How to: Get your Google Contacts on your iPhone or iPad using CardDAV

To sync your Google contacts with your Apple iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Google recommends using CardDAV, which is an Internet open standard. Previously the best way to achieve this was using Google Sync but Google has decided to stop supporting that. Probably something to do with Google Sync using Microsoft technology and Google wanting to push for an open standard like CardDAV.

When you sync your Google contacts using CardDAV, you’ll be able to edit, add, and remove contacts from your device and keep them in sync everywhere you use them. You won’t be able still to see all your groups as you do on your Google Contacts website only the default one.

Here’s how to sync your contacts to your device:

1. Open the Settings application on your device.
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. Select Add Account…
4. Select Other
5. Select Add CardDAV Account
6. Fill out your account information in the following fields:
   • Server: Enter “google.com”
   • User Name: Enter your full Google Account or Google Apps email address.
   • Password: Your Google Account or Google Apps password. (If you’ve enabled 2 Step verification, you’ll need to generate and enter an application specific password.)
   • Description: Enter a description of the account (e.g. Personal Contacts).
7. Select Next at the top of your screen.
8. Make sure that the “Contacts” option is turned to ON.

After you’ve completed setup, open the Contacts app on your device, and syncing will automatically begin.

Setting Google contacts as your default account

If you have set up iCloud, are syncing contacts from another account, or already have contacts stored on the device, you will need to select a Default Account. New contacts created directly on your iOS device will be added to your default account. Here’s how you can make Google contacts your default account:

1. Open the Settings application on your device.
2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars and scroll down to the Contacts section. You will only see the Default Account option if you are syncing more than one account.
3. Select Default Account.
4. Select your Google contacts account. Your account will be labeled with the description you gave it in the Description field.

If you have any problems, please try these things first:

1. Open the CardDAV account you established at Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars under Accounts. Make sure that the Account option is turned to ON.
2. If the Account is ON, then open Advanced Settings below and make sure Use SSL is turned to ON.
3. If you have changed anything, please click Done and the top right of the screen showing your account settings to save those changes.
4. If you’re still experiencing issues syncing your contacts using CardDAV, please login to your Google account on the web. You might be prompted to acknowledge an “Unusual sign-in location”.

If you are a developer looking for documentation, please click here to request it.