No options to sync Yahoo contacts

[timwtang]

I got a new Samsung Galaxy Z-Fold 4. I'm trying to sync my Yahoo contacts to the phone contact list, and not having any success. It seems that Yahoo contacts are not accessible by any means on the phone. I googled the issue only and followed many suggestions, but it seems the problem is in the core of Samsung android os. I had rest my phone to factory settings multiple times trying to narrow down the problem. Here is what I found :

1) After resting the phone to factory settings, the Samsung Email app is not installed as part of the default apps. I had to manually install the Samsung Email app. I also add the Yahoo Mail app.

2) I went to Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts > + Add account   

3) After I added my Yahoo account with the Yahoo Mail app, I looked at the sync status. It said, "Sync off for all items". When I click on Sync account, there were no items listed to sync. And "Sync Now" was greyed out.

4) Then I tried adding my Yahoo account with the Samsung Email app. Right after entering my pwd, it asked if I agree to let Email access "Profile" and "Yahoo Mail". It did not prompt for access to "Yahoo contacts". When I checked the sync status, it said, "Sync on for all items". When I click on Sync account, the only item available to sync was email. Contact was not listed to be available to sync.

5) I even tried creating my Yahoo account with Gmail Personal (POP3/IMAP). Same result as Samsung Email. No Contact sync was available. 

6) When I go to the Contacts app, the only contacts available to list was from my default Gmail account, Samsung account, Phone, and SIM. My Yahoo account via Samsung Email and Gmail Personal (POP3/IMAP) was not listed.

I used to use Galaxy Note 10 in the past, and I clearly recalled that Contacts was an item available to sync for Yahoo accounts. Now, it's not available anymore. What's going on?

Tim

[timwtang]

New data point: I try adding my Yahoo account to the Outlook app. Here were the steps:

1. I went to the Contacts app.

2. I clicked on the 3 horizontal bars to access the menu.

3. Clicked on "Manage contacts"

4. Clicked on "Sync contacts"

5. Clicked on "+ Add account"

6. Selected "Outlook"

7. Entered my Yahoo account information.

8. It prompted me if agree to give access to Yahoo Contacts, Yahoo Calendar, Profile, and Yahoo Mail. (looks promising.)

9. Once I agreed, it put me back to Contacts' Sync contacts screen, where it should have listed my Yahoo account in the Outlook app. It did not. The Contacts app does not see the Yahoo Contacts.

The Yahoo account is added to the Outlook app. I can go into the Outlook app to see my emails. So, what was the request for access to Yahoo Contacts for? It looks like within the Outlook app, I can list my Yahoo contacts. But the system refuses to recognize Yahoo Contacts. I went to Android Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts. And my Yahoo account in Outlook is not listed even though the account exists in the Outlook app.

Tim

[Pugs1957]

Hope this helps https://www.systoolsgroup.com/import/contacts-from-yahoo-to-android/

[timwtang]

Thank you Pugs1957! However, this is not a solution. I want to "Sync" not import. Like Google contacts and Outlook contacts, we can sync with the contact list on the phone. The huge difference is when you need to update your contact list from either the web browser or your phone contact list, the information is synced between the two. Import is one direction only. Any update on the phone does not reflect back to the mail server.

I'm not sure how the apps get access to the mail server's contact list, but the Outlook app is able to access Yahoo Contacts, but Samsung Email can not. At the same time, the Outlook app won't share the contact info with Android's Contacts app, but Samsung Email will. Very frustrating.

Tim

[Pugs1957]

Hi Tim, I don't think this is possible with Yahoo. I guess it's the way the app is coded. FWIW I had the same issue.

[timwtang]

Thanks Pugs1957 for confirming the issue. It looks like time to wean off of Yahoo.

Tim

[kimmiko]

I have the exact same problem with the new Samsung s24 phone. However, on my old samsung s7 it works fine. All my Yahoo contacts are available. So annoying.