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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: