Whenever someone buys a new phone, or even before he buys one, the biggest dilemma is how to transfer contacts to the new phone. If he is giving away his old phone in exchange, the problem is compounded. He has to transfer the contacts (and other info in the phone) before he gives it away, because once the phone is gone, he will lose access to his contact list.
If you are upgrading to a phone from the same manufacturer or to one that runs the same operating system, the task is easy. Nokia has Switch that transfers info to the new phone through Bluetooth. You can use Apple’s iTunes or iCloud to transfer info from your old iPhone to the new one. Android phones, when connected to your Google account, automatically do it.
The problem arises when the new phone is from a different manufacturer. There are those who try to export the info to their computer and from there import in into their new mobile. This may work with photos, videos or other files, but not always with contact info. The imported contact list may end up getting jumbled. Even if you are not changing your phone, there is the likelihood of you deleting the contacts by mistake. Or you may have a second phone to which you would like the contact list to be transferred.
There were a few cloud-based contact management services, including Nokia’s, that have shut down. Zyb was another good one, but was shut down after it was acquired by Vodafone. Vodafone lost its way with the app after renaming it Vodafone 360.
There are several alternatives now, such as Memotoo, Soocial, Plaxo and Mobyco, but either they are paid, or the free version will have restrictions on the number of contacts that can be synced.
Three services that are free and stand out are Phonecopy , Everdroid and Syncfriend.
The advantage with Phonecopy and Everdroid is that it they tell you how to go about syncing almost any phone, even basic models. I was surprised to find the latest Nokia Asha, a low-end phone listed with complete instructions.
Phonecopy and Everdroid use the SyncML option in low-end phones like Asha, and has apps for Android or iOS, but doesn’t list BlackBerry. Syncfriend supports Blackberry too, and uses the Funambol (FunV10) app for Android, the Syntheis SyncML Lite app for iOS, Microsoft ActiveSync for Windows phones, ActiveSync, Nexthaus or Funabmol for BlackBerry, and the SyncML option for other low-end phones.
Setting up the sync is not difficult if you have an Android or iPhone, so that you can download an app to do the work for Phonecopy, Everdroid and Syncfriend. Many low-end phones come with a sync option.
‘Configuration’
Once you find the sync option, don’t get excited and click it. There is the painful part called ‘configuration’. Fortunately, all the three services provide detailed instructions. Once you configure the sync option, syncing is a matter of just clicking sync.
If you have an iPhone or any Android phone, you can download Phonecopy’s or Everdroid’s own app. In case you are using Syncfriend, you have to download the Funambol client. They need some configuration, and of course, both the services provide detailed instructions.
Apart from using the services to sync new phones or multiple phones, you can also use them to edit contact details, which is another major advantage. There is no need to peer into the small phone screen and type out the details. You have to visit the respective website and key in the details. The contact will be in your phone the next time you sync it.
Once you have set up your account and synced to one of these services, you won’t have to worry about transferring contacts when you get a new phone.
And you will also never have to worry about losing contact details.
