How to import contacts from an CSV file to the BlackBerry device

[BESadmin]

How to import contacts from an CSV file to the BlackBerry device

Doc ID : KB11194
Last Modified : 2011
Document Type : Support

Environment

• BlackBerry® Desktop Software 4.0 Service Pack 1 and earlier
• For BlackBerry Desktop Software 5
• For BlackBerry Desktop Software 6
• BlackBerry device

Overview


To import contacts from an CSV file to the BlackBerry device, complete the following steps:

For BlackBerry Desktop Software 4.0 and earlier

1. Connect the BlackBerry device to the computer.
2. Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager and double-click Intellisync.
3. In the Intellisync® window, click Configure PIM.
4. Select the Address Book check box, and then click Choose.
5. Select ASCII Import/Export and click Export.
6. Click Browse and type BlackBerry.csv for the file name. This will create the file BlackBerry.csv.
7. Click Open. When prompted with the message This File does not exist, click Yes.
8. In the Choose Application section, click OK, and then click OK on Configuration.
9. Click Synchronize Now. This will create the CSV file with the field mapping required to add contacts.
10. Add the contact to the CSV file, and then repeat step 4.
11. Select ASCII Import/Export and click Import.
12. Click Synchronize Now. This imports the contact from the CSV file to the BlackBerry device.

Update:

For BlackBerry Desktop Software 5.0.1 and earlier:

1. Connect the BlackBerry smartphone to the computer.
2. Open the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager and click Synchronize.
3. In the Synchronize window, select Synchronization under Configure.
4. On the right pane of the Synchronization configuration menu, click Synchronization.
5. In the Select Device application window, highlight and select the Address Book check box.
6. Click Setup beside Advanced.
7. Select ASCII Importer/Exporter and click Next.
8. Click One way sync to Device and click Next.
9. Click Browse for Database file for ASCII Importer/Exporter connector.
10. In the Database file for ASCII Importer/Exporter connector window, locate the CSV file (in Microsoft® Excel®) where the contacts are saved.
11. Select the CSV file and click Open.
12. In the Address Book Setup window, click Next.
13. In the Address Book Setup Finish screen, click Finish.
14. In the Select Device application window, click OK.
15. Click Synchronize above Configure on the left column.
16. On the right pane, click Synchronize. This imports all the contacts from the CSV file to the BlackBerry smartphone.

For BlackBerry Desktop Software 6.0:

1. Connect the BlackBerry smartphone to the computer.
2. Open the BlackBerry Desktop Software and choose Organizer.
3. Under Synchronization Settings, click Configure Settings.
4. In the Select Device application display window, highlight and select the Address Book check box.
5. Click Setup next to Advanced...
6. In the Select a desktop application window, highlight ASCII Importer/Exporter and then click Next.
7. Select One way sync to Device and then click Next.
8. In the ASCII Importer/Exporter options for Address Book window, click Browse for Database file for ASCII Importer/Exporter connector.
9. In the Database file for ASCII Importer/Exporter connector window, locate the CSV file (in Microsoft® Excel®) where the contacts are saved.
10. Highlight and select the CSV file and click Open.
11. In the ASCII Importer/Exporter options for Address Book window, click Next this time.
12. In the Address Book Setup Finish screen that says Congratulations, click Finish.
13. In the Select Device application window, click OK.
14. Click the "Sync" option located on the bottom right of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. This imports all the contacts from the CSV file to the BlackBerry smartphone.

[dburden]

For the last few years I have used the Outlook Contact manager and have synchronized to my Blackberry every week. Apart from the limit on the size of the Notes field this has worked perfectly.

I have now stopped using Outlook and wish to use the ASCII importer to import data from a CSV file. Both Contacts and Calendar.

I have two problems -

a) The ASCII Importer ignores the field names in the CSV file; it does however skip the first record in the file. It sets up a synthetic mapping to fields that do not exist in my CSV file (which came from Outlook).

b) It skips records with a blank Last Name; I often do not have a named contact, just data on a company.

I have used Intellisync for years with other devices and am perplexed as its ability to process ASCII files in CSV format is usually very good.

David Burden

[GaryCutri]

Hi,

I would assume "Outlook Contact Manager" may be causing issues with the data exported to the CSV file. The only way to test this would be to export Contacts from a PC that doesn't have OCM and repeat the import process.

Thanks,

Gary

[dburden]

I don't think it is Outlook that is causing the problem.
I tried creating a small CSV file with Notepad and also by using Save As from Excel.
In both cases Intellisync in Desktop Manager ignores the Field Names in the first record of the CSV file.
It does this whether the names are enclosed in quotes or not.
The only way to make this work seem to be to manually edit the field names (using Notepad, Wordpad or Excel) to correspond exactly to the ones displayed by Desktop Manager. Which, incidentally, are not the field names displayed on the Blackberry itself when you look at an Address Book entry.
(Company rather than Company Name, First rather than First Name, email rather than email Address etc.)
Usually the whole point of Field Mapping is to allow you to map fields with different names in the input file to the right fields on the device.

David

[dburden]

I have just noticed something really odd.
If you try and Map Fields with the Ascii Importer the field names that appear in the mapping for e-mail addresses are :Internet Address 1, Internet Address 2 and Internet Address 3.
If you open the Blackberry Address Book on the device, the field is called EMail.
If you want it to actually work when you import data, you have to call the fields Email Address 1, Email Address 2, Email Address 3

The post of the 4th of June 2007 is not very useful. Item 10 says 'Add the contact to the CSV file, and then repeat step 4.'
If you have contact information stored in Outlook, Lotus Notes, Outlook Express, etc. the Export function of the application defines the structure of the CSV file. The user has no control over this.
The only way I have found to make it work is to create the CSV file from my application and then use Notepad to cut and paste the strange field names generated by Blackberry ASCII Import / Export. This is obviously not viable on a production basis.

