MobileMe: the case of the vanishing iPhone contacts (Update)

Another day, another new way for MobileMe to anger folks. Today we are hearing lots of grumbling about people seeing their contacts and calendars disappearing from their iPhones after a sync with MobileMe. Luckily, it looks like it is only the iPhone that is wiped, the contacts/events are still on their Macs.

Wyn called Apple support and they suggested disabling automatic syncing and manually syncing to clear up the problem. That gives a new definition to push.

This seems like a good time to remind people to back up your data before you enable any sort of automatic syncing. Read on after the jump to see how to backup your Address Book and iCal events, just in case.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in and thanks to FailMe for the graphic.

Update: It is 8:30pm on the east coast of the US, and Apple has just posted this note on the MobileMe System Status: "Some MobileMe members may be unable to sync new, edited, or deleted contacts, calendars, and bookmarks over the air between computers and mobile devices (iPhone and iPod Touch). Service will be restored ASAP. We apologize for any inconvenience."
Backing up Address Book

Backing up your Address Book contacts is very easy, indeed. Simply launch Address Book and then go to File > Export > Address Book Archive. This will create a file that includes all the information in your Address Book. Should anything happen to that precious info you can simply import your archive (File > Import > Address Book Archive) and you're all set.

Backing up iCal

Backing up your iCal info is even easier than backing up Address Book. Simply launch iCal and go to File > Back up iCal. Save the back up file and you're all set. If you need to recover from a calendar disaster just hit File > Restore iCal and point it to your backup. Your calendar is saved.

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Source: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1635683&ts…

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Another day, another new way for MobileMe to anger folks. Today we are hearing lots of grumbling about people seeing their contacts and...

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MobileMeEnraged

Well, things where just going along just great then today Oct 25, 2008 all my 200+ contacts disappeared from my iPhone 3G. Obviously, whatever was supposed to be fixed in the "cloud" or phone is not working. Looks like it's back to the tried and true method of manual sync with iTunes and iCal.

Come-on Apple this has got to stop, you're seriously messing with a nice piece of mobile real estate here and turning it into a dump. This has got to be fixed if you really what the world to enjoy a "true mobile" experience.

Okay...in the word's of Samuel Jackson in "Pulp Fiction" --"I'm getting a little pissed here..."

October 25 2008 at 1:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chilledblue

I've entered during my vacation many new contatcts on my iPhone, went back and synced over MobileMe... all the new contact I've entered are now gone, none on the iPhone and none in Address Book.

This is bad, what is the sense of a service called MobileMe if you loose all the entries made into your Mobile phone!?

September 01 2008 at 12:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Pieter

Hello there, it is aug 29, and today out of the blue a large number of contacts disappeared off my iPhone. They are all there on the mobileme-website, and when I added a new contact there, it came straight to my phone. But even if I edit a number on the web it wont return to my phone. This is VERY frustrating HOW do I get my contacts back in the place where I use them most, ie my phone??? Please help. I donot understand the iSync method and can't get that working.

August 29 2008 at 10:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

meg

August 15 and I have all contacts wiped from iPhone, MobileMe and Address Book. Holy crap! I'm restoring the iPhone from backup on iTunes (command-click the phone icon in iTunes), seeing the contact reappear on the phone, then watching them disappear AGAIN.

August 15 2008 at 5:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jen Simmons

Well now it's August 14, and this just happened to me, today, for the first time. It certain was dramatic â€” I was looking at my address book, looking up a number and making changes to someone's entry... and bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep, every single name disappeared. Later about a 1/4 returned.

Apple get it together!!!!

I'll certainly be canceling service before the 60 day trial is up if things aren't perfect by then.

August 14 2008 at 5:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

rob

Great, just lost all of my contacts. It is August 1 I thought all this had been fixed.

August 01 2008 at 9:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Liski

Hi all,

Does anyone know what the font is called that is used to write Me?

July 29 2008 at 9:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Unregistered

It makes me glad I stopped my .Mac subscription.

July 29 2008 at 9:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Derek

This happened to me day 1 one when i got my iphone. So technically it was day 8 of iphone 3g release. Once I finally got mine I found out later in the day that all of my contacts were missing, and so was address book. I thought this could have been from jailbreaking for some reason. But I did restore everything and found that BigBoss pref's was hiding address book

July 29 2008 at 8:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

SpinThis!

Just fyi most sites are able to resend the confirmation e-mail when you purchase software. Don't get so bent out of shape about irrelevant crap....

BTW: you shouldn't be so cavalier about your e-mail address . Just wait until the spam spiders pick up your e-mail address from tuaw and soon you'll come back here complaining why you get so much spam from mobileme.

July 29 2008 at 1:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply