saving contacts, use google or backup asst.?

[seez52]

Is there a preference here on which works best for saving contacts? I've used backup asst. always before but simply because I didn't have a smart phone. I'm pretty tied into using gmail now so should I just move toward storing all there? Are there pros and cons? thanks

[Sydman]

I don't use backup assistant since coming to Android. With Google storing all the contacts it just makes it so much easier, I found with backup assistant some times when you delete from your phone they won't replicate that to their server so that contact would just come back next time it scanned.

[bsweetness]

It depends on what phones you might see yourself using in the future. If you plan on sticking with Android devices, backing your contacts up with your Google account is definitely the way to go. But if you think you might switch to an iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry, or dumbphone at some point in the future, using Backup Assistant will make things a bit easier. There are ways to get your contacts from Google onto all of those devices, but Backup Assistant will be simpler and will provide more options.

If you're not sure what phones you'll use in the future, you could always use Google for now, and then if you think you'll be moving to a non-Android device, do a quick backup with Backup Assistant. Or you could just use both concurrently.

[bruben7886]

What I do is open the people app, the phone book. I press the menu key and select import/export. Then I select export to storage to save my contacts (avatars included unlike backup assistant) to the external SD card as a vcf file. To reimport them, repeat the process but select import instead of export. I do not use backup assistant or Google to save contacts. Once in a blue moon I copy the file to my pc. I only do this because it saves the contact pictures as well unlike backup assistant. I know Google also saves the avatars...but I discovered this after doing it my way for awhile....old habits

[mysticalmalissa]

I only use Google.

[seez52]

thanks for the input, I think I'll switch all my contacts over to google. I'm using multiple devices so having them all in one place would be best and my desktop does not access backup asst.

[seez52]

I've always tried to put my contacts in last name first and kept them sorted that way. Now it seems some are last name first some are the other way. When I try and edit them they look just the same. What causes this?