Gmail and Google Apps users are able to synchronize their accounts with iPhones and iPads to keep email, calendars and contacts automatically up to date. This feature is great if you use multiple devices, automatically updating each new entry on all of your devices. Keeping your contacts synced will ensure that the contact information you need is available when you need it.

Since most of us that use Apple mobile devices also use iCloud, it can complicate the situation a little. When using both systems to synchronize information, new contacts created on your iOS device WILL NOT automatically appear in Google Apps Contacts. Although your information is safely stored on iCloud, it will not appear in your Google Contacts when you are using Gmail, Google Voice or other Google products that access your contact list.

After doing a little research I found an iOS app made to fix this problem. “Contacts Sync” is an iOS app that will allow you to automatically work between your Contact Groups (i.e. Google Apps Contacts, iPhone Contacts). This app will allow you to automatically sync your new iPhone contacts with your Google Apps Contacts making them immediately available for all your favorite Google products.

I recently tried this app for myself to get all the contacts I had created on my iPhone into Google Apps. It only took a few minutes to sync the 40ish contacts I had created directly on my phone. It is not a free app, but for $2.99 it is a worthwhile tool to have on your phone. Similar applications are available from the same company to Sync your Mac Contacts with Google Apps as well.

Click Here to Download Contacts Sync for iOS in the App Store

My iPhone and Google Apps Contacts Synced

Now that we have tested this app for ourselves and seen its value first hand, we are going to be suggesting this app to all of our clients that are using Google Apps and the iPhone. When thinking about how you are going to manage your contact information always consider that you need a primary system of record. Since most Google Apps users already use the platform to keep their email and calendar information synchronized between devices, it usually makes sense to use it as the primary system.