Contacts do not get synced between Mac and iPad

[desertmac]

When I try to sync my contacts between my Mac (hundreds of contacts) and my iPad only one single contact shows up in Contacts on the iPad although iTunes is set to sync all contacts.

What might be going wrong here?

 

[twerppoet]

Don't use iTunes if you have a choice. Turn off any syncing your've set up in the Info tab in iTunes. Now set up iCloud and use it. It's far less likely to cause problems, and your data gets backed up.

Apple IDs and iCloud
Apple - iCloud - Learn how to set up iCloud on all your devices.

Unless you can't use iCloud. In that case GMail syncing is your best bet.

I really, really, really don't like syncing through iTunes. It's a left over feature best not used unless you have to. All kinds of potential problems.

 

[desertmac]

Don't use iTunes if you have a choice ... set up iCloud and use it.

I try to avoid iCloud and similar services like Google Sync for as long as possible. I prefer to have my personal data as much as possible on my personal devices only. I know that cloud computing cannot be avoided (email as such has always been cloud computing) but my contacts from the last 20 years do not belong on servers from companies like Apple or Google. That might sound old-fashioned for people from the "post-privacy era"; however, it is the right thing for me.

On top of that I think that iCloud is a poor service for as long as it works in regards to email only with me.com email addresses - but that would be a different topic.

I got the syncing working again by resetting the SyncServices folder and will watch closely whether new problems arise.

Greetings - desertmac