Accessing Google Contacts on iPad

[Sissy526]

I hope I'm not reiterating old news here but I did a search first and didn't find this information. I decided to post it in case it might be of use to someone.

I have owned iPads for close to a year now and always had issues trying to figure out and then remember how to be able to access my Gmail contacts in Safari since they don't show up in either the Mail or Gmail apps. Usually, I just reached for the laptop but today I wanted to edit about 91 contacts that were imported and didn't want to be tied to the laptop. I had some trouble getting to the gmail.com desktop website on the iPad but finally got there. I saw the red Contacts link on the email page but my group names weren't displayed, although my labels were there.

A search in Google Help resulted in finding the advice to just go to www.google.com/contacts. Simple and effective! This brought up a very spiffy looking Contacts page with all my groups and labels available. Very nice! Now I can relax and edit the 91 contacts. It would be nice if you could access them directly in the app or more easily from the email page with the same nice display, but this is a great work-around and a very nice solution.

 

[twerppoet]

Yes. Thanks for mentioning it.

They recently made some changes to the Google Contacts website. It used to be only the old HTML version (ugly, ugly, ugly) worked in Safari on the iPad. Now the normal desktop version of the site seems to work reasonably well.

They still need to release an app, or integrate contact editing with the GMail app. I've never understood this oversight. Even Yahoo does this one thing better. But this is progress.

You can also sync the iPad's native Contacts app to Google Contacts using their CardDAV server.

Sync contacts with your iOS device - Gmail Help

This works fairly well, but you can not use or edit labels/groups on the iPad.

 

[mmoarm2]

Does the ipad is easy for new buyer
I have bought the iphone5 and have no money to buy ipad now !

 

[twerppoet]

Does the ipad is easy for new buyer
I have bought the iphone5 and have no money to buy ipad now !

It is possible to get to Google Contacts on the iPhone in Safari. However; the two methods and site reached are different. The iPad offers the basic HTML and Desktop versions of the GMail site. The iPhone offers Older version and Desktop; however the Desktop choice on the iPHone appears to be the basic HTML site. Not nearly as nice; but usable in a pinch.

Anyway, in both cases you open Safari and go to the GMail site. Chances are good you'll be given the mobile version for that device. To get to the desktop version you need to tap on the list icon (three lines) so that you see the list of mailboxes. At the bottom of this list you'll see links for the alternate sites. Tap Desktop.

On the iPhone you'll see Contacts in the left column, right after all the folders. Tap that and you'll have access to the rather limited and ugly HTML version of Google Contacts.

On the iPad the Desktop choice look almost exactly like the desktop version. In the left column, just under GMail you'll see a menu item that says Mail. Tap it for the ability to choose Contacts or Tasks.

It's still not great, but it is usable. A lot more useable than the HTML version of Google Contacts.


For the iPhone, I recommend you use the CardDAV method of syncing with the Contacts app; at least for now. If you need to add new contacts, you can always go back to the home/office computer and clean it up later.