Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

I have two Driod phones. One has a bunch of contacts in it and some are saved in backup assist and some are saved in Google. I'd like to put all of the ones in backup assist in google so that my second phone can also use the same contacts. How can I change the contacts being backed up now with backup assist to being backup up on Google? Will just turning off backup assist work somehow?

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
Verizon's Backup Assistant will only backup contacts saved as phone contacts. It doesn't touch the Google contacts.

Open the Contacts application on the phone with the contacts. Press the menu button and then look for a import/export options. Follow the prompts to export the contacts to a vcf file on the sd card. You will now need to transfer the vcf file to your computer. Sign into your gmail account from your computer and go to the Contacts section. There is a "More" option where you can find the import options. Follow those prompts to import the vcf file into your gmail account.

Back on the phone in the contacts application, you should have an option under the menu to filter the type of contacts that are viewable. Filter it to just show the phone only contacts. You will need to delete all of those so you don't have duplicates on the phone.

Depending on your contacts in gmail, you might have to do some duplicate cleanup there.

Those are the basic steps. Let us know you have trouble with any part of it.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
You can export the contacts from the phone with all the contacts. Which phone would that be? The steps may vary from one phone manufacturer to another.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

Phone 1 is a Driod X. It has all the contacts in it. Some of the contacts are being backup up onto Google apparantly and the rest of being backup up by the backup assist utility (Most are in here).

 

Phone 2 is new and has no contacts in it.

 

I was hoping to use the same Google account with Phone 2 as I am using with phone 1 that way both phones would be syncing to Google and would update each other accordingly. For instance if I made a change to the contacts in phone 1 then phone 1 would sync to Google and update Google, then when phone 2 synced with Google next Google would update phone 2.

 

The problem is when I go into the contacts of Phone 1, some of them say they are being backup up to Google and some are saying they are being backup up by the backup assist. The ones that are being backup up by backup assist need to be converted over to being backup up by Google. Can I just turn off backup Assist and then Google backing up will then see them and start backing them up?

 

Not sure what to do here. Im not understanding why all the contacts are not being backed up to both locations on phone 1.

 

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
Verizon's Backup Assistant will only backup contacts saved as phone contacts. It doesn't touch the Google contacts.

Open the Contacts application on the phone with the contacts. Press the menu button and then look for a import/export options. Follow the prompts to export the contacts to a vcf file on the sd card. You will now need to transfer the vcf file to your computer. Sign into your gmail account from your computer and go to the Contacts section. There is a "More" option where you can find the import options. Follow those prompts to import the vcf file into your gmail account.

Back on the phone in the contacts application, you should have an option under the menu to filter the type of contacts that are viewable. Filter it to just show the phone only contacts. You will need to delete all of those so you don't have duplicates on the phone.

Depending on your contacts in gmail, you might have to do some duplicate cleanup there.

Those are the basic steps. Let us know you have trouble with any part of it.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

I think I understand. Thank you. Will work on this.

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

I'm making pretty good progress on this. I was able to export my backup assist contacts to the data card and then import them into google and they now appear in both phones as Google contacts. The only remaining issue is removing the contacts from the backup assist on Phone 1.

 

I can set the phone to only show backup assist contacts but since they are now also google contacts too, when I shows those contacts it's like there are two of them within the same contact. You go into the contact and the top part of the contact is the google backup part and the bottom is the backup assist part. They are merged and I cannot figure out how to unmerge them so I can remove just the backup assist part. There is no unlink function.

 

Any idea how I can separate them or just turn off the backup assist part?

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
When you are viewing the details of one of the linked contact, press the menu button and see if there is a "link" or "unlink" option.

I'm not familiar with the exact steps on a Motorola android phone, but there should be a way to both manually link and then unlink the two types of contacts.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

I uploaded an image here of what i am talking about:

 

[image deleted due to personally identifiable information visible]

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
davidmanvell
Enthusiast - Level 3

Is there a way to either turn off backup assist? or to do a mass unlink of all the contacts?

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Re: Backup assist to Google backup
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Go to settings > applications > manage applications > all tab > scroll down to the Backup Assistant application. Select it and press the clear data button and then force close button.

This should clear out the data for the BA.

I think this next step will clear the contacts quickly. Before doing it, make sure you still have your file you used to import your contacts into Google. You might have to repeat that step.
Go to settings > applications > manage applications > all tab > scroll down to either Contact Storage or Contact. You will want to clear the data in the app.

Verify that your contacts list is now empty or just displays the Google contacts.
Now go to settings > Accounts > and force a sync of the contacts or the complete Google account.

 

Anyone else with a Droid X that reads this post, please feel free to correct any of the menu directions if I am wrong.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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