Samsung S3, backup contacts to PC

[ppppenguin]

This seems to be unnecessarily difficult. I can easily transfer images etc from my phone to a PC. The PC just recognises the phone and connects so I can see the file system and transfer images. But how to transfer contacts?

I tried Kies - the Samsung software suite that I think I once got to work with an old XP PC but it won't connect to my phone from this W7 PC. It suggests using Smart Switch but the link eventually leads to somewhere that's unavailable. Eventually I track down Smart Switch and instal it on the PC. Also instal the app on the phone. It has managed to backup everything, though I forgot to set the preferences to do only the contacts. Eventually I find where it's saved the backup. I was rather hoping the contacts might be in a human redable form, perhaps to tidy up in a spreadsheet. But no, it appears to be in a file called Contacts.spb which looks like random garbage if I look with a text editor.

Another strangeness is that the Smart Switch software thinks that my phone number is the one that was allocated when I bought the phone, not the one that was ported across using a PAC code.

There are various 3rd party tools that claim to be able to do all this but I'm not sure what to trust.

Help please!

[Jonathan Robson]

Do you have a gmail account? Synchronise it using that at everything is seamless. If you use Chrome as a browser it will even back up the favourites for you as well and transfer them between devices.

[ppppenguin]

I know gmail is meant to be simple to use but I'm getting confused. I thought I had jeffreyborinsky (xxxatxxx) gmail[dot]co[dot]uk but gmail says this is already taken. A bit surprising as there aren't many Jeffrey Borinskys around the world. I have had google (xxxatxxx) borinsky[dot]co[dot]uk as an address registered with gmail for a long time but of course that isn't a gmail address. I have just registered ppppenguin99 (xxxatxxx) gmail[dot]com which gmail now says is my primary address on my google account. The latter 2 are definitely active. I suspect the jeffreyborinsky isn't mine. I've sent a test email to it so somebody may be getting a surprise.

How do I make gmail pick up the contacts list from my phone? I use Firefox as my main browser though I have Chrome installed.

I've created a gmail account on my PC though I think I already had one.

[ppppenguin]

Looks like I do own jeffreyborinsky (xxxatxxx) gmail[dot]co[dot]uk as I've just managed to log into it. Still no trace of my phone's contacts on my desktop.

PS: Igonore the last line "I've created a gmail account on my PC though I think I already had one. " in the previous message. It should have been deleted while was editing.

[Brunel]

Sign into any Android phone with your main Gmail account.  If you sign in to the same  Gmail  in any web browser it will sync. all your contacts that are on the phone.  This will also happen with any other Android phone that you sign into. Make sure that Contacts on the phone is set to display   "All contacts"

Always works for me.

[ppppenguin]

I can see gmail on my phone. It doesn't pick up the contacts list. I'm displaying all contacts.

[Jonathan Robson]

Are you using the Android Gmail app or logging in via a browser on the phone?

[ppppenguin]

AFAIK I'm using the Android gmail app.

[Brunel]

You have to sign in to Android with your Gmail address , when the phone is initialised.

Not sure how you do this after set up, no doubt the info. is  somewhere on line.