Cleaning up duplicate contacts after transferring

You've transferred your contacts to your WebOké Nextcloud and now everyone appears two or three times. This usually happens because the same file was imported twice, or because your phone also uploaded the contacts. Contacts can merge two cards at once, but it doesn't look for duplicates itself. Choose the method below that suits your situation.

First, make a backup

Download your address book before you start cleaning up. In Contacts, click Contacts settings at the bottom left, open the menu with the three dots behind the address book under Address books and choose Download (see Contacts: creating, groups, importing and exporting). You'll get a .vcf file with all your contacts. If anything goes wrong, you can import it again later.

Method 1: merge two cards in Contacts

Only a handful of duplicates? Merge them in pairs.

1. Type the name in the search field above the list, so you can see the duplicate cards next to each other.
2. Click the round photo or the letters for the first card, then for the second. They're now selected.
3. Click the button at the top of the list to merge the two contacts (1).
4. Choose what you want to keep for each field and confirm with Merge contacts. One card remains, containing the details of both.

You can only merge cards in an address book you can write to. You can't merge cards from the Accounts address book (the users of your Nextcloud).

Method 2: start over with one clean import

This is the fastest way if everything is duplicated and you still have the original export.

1. In Contacts settings, create a new, empty address book with New address book, for example Contacts new.
2. Import your original file (from Google, iCloud or Outlook) once into that new address book, using Import contacts (see Contacts: creating, groups, importing and exporting).
3. Check that everything is correct.
4. Then delete the old, duplicate address book via the menu behind the address book in Contacts settings. If you use your contacts on your phone, switch on the new address book there.

Method 3: let your Mac or iPhone look for duplicates

Do you have a Mac or iPhone that works with your Nextcloud contacts (see Calendar and contacts on the iPhone and iPad and Calendar and Contacts on the Mac)? These can detect duplicates themselves.

• Mac: open the Contacts app, choose your Nextcloud account and look in the Card menu for the function to find duplicate cards. Contacts will suggest which cards can be merged.
• iPhone or iPad: if the Contacts app finds duplicates, you'll see a notification at the top of your list saying duplicate contacts have been found. Tap it to merge them.

The merged result goes back to your Nextcloud via synchronisation. Wait a moment, then check in your browser that it's correct.

Prevention is better

• Only import a file once. If you're not sure whether it worked, check the list first before trying again.
• Import into an empty address book, not one that already contains contacts.
• Don't switch on Google or iCloud contacts and your Nextcloud contacts on your phone at the same time if they contain the same people. Then you'll see everyone twice on your phone, even though it's correct in your Nextcloud.
• Contacts reads vCard files in version 3.0 and 4.0. An older file sometimes isn't read correctly: in that case, export it again from the original program.