How to sync gmail contacts keeping exchange contacts?

Question

I have an iPhone with an exchange account and also a gmail account. I saw google's instructions to sync gmail contacts and it says to first tell contacts to stop syncing on the exchange account. The article gives this screen shot:

However when I tell my exchange contacts to stop syncing I don't have the top option (Keep on my iPhone) - it just has the option to delete or cancel. I want to keep my exchange contacts in my phone book but I also want to make my gmail account the one that syncs the contacts.

Answer 1

Use iTunes to sync and make sure you have your phone contacts in your MS-Exchange folder. Then you can either use the Google Apps migration tool or export them from outlook and into gmail.

Next you can remove the exchange account (which will probably delete you contacts).

Next you can uncheck the box in itunes that says "sync my contacts" so that they will all come off of your phone. Make sure you have them backed up first.

You can also uncheck the box to tell it not to sync the calendar if you like.

Next, you can add a Gmail account or google apps account - but when you do, don't click on Gmail for the account type - choose "Exchange" because it allows syncing of contacts and calendars, too.

See the gmail site for more details:

http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=138740

Answer 2

Here is another idea. Check out the online service http://yoxel.com, it can sync your Gmail and Exchange contacts periodically in the background. This way you can simply configure your iPhone to sync with just one service (Gmail or Exchange).

Answer 3

Don't remove the Exchange account manually, add the Google account first and you will then get that option.

Does that work? It seems to do it for me.