I Figured Out How To Access Google Contacts With Android Tablet

[ksmithdc]

All,

I spent this evening beating my head against the wall trying to find an app that would allow me to access my Gmail contacts via my Android tablet (I'm using an Asus EEE pad Transformer Prime).

Most of you know by now that Gmail only shows the mail section. You cannot view your Gmail contacts. (I have no idea how they allowed such a glaring oversight to occur. But that's life for you).

Because of this, I set out to find a cool app that would allow me to view all of my contacts on my Tablet. To my frustration I could not find a contact manager or address book app for the Android tablet. There's plenty of them for the Android phone. But for tablet....nada.

But I figured out a backdoor. You can install & load Hotmail for your android tablet. With Hotmail, you can get access to not only your e-mails but also your contacts. And if you import your gmail contacts into Hotmail, you now have full access to them. You can also import your Facebook contacts too.

Open the Hotmail app. Then click on the magnifying glass icon on the right. That will pull up your contacts. Click on one of them...and it'll show your full contact list (pictures, names, all the info you added...the works). And it's 100% free.




Doc

 

[jgumphress]

Android has a "Contacts" app built in. On some models it may be called "People". Anyway, if you go to settings you can select "sync with Google" and all your Google contacts will fill in, even the associated photos.

 

[Frederuco]

Welcome to the forum ksmithdc!

Most ICS Tablets the "Contacts" is now "People" as jgumphress pointed out. Check this app out and it should have your Google Contacts in it. One draw back, although People can view Google Groups, you cannot use them to send to distribution lists through People or through any email apps that I have found.

 

[rickthescot]

Once I figure out how to email to my groups I will no longer need my laptop for most of my work. Anyone knows how please post.

 

[jgumphress]

I use my tablet more than I do my laptop. I downloaded Google Chrome and open my email there. It's just like being on a desktop. Then you can use all the same functions that you have on your PC. And if you want the windows experience then get OverScreen (floating browser). You can use it just like a Windows pane, multiple windows at the same time, over-laid or fanned out, any size by dragging the corner just like a Window. It's not free though but worth the small cost.

 

[urilabob]

Welcome to the forum ksmithdc!

Most ICS Tablets the "Contacts" is now "People" as jgumphress pointed out. Check this app out and it should have your Google Contacts in it. One draw back, although People can view Google Groups, you cannot use them to send to distribution lists through People or through any email apps that I have found.

Not all tablets have contacts/people installed (including mine).

 

[Natey2]

Not all tablets have contacts/people installed (including mine).

It's very easy to get the .apk for contacts/people: just install the Android emulator http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42823 on your PC and get the .apk from there by using a backup program like ultimate backup http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.app.managerfree to save it to .apk.

If the moderators here don't mind, I could post the .apk here.

 

[utalice]

It's very easy to get the .apk for contacts/people: just install the Android emulator Android Emulator on your PC and get the .apk from there by using a backup program like ultimate backup http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.app.managerfree to save it to .apk.

If the moderators here don't mind, I could post the .apk here.

Could you please give more details on how to do this?

I have a generic tablet that I received as a gift and it also has no Contacts/People app installed. Not sure what whomever put these systems together were thinking when it comes to leaving out a Contacts app, especially when they included an Email app and a Gmail app. Did they think we were going to memorize all of our contacts' email addresses or what? I don't understand the reasoning behind this.

I downloaded Ultimate Backup and the Android SDK Manager bundle from Android SDK | Android Developers , but have absolutely no clue where to begin on finding the .apk for the Contacts or the People app. Is there any other system files that are required by my tablet in order for it to run the Contacts or People .apk?

Thanks.

 

[if0]

K9mail can access gmail contacts.
Yet, it is annoying that tablets are without contacts. I had PDA back to ten years with far better PIM facilities than Android has.
(Well, Android practically does not have any PIM at all.)

 

[Magic Cottage]

This is a problem that my brother and I have failed to solve and in some ways is a perfect example of why we should have researched before buying because as far as I can see there is no answer and perhaps we are 'unique' in the way we have set things up.

Basically, because there were certainly no alternatives when we started out we used desktop PC's and our client database was set up in Microsoft's Outlook program. Perfect at the time of course because we are service based and not product based, so one card for each client with notes built up over the years. But of course as time has gone on and things change we yearn for having a 'portable' system such as tablets with the same info on. Unfortunately, as we are almost locked into Outlook no such solution exists. Others have pointed to various CRM apps but these are all sales based systems.

We have recently trialled Companion Link and DejaVue. What a close disaster that was. Syncing was extremely flaky at best and of course what we don't want is to have to come back late afternoon/evening only to find all that has been entered on the tablets has not appeared on the desktop.

Then someone else pointed out an app called TeamViewer. It is not the most perfect solution because of course you do need internet access but we find 99% of our customers will have broadband and we can connect on site. Any notes we make are of course, actually being made on the desktop.

 

[Natey2]

There are 3rd party Contacts managers and dialers, e.g. GO Contacts EX, and also http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.modoohut.dialer , etc.
My Nexus 7 tablet has a "People" app.

 

[Yanes]

All,

I spent this evening beating my head against the wall trying to find an app that would allow me to access my Gmail contacts via my Android tablet (I'm using an Asus EEE pad Transformer Prime).

Not all tablets have contacts/people installed (including mine).

This shorcut brought back the people app in my generic tablet:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gatherer.contactslaunch
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Description from the developer:
This application is designed for Android-devices for which there is no separate application icon "People" (or "Contacts"), i.e. as if there is no such application.
This situation is not uncommon for an inexpensive tablet without cellphone module (only with wi-fi) - manufacturers sometimes leave application "People" (or "Contacts"), but does not permit direct access to run this application (only if through gmail-application).

The application "~People" itself does not do anything, but in fact is a Shortcut for a real application "People" (or "Contacts").

If your device is detected as without the necessary standard software (package com.android.contacts) - the application will warn you and will immediately offer uninstall itself (no longer needed).
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cheers!