The gmail Contacts Question
Timothyb196
Enthusiast - Level 3

I see LOTS of posts about this problem, and I've read and  read, but no answers. Unfortunately I have no answers either. But I'm hoping a clear explanation of the problem might get the answers I'm seeking. I have gmail (who doesn't) and an android phone. On the Verizon Messages on my phone, the gmail contacts show up there without any troubles at all. However the Verizon Messages app on both my tablet and my computer have no contacts at all, except for the 5 standard verizon contacts on all my devices. I have looked in my Verizon Cloud and, you guessed it, only 5 Verizon contacts there. I have looked throughout my phone, and I cannot find a way to sync my gmail contacts to Verizon Cloud, nor can I convince my Verizon Messages app on my phone to share its knowledge with my other devices. It's pretty simple: I'd like to be able to text on my tablet and my computer as easily as I do with my phone. All I need is to somehow be able to share my gmail contacts either on the cloud, or sync them somehow to my Verizon Messages app on my other devices. So I'm hoping someone knows the secret, and doesn't mind sharing.

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Re: The gmail Contacts Question
Not applicable

HI Timothyb196,

Thank you for your message.Here are the steps for your Tablet and PC.

TABLET/VZ Cloud

If you only see 5 Verizon contacts, then you have not 'backed up' TO your VZ Cloud account.

Once the contacts are on the VZ CLOUD they will sync to your Tab. 

  • Go to VZ ClOUD on your Mobile
  • Select 'Back Up Now' from the Right side menu (3 DOTS)
  • Refresh or close/reopen VZM on the Tab and the contacts should populate

Here is the link to the cloud to learn more about it.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/products/verizon-cloud.html

PC

While the tablet pulls from the VZ Cloud. The PC does NOT.

Please refer to this USER GUIDE on the Community Forum for the steps to import your contacts.

PC APP - http://vz.to/1St0Z5S 

If you need additional assistance, please let me know.

ALIE@VZM

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Re: The gmail Contacts Question
Timothyb196
Enthusiast - Level 3

That's just it, I have backed up my contacts. I read these discussions, and several of them mentioned backing up your contacts to the cloud. That's how I knew that if I could get my contacts to the cloud they would automatically be shared to all of my devices. I have backed them up using both the Verizon cloud app and using the backup contacts assistant in the Contacts app. They just won't back up. I have noticed one thing, the only contacts that back up are the ones that have the little Verizon cloud logo in the groups section. If they have a Google "G" on them, they won't back up. To be honest, I am about ready to manually add all my contacts to my apps. That's the only way I can think of to get them on all my devices.

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Re: The gmail Contacts Question
Timothyb196
Enthusiast - Level 3

Not the groups section, but the "Connected via" section. If that section has the Google "G", then my contacts don't back up to Verizon cloud.

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Re: The gmail Contacts Question
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

I understand completely. I was in your shoes once before. Contacts that you have backed up & saved through Google (as opposed to contained in the phones internal memory) it may not be recognized & picked up by the cloud. When you are trying to transfer, do you have wifi turned on or off on your device? If it is on, lets turn it off and try the transfer again.
BryanS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Re: The gmail Contacts Question
NJMagicman
Contributor - Level 2

Hello Timothyb196!  You are correct.  If the contact shows anything but a plain old phone icon, Verizon Cloud doesn't back it up and because Verizon Messages uses the same contact list as cloud backup, you won't see it there.

It looks like VZ is starting to backup google contacts too because my recent update is now backing up my google contacts but my friend phone with the same version of cloud doesn't.

If your's doesn't, you could go to contacts.google.com and export those contacts to a CSV file and then import that file into the Verizon Cloud.  Then they should show up in the messaging app.  The only thing I'm not sure of is will that create duplicate entries in your phone's contact list.  You might want to try it with a couple contacts first.

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