importing contacts into EE hub

[heelisp]

Hi

I have been trying to import contacts in vcard format into my hub. Apart from manually entering them in to the phones, this is the only way. However I get an error "invalid data CHOP3-903"

I have checked the format by opening in a text editor and it conforms to the standard vcf file format. So I do not know where to go from here

As anyone successfully imported contacts. Would it be possible for them to post an example vcard that imported (after anonymising of course).

[humeka]

Doh .... Because it accepted my .vcf file I thought it was fixed .... received a call from my Brother and no name displayed only the number .... investigation shows the directory only contains names without any numbers ..... So not much use .....

Do people ever test things !!!!!

[cerf-volant]

If you can look at the .vcf file an entry should look like this (name/number redacted):

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:4.0
FN:First Surname
N:Surname;First;;;
TEL;VALUE=uri;TYPE=home:tel:01492599999
TEL;VALUE=uri;TYPE=cell:tel:07905999999
MEDLODY:0
ACCOUNTID:0
DFTNUM:0
OWN:0
END:VCARD

I use Notepad++ on a PC and each line has CRLF

One of the TEL lines can be omitted but there must be one with 'cell', 'work' or 'home' (not 'none')

Make sure there are no apostrophies in the names

Replace any + with 00 (for Intl numbers) and remove spaces and brackets in phone number.

Hope that helps.

[humeka]

Yes , I'm aware I can edit it to make it work ... But I don't regard that as an acceptable fix ... I was moved from BT to EE  for their convenience and BT group should look after it's customers.

[cerf-volant]

I'm sorry you don't 'regard that as an acceptable fix' I was only trying to help. I spent a while to fiqure out exactly what was needed and it worked for me, I was just sharing my findings. I am nothing to do with EE or BT Group apart from being a customer.

[Gerry_Hattrick]

Notice to everyone:  this just plain WORKS.  Vital to retain exact format as above, including mis-spelling 'MEDLODY'.  Do not omit any lines shown - eg if no 'work' number, retain line, put tel:0.  N line must include ;;;; and come after FN line.  Use Notepad++ to edit, to ensure linebreaks are of the form 'CR' 'LF'.  Standard exports taken from 'Google Contacts' etc will NOT work - the Hub expects exactly what's shown here, with any number of such contacts concatenated, without spaces between.

Not known what would happen if any later upgrade corrects MEDLODY spelling - probably fail again?  

[humeka]

I agree your edit may well solve the issue , but the inherent problem lies with EE (or the industry) in their inability to have standardised .vcf format .. even BT and EE hubs don't conform to the same standard... The new EE Hub I'm trialling doesn't work either (without a Hex edit) ... If I change contacts on my Mobile I would like the ability for my landline to keep instep and visa versa ... with NO EXPORT facility from the EE Hub it just gets worse.

[Gerry_Hattrick]

All credit to cerf-volant for a fix that WORKS.  Evidently the system is not parsing the normally-adaptable .vcf text, just loading what it (mistakenly) expects as standard into a pre-defined table.

Contacts can be text-listed in any sequence, and the system does sort them to Alpha for display, but under the N field not the FN field.

FWIW, my kit, delivered Feb 2026, is: SH4-1 serial: +******+********** firmware: r3.8.26-R-1595999-PROD-1 GUI: 3.1.3  The GUI is also deficient because you get a 'browse' button that works (and you can upload from the window that opens) but there is an 'import' button alongside that stays greyed out.  Have to look top right to check that upload is already working anyway, and not give up until it's finished!  And, of course, no download button...  What a mess.

[Mod edit - removed serial number]

[SJM2000]

You are correct. An export is what is needed. However I joined this debate back in December 2023. So if EE cannot solve this by now, I suspect they never will. Hope they prove me wrong.

[JimM11]

@SJM2000 Think you may be waiting a very long time, but just saying this to spur it on! 🤔

[cerf-volant]

Glad to read there is continuing interest in this topic!

I was intrigued to see the comment "if no 'work' number, retain line, put tel:0". In my case no contacts have a work number and I don't have an associated 'work' line. Half of my contacts have home & mobile and the remainder only have a mobile. I just have a line per phone number and all this works for me. BTW, I'm using a WiFi6 Smart Hub Plus (SH31B) other hubs might differ.

I still use Notepad++ (it's great) on a PC but now have a simple Excel worksheet to prepare new contacts from BEGIN:VCARD CR LF to END:VCARD CR LF. The CONCATENATE function is the way to go.