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
    2019-11-18T19:49:20+00:00

    Which app did you update? I have the latest version of Contacts.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-11-19T01:09:28+00:00

    The outlook for Android app received an update about 1 month ago that fixed an issue with syn ing contacts to the android contacts app. 

    My issue was that my main Outlook account has 3 email addresses (aliases) and the contacts sync switch in settings would turn itself off. 

    I was in contact with MS regarding the issue and it took about 3 months before it was fixed. All good now.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-11-19T07:35:17+00:00

    Hi Ron,

    Thanks for your clarification. I wanted to avoid using the Outlook app and just syncing my Hotmail contacts with Galaxy's Contacts app as I did on my A5 running Android 8. However, I downloaded the Outlook app and it syncs with my Hotmail account and the Outlook contacts are also shown in the Contacts app. After an hour or so suddenly the Exchange account also synced my Hotmail contacts in the Contacts app even after I switched off contacts sync in the Outlook app. So maybe the installation of the Outlook app triggered some settings to allow communicating Galaxy's Exchange Activesync with the Hotmail contacts.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-11-25T16:01:57+00:00

    The outlook for Android app received an update about 1 month ago that fixed an issue with syn ing contacts to the android contacts app. 

    My issue was that my main Outlook account has 3 email addresses (aliases) and the contacts sync switch in settings would turn itself off. 

    I was in contact with MS regarding the issue and it took about 3 months before it was fixed. All good now. 

    I have the latest Outlook for Android on our two identical Moto phones and Amazon Fire tablets. Contacts had been syncing fine but at some point it has stopped on all 4 installs. "Sync Contacts" is on in the Outlook Account info and in the Account sync from Android settings. However, Outlook contacts only show an email address - no phone or mail address or other info.

    I have done an account reset in the Outlook app which didn't help and also deleted and re-added the account. Still have incomplete contact info. The Android Contacts app does have all the info.

    Update: I added a dummy contact in Outlook on the PC and it synced the name and email to my phone but not the address or other info that I entered. So, sync works but not all fields. Oddly, the new contact also synced correctly to the Android Contacts app, including the additional info.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-12-15T16:40:54+00:00

    I have the same issue with contacts not syncing on the Galaxy S9. Updated both firmware on the phone today & the latest version of outlook on android. It seems the issue is a Samsung issue https://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-s9-plus/968338-sudden-synch-issues-office-365-a.html

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