Skip to main content

BusyContacts is not syncing with Apple Contacts or iPhone

BusyContacts syncs to Apple Contacts (and your iPhone) through a cloud account such as iCloud, Google, Exchange, Fruux, or another CardDAV server.

It does not sync local “On My Mac” address books to Apple Contacts or iPhone.

Quick checks

  1. Confirm the contact is stored in a server-backed address book (iCloud/Google/Exchange/CardDAV), not On My Mac.
  2. Confirm the same cloud account is enabled in System Settings > Internet Accounts.
  3. In BusyContacts, confirm the account is added in BusyContacts > Settings > Accounts.

A reliable “sync test”

  1. In BusyContacts, create a new contact on the server-backed address book.
  2. Wait a moment, then verify it appears in:
    • Apple Contacts on the same Mac
    • the provider’s web UI (for example iCloud.com or Google Contacts)
    • Contacts on iPhone (if that account is enabled there)

Common gotchas

  • If you have multiple accounts enabled (for example iCloud + Google), make sure the contact is created on the account you expect.
  • If you imported contacts into an On My Mac address book, those contacts will remain local unless you move/export/import them into a cloud account.

For more detail, see: