Outlook 365 contacts deleted on desktop stay on Android phone

Question

I use Outlook on both devices, and I've confirmed Outlook is the only source being used by Android's contacts app (i.e. not Google, Samsung, or any other third party). When contacts are added or edited on desktop, they synchronize perfectly. However, when DELETED from desktop, the contact record stays on Android version.

My desktop currently has 764 total contacts while Android shows 817. I'm 100% positive it has to be the deleted contacts. Sample ones that I manually confirm as gone in desktop version (not even in Recycle Bin) still show on the phone.

Can't figure out why the synchronize process doesn't resolve that. There have been plenty of other adds & edits, including some from today, that sync fine. Any ideas how I can quickly get rid of the ghost records on the phone?

Answer 1

Hi Russ Fletcher,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum! Have a good day and i hope you're doing well!

I’ve done some testing on Android devices to replicate this behavior. It’s helpful to understand that there is a distinction between the Outlook App's internal data and the Android System Address Book (the native contacts app on your phone). 

Synchronization is often a two-way street. To help us narrow this down, could you confirm if all the contacts you see are purely created in Outlook, or is there a chance some contacts were originally on the phone's local storage and synced up? Also, please check Outlook App > Settings > Contacts > Sync Contacts to see if this is toggled ON. 

Based on my research and your description, the most likely scenario is that while the contact has been successfully deleted from both the Outlook Desktop and the Exchange Server, and is confirmed to be absent from the Recycle Bin, the Android System Address Book is still holding onto a cached copy of the old record. This essentially means that although the Outlook app has updated its internal data, it failed to trigger the necessary cleanup command to the Android native storage, causing those specific entries to remain visible on your phone as ghost records. 

To resolve this, please try forcing a System Re-sync to clear the Android Cache: 

1. Go to Android Settings > Accounts (or Passwords & Accounts) > Manage Accounts. 
2. Select your Outlook account > Sync Account. 
3. Toggle OFF the Contacts switch. 
4. Wait a few seconds (this allows the system to dump the cached data). 
5. Toggle ON the Contacts switch again to force a fresh download of the correct contact list. 

If the issue persists, you may need to try resetting your Account within the Outlook app or deleting and re-adding the account entirely. You can find detailed instructions for these steps in this official Microsoft article: Can't sync calendar and contacts with my phone or tablet. 

Additionally, could you confirm if you are using a Business/Organization account or a Personal one? Have you double-checked the contact count on Outlook on the Web (OWA) via a browser to see if it matches the Desktop count? 

I hope this information gives you some insights into why this is happening. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to let me know. 

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Answer 2

It seems that the issue you are experiencing with deleted contacts not syncing properly from Outlook on your desktop to your Android device may be related to how contact synchronization is managed between the two platforms. In Outlook for Android, contact synchronization must be enabled for the app to manage contacts effectively, including deletions.

Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Check Contact Sync Settings: Ensure that contact synchronization is enabled in the Outlook app settings on your Android device. If it is not enabled, the app may not be able to delete contacts that were removed from the desktop.
2. Force Sync: Sometimes, manually forcing a sync can help. You can do this by going into the settings of the Outlook app and looking for an option to sync now or refresh the account.
3. Clear Cache: Clearing the cache of the Outlook app on your Android device might help in resolving any temporary issues that are preventing the sync from working correctly.
4. Re-add Account: If the above steps do not work, you might consider removing your Outlook account from the Android device and then re-adding it. This can sometimes resolve sync issues.
5. Check for Updates: Ensure that both the Outlook app and your Android operating system are up to date, as updates can fix bugs and improve synchronization functionality.

If the problem persists after trying these steps, it may be beneficial to consult Microsoft support for further assistance.

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References:

• Outlook for iOS and Android in Exchange Online: FAQ