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Contact Syncing from ShulCloud

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    ShulCloud offers the ability for designated individuals to sync the ShulCloud database of people to a mobile device (iOS or Android). This creates a separate address book on the device containing names and contact information. When someone from the ShulCloud database calls, the correct caller ID will display.

    Important Details

    • Syncing is one-way. Changes made on the mobile device will not update the ShulCloud database and will revert during the next sync.
    • Contact syncing uses the CardDAV format, a standard for transferring contact information.
      • iOS devices have CardDAV built in and offer full support.
      • Android devices require a separate app, and these apps are less advanced than iOS’s built-in functionality.
    • Only contacts with a phone number or email address will sync.
    • Large databases may experience intermittent errors. To minimize issues, transfer only essential information.

    Permissions Required

    Accounts or Accounts Read-Only admin permissions must be granted to individuals who need this functionality.

    CardDAV Settings

    Access CardDAV settings in ShulCloud by navigating to Settings > CardDAV or scrolling to the CardDAV address book section.

    Available options:
    • Show CardDAV: Set to Yes to enable syncing.
    • Organize Address Book By: Split address books by Account Types or alphabetically (A-G, H-N, O-U, V-Z).
    • Included Account Types: Recommended to include only member accounts.
    • Include Inactive: Best practice is to include only active accounts.
    • Person Type: Limit syncing to selected Person Types.
    • Excluded Tags: Create tags to exclude specific contacts.
    • Fields to Sync: Choose which fields to include.
      • iOS supports all fields.
      • Android supports only basic fields (Name, Address, some phone numbers, and email addresses).
      • Including Yahrzeits may slow syncing and cause issues.
    Whenever settings are updated, all contacts will re-download to connected devices.

    Installing Contact Syncing

    iOS Setup

    1. Confirm the account has Accounts or Accounts Read-Only permission.
    2. Navigate to:
      • Settings > Accounts and Passwords > Add Account > Other > Add CardDAV Account
    3. Enter:
      • Server: Full ShulCloud URL with /carddav at the end (e.g., https://www.shulname.org/carddav)
      • Username: ShulCloud email address
      • Password: ShulCloud password
    4. Tap Next. Four blue checks indicate success.
    5. Contacts will begin downloading. View synced address books in the Contacts app under Groups.
    iOS syncs every 5 minutes or when changes occur in ShulCloud.

    Android Setup

    1. Confirm the account has Accounts or Accounts Read-Only permission.
    2. Install a CardDAV app from Google Play (tested apps include DAVdroid, CardDAV-Sync Free, and Open Sync).
    3. Follow app instructions to add a CardDAV account:
      • Server: Full ShulCloud URL with /carddav
      • Username: ShulCloud email address
      • Password: ShulCloud password
    4. Select address books to sync and enable one-way syncing if available.
    5. Allow time for contacts to download. Sync frequency can be adjusted in the app settings; once daily is recommended.

    Best Practices

    • Sync only essential contacts to reduce errors.
    • Avoid including inactive accounts or unnecessary fields.
    • Be patient during initial sync; large databases take time.

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