BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

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Miklos
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Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

I helped a friend install BirdieSync 2.3.5.0 on his (French) iPhone 4 (iOS 6.1.0.0)/Windows 8, and when attempting to synchronize (only the contacts) this is the message which comes up. BirdieSync (on the iPhone) is authorized to access the calendar, but not the contacts.

Here is the except from the error log (he doesn't care sync'ing the calendar, and told BirdieSync on the PC not to):
-------------------------------- Process start ---------------------------------
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:35::366 BirdieSync: version 2.3.5.0
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:35::372 Operating system: iOS, version 6.1.0.0
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:35::517 ERROR: Not authorized to access contacts. Authorization status = 1. (GetLastError = 2)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:35::573 Waiting for device connection...
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::416 Desktop address available
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::417 Connecting to the server...
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::784 Mobile device connected to the server
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::906 ERROR: Not authorized to access contacts. Authorization status = 1. (GetLastError = 2)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::978 Calendar: Birthdays (Birthdays)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::979 Calendar: Calendrier (Local)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::979 Calendar: Calendrier (Exchange)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::980 Two calendars have the same name Calendrier
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:39::980 ERROR: Error while treating new preferences for object type = 1 (GetLastError = 2)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::065 ERROR: Not authorized to access contacts. Authorization status = 1. (GetLastError = 2)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::067 Calendar: Birthdays (Birthdays)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::067 Calendar: Calendrier (Local)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::068 Calendar: Calendrier (Exchange)
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::069 Two calendars have the same name Calendrier
Local 2013-09-10 21:09:40::069 ERROR: Error while treating new preferences for object type = 1 (GetLastError = 2)

How do we correct this?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

Hello Miklos,

You need to authorize BirdieSync app to access to your contacts on your iPhone (iPhone Settings/Privacy/Contacts).
BirdieSync app need these authorizations to be able to read this data, and then to transmit it to the desktop and synchronize it with Thunderbird. Note that this data is not transmitted to the cloud and remains private.
Birdy

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

Hello Birdy,

Thanks for your reply. As I don't own the iPhone, I am not quite an expert in doing this. I did go to that section, but I didn't see any option allowing one to select an app so as to authorize it (also, the names of the menus in French are quite different, but I dealt with that, methinks). Could you point me to a resource which might describe this in a bit more detail?

Thanks!
Miklos

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

In french:
Click on iOS "Paramètres" icon on the iPhone (to access to all the system parameters of the iPhone). Then click on "Confidentialité", then on "Contacts".
BirdieSync app should be listed with its green icon. Check it to authorize it to access to the contacts.
Birdy

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

I had done that: the problem is, BirdieSync is not listed among the couple of other applications listed there...

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

That's weird. Can you try to uninstall BirdieSync app and install it again ?
Then launch BirdieSync app.
Birdy

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

I'll ask the iPhone owner to do it tonight and will report back.

Thanks.

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

OK, the app was uninstalled and reinstalled on the iPhone: it doesn't appear among the apps to be authorized for the contacts, and attempts at synchronizing with the PC give the same popup message on the PC (to the effect BirdieSync should be authorized to access contacts on the iPhone).

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

After some tests and further investigation, the access to contacts might be "restricted" on this iPhone (which is different from "denied" or "authorized").
In this case, if BirdieSync was launched for the first time after contact privacy restrictions were enabled on the iPhone, BirdieSync would not be listed in Settings/Privacy/Contacts, and contact access authorization would never been asked for BirdieSync.

Open iPhone Settings/General/Restrictions
If Restrictions are enabled (another way to say parental controls), click on Contacts in Privacy section and see if "Don’t Allow Changes" is checked. If this is the case, check "Allow changes".
Then restart BirdieSync and when asked, authorize the app to access to contacts.

Note that after BirdieSync is authorized to access contacts, you may enable Restrictions for contacts again.

If this still doesn't work uninstall BirdieSync app and try to reset all privacy settings for ALL apps: Settings/General/Reset/Reset localization and privacy
(caution: this method will reset localization and privacy settings for ALL apps)
Then reinstall BirdieSync.
Birdy

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

Thanks. I'll tell my friend to do so and report.

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

I managed to authorize access to contacts on the iPhone, but when we tried to launch BirdieSync again, it said that the trial period was over. Is it possible to extend it so as to try making it work (I don't see this person often enough to have tried this fast enough)? Thanks.

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

Glad you could authorize the access to contacts.
I sent you a PM for complementary information regarding the extension of the trial period.
Birdy

Miklos
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Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

Thanks, I replied to your PM.

Miklos

Miklos
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Miklos »

Thanks, the extension worked and we managed to do a first synch. But:
1. While all the contacts from the iPhone were copied into Thunderbird's address book, none of the groups were.
2. A contact who was present in both devices has had its name corrected on the iPhone prior to synchronizing. After the synch, this (more recent) correction had been overriden by the (older) version of the contact in Thunderbird.

Is there a way to fix both these issues?

Thanks!

Birdy
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Re: BirdieSync not authorized to access contacts

Post by Birdy »

Actually contact groups (categories) are not a native feature of Thunderbird. Or actually are not displayed without a dedicated add-on. Thunderbird contacts have a category field. But this field is not accessible normally in the Graphical User Interface and you need a specific extension to be able to access to this field: MoreFunctionsForAddressBook for instance:
https://nic-nac-project.org/~kaosmos/morecols-en.html
The contact with a given category will then be synchronized in the matching category/group on your mobile device.
But no group/category list is accessible in Thunderbird.

Note also that presently a group is not considered as a distribution list (which can be used by the Thundebrird mail service to send a mail to a group of contacts but this notion doesn't seem to exist on the iPhone).

If before synchronizing, a contact had its first name or last name modified on the iPhone and the contact was also modified in Thunderbird, I see 2 reasons why the modification on the iPhone would be overwritten by the one in Thunderbird:

- The synchronization way of the Thunderbird address book was set to "From PC to mobile device" instead of "Both ways", in which case all modifications on the iPhone are always reverted back to match the contact state in Thunderbird (Thunderbird address book is read only).
- An unresolved item was generated because the contact was modified on both sides, but the option "Keep the desktop item" was selected in BirdieSync options (BirdieSync window, menu "File/Options...", "Synchronization" tab, "Items modified on both sides").

Now if neither of these 2 options were selected, could you please give me a precise scenario that I could try to reproduce ?

Note that there is no "Display name" field on the iPhone, contrary to Thunderbird.
Birdy

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