Where to add New Contacts?

[ndn83]

When adding a new contact on my Charge it wants you to choose whether to add it to SIM/PHONE/GOOGLE (shows gmail account)/or other email accounts. I don't know what to choose so I have just been choosing PHONE. I have backup assistance through Verizon to back up PHONE but I know that GOOGLE backs up your numbers too. Is one better than the other or is there a way to do more than one?

[jstafford1]

You probably can do them all, but I just add them to me gmail account. No need for all the extra stuff.

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[rexd1976]

I add them my using the Gmail account. Phone is probably an option for people who don't SYNC phone books like Facebook or Gmail. If you add it to the Phone AND to Gmail, you may end up with 2 contacts Joined eventually (next time you get a new phone). The SIM card allows you you store your contacts on it in case you pull the SIM card out and load it into a new phone. You can MOVE your contacts to the SIM card later (at the time you actually get a new phone). If you add your contacts to Gmail, then later decide not to sync your gmail contacts, they may be removed from your phone.... so adding new contacts to PHONE, may in the end be the best way. They will sync to gmail anyway if you allow.

[mamawm]

You probably can do them all, but I just add them to me gmail account. No need for all the extra stuff.

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this is the best way on any android phone. if you should ever want to root and install a new rom, or if you ever need to factory reset, contacts stored on the phone will be gone. also if your phone is ever lost, stolen, or god forbid run through a cycle in the washing machine (there have quite a few reports of this happening here on the forum) all your contacts on both the phone and sim would be gone. contacts stored on google are always there.

[ndn83]

I add them my using the Gmail account. Phone is probably an option for people who don't SYNC phone books like Facebook or Gmail. If you add it to the Phone AND to Gmail, you may end up with 2 contacts Joined eventually (next time you get a new phone). The SIM card allows you you store your contacts on it in case you pull the SIM card out and load it into a new phone. You can MOVE your contacts to the SIM card later (at the time you actually get a new phone). If you add your contacts to Gmail, then later decide not to sync your gmail contacts, they may be removed from your phone.... so adding new contacts to PHONE, may in the end be the best way. They will sync to gmail anyway if you allow.

I would prefer to save to phone for the Backup Assistance and also to have it sync with gmail. How can I make sure that it is syncing with gmail? I'm sure it's a simple answer...just haven't taken the time to go look. Thanks for the reply.

[BeefJerky]

I would prefer to save to phone for the Backup Assistance and also to have it sync with gmail. How can I make sure that it is syncing with gmail? I'm sure it's a simple answer...just haven't taken the time to go look. Thanks for the reply.

A contact will only sync with one or the other. If saved to phone it will be backed up with Backup Assistant (if setup to), or if saved to Gmail it will backed up to Gmail. I prefer to have it all synced with Gmail because I'd rather not have a second service auto-syncing in the background (i.e. Backup Assistant). In theory, it might save some battery that way too.

[ndn83]

A contact will only sync with one or the other. If saved to phone it will be backed up with Backup Assistant (if setup to), or if saved to Gmail it will backed up to Gmail. I prefer to have it all synced with Gmail because I'd rather not have a second service auto-syncing in the background (i.e. Backup Assistant). In theory, it might save some battery that way too.

Ok, let me run this one by you...what if...I upgrade to the iphone, will I be able to get my contacts from either Backup Assistance or the gmail account? Was wondering since the iphone isn't a Google phone if that would work but then again, I didn't know if the iphone used Backup Assistance either. Thanks for your help!

[BeefJerky]

I think you would be able to transfer them over. I know that both the GMail website as well as VZW's Backup Assistance website allow exporting the contacts into a standard CSV file. However, I don't know how you would go about importing that to the iPhone or iTunes.

In addition, I can tell you that it is easy to transfer your contacts from Backup Assistant to Google via the same method, and I recommend doing so if with any Android phone. You export into a CSV file on the Backup Assistant website, then you can import that file on the GMail website. I did this when I first got my Android phone and it was easy.

Oh, and I don't consider the iPhone an "upgrade" by any definition of the word. I'd consider it a sidegrade at best, but more of a downgrade. However, that is just me.

[ndn83]

I think you would be able to transfer them over. I know that both the GMail website as well as VZW's Backup Assistance website allow exporting the contacts into a standard CSV file. However, I don't know how you would go about importing that to the iPhone or iTunes.

In addition, I can tell you that it is easy to transfer your contacts from Backup Assistant to Google via the same method, and I recommend doing so if with any Android phone. You export into a CSV file on the Backup Assistant website, then you can import that file on the GMail website. I did this when I first got my Android phone and it was easy.

Oh, and I don't consider the iPhone an "upgrade" by any definition of the word. I'd consider it a sidegrade at best, but more of a downgrade. However, that is just me.

Thank you for all the information...you have been extremely helpful!!

[mamawm]

way back when i used to have an iphone, i had all my contacts on it stored as google contacts. when i finally got a droid and activated it all my contacts automatically showed up on the droid, and i was coming from att to verizon as well as from iphone to droid. so i would imagine that the same would be true in reverse.