David Burden

[RobertoHN]

Hello.

I just replaced my Nokia E-71 to a BB Curve 8520. I have my contacts saved in a .csv and .txt file but I can't find the way to transfer them to my new BB.

When I found this post I immediately said a big YES!!! I thought it was gonna be an easy procedure and maybe it is but I'm stucked in the very beggining.

I have installed Desktop Manager V 5.0.1.28 and I can't find the Intellisync tab or button, I've noticed that instructions says BlackBerry® Desktop Software 4.0 Service Pack 1 and earlier and I have installed 5.0.1.28 and I've been thinking that maybe that's why I can't find the Intellisync button but what I can't find possible is that this newer software has less features than previous versions...

Why I'm saying that? Because I'd like to know if I have to unistall version 5.0.1.28 and install the old one in order to be able to transfer my contacts or... if it can be done with 5.0.1.28 with different instructions.

Thanks in advance.

[GaryCutri]

Hello.

I just replaced my Nokia E-71 to a BB Curve 8520. I have my contacts saved in a .csv and .txt file but I can't find the way to transfer them to my new BB.

When I found this post I immediately said a big YES!!! I thought it was gonna be an easy procedure and maybe it is but I'm stucked in the very beggining.

I have installed Desktop Manager V 5.0.1.28 and I can't find the Intellisync tab or button, I've noticed that instructions says BlackBerry® Desktop Software 4.0 Service Pack 1 and earlier and I have installed 5.0.1.28 and I've been thinking that maybe that's why I can't find the Intellisync button but what I can't find possible is that this newer software has less features than previous versions...

Why I'm saying that? Because I'd like to know if I have to unistall version 5.0.1.28 and install the old one in order to be able to transfer my contacts or... if it can be done with 5.0.1.28 with different instructions.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

In the new Desktop Manager you select "Synchronize > Select Schronization (left side menu) > Select Synchronization (top right button)".

Thanks,

Gary

[tkessler2]

I recently transferred my Nokia E65 address book to my new Blackberry Tour 9630 through Intellisync. I got it done, but it was an arduous process. Transferring via Outlook or Google may work - but you can end up with missing fields - corrupted data, etc and many don't want to install those apps just to use that function.

If you can get your contacts from your originating phone into a CSV file, you can then manipulate them in a spreadsheet. Then you can use the ASCII importer to get them cleanly and completely into the BB. Here are the tricks:

1) The CSV file format must include both a comma and a delimiter around each field unconditionally. MS Excel 2002 will not write a CSV file this way. I was able to use Open Office Calc spreadsheet program, which writes the flavor of the format Intellisync needs. Other CSV editors may work too.

2) The ASCII Importer will ignore a CSV file with a trailing CR/LF sequence at the end of the file. Unfortunately Open Office writes this way. To fix, download and install a free hex file editor, like Frhed, to remove the last two bytes (x0D, x0F) before you import it. I've attached a screenshot JPG showing the last two bytes to highlight and delete..

So here is the procedure:

1) Create a dummy contact entry in your blackberry with all the fields used and export it to a CSV file on your PC. This will give you a reference file with the field names your Blackberry may use. Most of these names are also in the Intellisync ASCII importer help file, but the best reference is your BB itself.

2) Note some fields, even though they exist, do not transfer. My User Defined 1-4 fields exist on my Blackberry and in the reference file, but do not export out nor in. Address3, Mobile Phone 2, and Home Fax all exist in the ref file, but not on the BB. To figure out what transfers and what doesn't for your BB, create a fully populated test entry on both device and PC. syncronize each, and look carefully at what transfers and not.

3) Load the originating phone CSV file into the spreadsheet on another tab. Compare the field names from your originating phone to your BB field names. In my case, my Nokia has Spanish names and my BB English...
You'll need to figure out how to map each of your originating field names to a BB column.

4) Carefully replace the data columns of the reference CSV file you pulled from the BB, with the data from your original handset, making sure you conserve the correct BB field headers. You may have to consolidate data from multiple columns on your original phone date into one column on your BB data. Be careful not to put data in a column that doesn't transfer, like "Mobile Phone 2".

5) Save the edited CSV file from Open Office or other editor, then open it with the hex editor and delete the last CR/LF (x0D, x0A) byte, and save again. The file is now ready to import into your BB.

6) Configure your synchronization settings to use your newly created file and replace the contact data in your BB

Final note: be careful about extraneous quote marks or other characters in your field data that can corrupt the import process.

Good luck!

[4th3n4]

Hi,

In the new Desktop Manager you select "Synchronize > Select Schronization (left side menu) > Select Synchronization (top right button)".

Thanks,

Gary

Hi Gary,

Got a BB Torch 9800, and am tearing my hair out trying to figure how to import my contacts in .csv format.
Have already downloaded BB Desktop Software ver6, as BB Desktop Manager is no longer avaiable
It doesn't seem to have Intellisync nor the "Synchronize > Select Schronization (left side menu) > Select Synchronization (top right button)" option

Seeing as you have the same model, I hope you could help

Thanks,
Grace

[GaryCutri]

Hi Gary,

Got a BB Torch 9800, and am tearing my hair out trying to figure how to import my contacts in .csv format.
Have already downloaded BB Desktop Software ver6, as BB Desktop Manager is no longer avaiable
It doesn't seem to have Intellisync nor the "Synchronize > Select Schronization (left side menu) > Select Synchronization (top right button)" option

Seeing as you have the same model, I hope you could help

Thanks,
Grace

In BlackBerry Desktop Software 6 Synchronize is replaced by "Organizer" (and the settings are in "Configure Settings").