synced. I haven't had it sit there and run continuously trying to sync on my Sprint LG G3.

 

[Klotar]

I think the problem is the ICE-Emergency Contacts group on the phone.

Oh, good point -- forgot about that.

 

[ldevlin]

You must use the contact edit mode to add contacts to the ICE group. Don't use the dialog at the ICE screen, otherwise you'll get the error and not be able to sync contacts.