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February 12, 2013

Mobile Google Contacts Alternative

For some reason, Google doesn't offer a mobile interface for Google Contacts. Sure, you can use the autocomplete feature from Gmail to find an email address or sync your contacts using CardDav or Exchange, but there's no mobile app for Google Contacts.

I've tried to use the standard desktop interface available at google.com/contacts, but it's slow and hard to use on a mobile phone. Fortunately, Google still offers the old version of the Google Contacts site at google.com/contacts_v1 and it works a lot better on a smartphone.


Update: There's another option - https://mail.google.com/mail/h/?v=cl (thanks, Alexandre).
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13 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2013 at 5:10 AM

    What about the contacts list from Gmail HTML? https://mail.google.com/mail/h/?&v=cl

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 12, 2013 at 5:29 AM

    On my Nexus 7 the first link goes to the new version and the second link just goes to the mobile version of Gmail. But hey, Chrome on Android can handle the contacts, so no complaints xD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2013 at 5:31 AM

      My bad, the first link does go to the old version, but the link is wrong is your text, it goes to the normal version instead of the v1 version.

      Delete
  3. crumpuppetFebruary 12, 2013 at 5:32 AM

    Interesting. Just one thing, your contacts_v1 link's text is right, but the link points to the normal contacts URL (without the _v1).

    ReplyDelete
  4. KoalaBearFebruary 12, 2013 at 6:04 AM

    I still can't explain the 3-second freeze I get after 1 second on the current version. Also have that in Gmail (same codebase I guess). Irritating. Only have 223 contacts and 458 in Circles. Should not kill it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JayFebruary 12, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    I use http://apps.intch.me/ for that purpose.
    It keeps all of my contacts in the cloud.
    and synced across all my devices.

    ReplyDelete
  6. StefanFebruary 13, 2013 at 3:22 AM

    Alex, I don't understand your need for a mobile interface for Google Contacts. Doesn't every mobile device has a contact/address/persons application that can synchronize with Google Contacts?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Louis RossouwFebruary 13, 2013 at 7:11 AM

    On Android your address book just syncs. The features available are generally the same as per google contacts website. Can't think of anything I can't do on my Android which I can do on Google Contacts.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mark and AshleyFebruary 13, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    Stefan is right, the contacts app is the mobile version of Google contacts. It syncs your Google contacts. You can edit, delete and modify. why would you use your browser on a android device to edit your contacts?

    ReplyDelete
  9. southisupFebruary 13, 2013 at 1:33 PM

    The Contacts / People app does not have the option to merge contacts. That reason alone makes these two alternatives invaluable to me - I've slowly been wading through literally hundreds of duplicates in the brief times I'm at a desktop or laptop computer (a legacy of moving to Android from Microsoft + Nokia). Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. southisupFebruary 16, 2013 at 4:28 PM

      ... except the v1 link only offers merge for what Google thinks are duplicates, and the mail link doesn't seem to have it at all.

      Delete

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