Outlook App for Android does not sync contacts

Anonymous
2019-05-07T17:31:24+00:00

Android contacts app does not sync with my Outlook email account.  I tried 4 different ways.  Each time I ensured Contacts sync is enabled in both Outlook account settings (off by default) and Android Settings\Accounts (on by default).  My account syncs with Android email and Android calendar - only Android contacts is empty.

1.), in Android Settings\Accounts, added my email as an Exchange account.  It successfully syncs with Android mail and Android calendar.  Not contacts - remains empty. 

Removed this account and tried again

2.) Installed Outlook for Android, added my outlook.com address, enabled contacts sync.  Still nothing.

3.) Left account in Outlook and attempted to add it in Android Settings\Accounts -  message "The email address is already connected with Outlook.  Do you want to connect it again with another service?"  I proceeded and chose "Outlook.com" as the service.

4.) Uninstalled everything.  in Android Settings\Accounts, added my email as an Exchange account.  Installed Outlook for Android, added account to Outlook.  Now it shows up in Android Settings\Accounts twice - once as Exchange and once as Outlook.com.  

Within Android Settings\Accounts it indicates "Contacts - Last synced 5/7/19 10:28am".  If I disable and reenable sync, the spinning sync circle appears, as if it was syncing, and then displays a new "Last synced" message.  Yet, no contacts ever show up.

Never had an issue on iOS.  Works perfectly.  My girlfriend's Samsung phone, contact sync works perfectly.  My LG phone, no contact sync.

Clarification - this is not an Outlook for Android issue.  This is a Microsoft ActiveSync integration issue with Android.  It is NOT required to install Outlook on Android.  Contacts, calendar, and mail sync are UNRELATED to Outlook for Android.  If you enter Android Settings\Accounts, you can connect to your microsoft email account via Exchange ActiveSync without ever having installed Outlook.  This is an Exchange ActiveSync bug!

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for Android | For business

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-09-22T21:40:57+00:00

    I also have the same issue. Contacts sync worked fine until this past spring. Now the "sync contacts" switch turns itself off after a few seconds. I have uninstalled Outlook, cleared cache. I even reset the entire phone (Galaxy Note 9) and I can't get sync to work. I have contacted the app support team through the outlook app, and I keep getting told that it will be fixed in an update to the app ( benn waiting 4 months now)

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-16T02:47:55+00:00

    I recently bought an Android Samsung Note 9 and was having similar contact sync issues. All my Contacts are in my personal Hotmail/Outlook and it wasn't being sync'd. I have my business contacts in my business Outlook, which is Office 365. Then I have my personal contacts in my personal Outlook - which is a Hotmail account.

    After spending an hour I found the issue and why my personal contacts were not syncing to my Android phone Samsung note 9.

    1. Go to your Outlook app
    2. Select on the hamburger menu top left
    3. Select Settings wheel
    4. Select your personal email/outlook (((obviously if you don't see it, then you need to click on "Add Account" and add your personal/outlook email)))
    5. Enable sync contacts

    Voila - your contacts from outlook will start to download immediately

    If you want to set personal/outlook as the default, go to your people app, click on the hamburger menu, go to manage contacts and go to default storage location to make personal/outlook as your default contacts.

    This did not work for me.

    My problem is that I can enable the "sync contacts" and it will start the sync process, but then maybe an hour or so later the contacts will disappear, and the enable contacts sync toggle switch will have reverted to off, without my input.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-16T02:38:19+00:00

    @Michaelslive - by the way - for my changes below, I did download 'Microsoft Launcher' and from it, downloaded the Outlook app to ensure 'contact sync'

    I recently bought an Android Samsung Note 9 and was having similar contact sync issues. All my Contacts are in my personal Hotmail/Outlook and it wasn't being sync'd. I have my business contacts in my business Outlook, which is Office 365. Then I have my personal contacts in my personal Outlook - which is a Hotmail account.

    After spending an hour I found the issue and why my personal contacts were not syncing to my Android phone Samsung note 9.

    1. Go to your Outlook app
    2. Select on the hamburger menu top left
    3. Select Settings wheel
    4. Select your personal email/outlook (((obviously if you don't see it, then you need to click on "Add Account" and add your personal/outlook email)))
    5. Enable sync contacts

    Voila - your contacts from outlook will start to download immediately

    If you want to set personal/outlook as the default, go to your people app, click on the hamburger menu, go to manage contacts and go to default storage location to make personal/outlook as your default contacts.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-07-10T12:07:17+00:00

    Same issue here on my Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Worked fine for monthes, now I just can't do anything with Outlook cause my contacts are not synced. I am even unable to enable the contact sync, and Microsoft support is failing to help.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-05-24T21:16:55+00:00

    Same issue here for the last month or so, contacts for my work account sync fine but not for my personal account.

    I have found a solution that works for me

    1. Goto your contact (people) on outlook.com website and export all contacts and save the CSV file
    2. Delete all contacts
    3. Import contacts from the CSV file created in step 1

    I then switched Sync back on again in the Android Outlook app and all the contacts have now appeared in the 'Contacts' app too.

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