Which free contact optimizer duplicate removal contacts merger app do you like best & why?

[Arlen Holder]

Which free contact optimizer duplicate removal contacts merger
app do you like best & why?
<https://i.postimg.cc/4NFxDg84/contact02.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/QtTs7bXX/contact01.jpg>

I ran this search today using Aurora (because it's anonymous and doesn't
use Google Play and yet _is_ Google Play) which has a good filter
but you can use Google Play to find tons more than those below:
o <https://play.google.com/store/search?q=contacts%20cleaner&c=apps>
o <https://play.google.com/store/search?q=contacts%20optimizer&c=apps>
o <https://play.google.com/store/search?q=duplicate%20contacts%20remover&c=apps>
etc.

There are so many that I can't even count them, so I list below only some
of the many choices, all of which are found in a search for APKs that are
o free
o ad free
o GSF independent

There are too many to test them all, so I simply ask which contacts
optimizer you use, and why you like it, so all benefit from your effort.

These are all free, no ads, GSF-independent optimizers:
o *Duplicate Contacts Finder*, by PRsaikat
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rezwan.duplicatecontacts>

o *Contacts Optimizer*, by Compelson Labs
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.compelson.optimizer>

o *Duplicate Contacts Remover*, by Dot Player Team
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.r4sh33d.duplicatecontactsremover>

o *Better Cleaner Lite - Phone Cleaner & Booster*, by Better Cleaner
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zgmbcleaner.bettercleaner.lite>

o *Delete Duplicate Contacts*, by Nexia.io
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.duplicated.contacts.search>

o *Contact Optimizer Pro*, by RTC Hubs Ltd.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rtchubs.contactoptimizer>

o *Duplicate Contacts Removal and Merger No Ads*, by Enterprise Works
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iraju.duplicatecontact>

o *Contact Merger*, by ORGware Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orgware.contactsmerge>

o *Contacts Import*, by The Prophet
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.stargw.contactsimport>

There are so many to choose from, I did not list any that are:
o Not free
o Not ad free
o Not GSF independent

See also these ad free GSF independent specialty tools:

o *123 Contacts Backup & Transfer*, by Alterora OU
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gr.alterora.apps.contacts>
Privacy in focus: Take full control of your private data and leave the
"cloud" solutions to others. CSV/Text and Excel (*.xlsx) format. The app is
available for iPhones, Android and Windows smartphones. This means that you
can transfer your contacts between phones of different platforms, e.g. from
Android smartphones to iPhones or vice versa. Proper duplicate entries
handling. All major contact fields are exported.

o *Contacts to pdf, vcf, text*, by Red61429
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.firelabs.arspsr.contactsbackup_pdfvcftext>
Saves contact names & numbers to PDF, VCF, or text.

o *True Contacts*, by Ondrej Psencik
<http://www.psencik.cz/true-contacts> Use this download!
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.psencik.com.android.contacts>
True contacts is good for Local Sync; it's the true Android contact app,
sans dialer, which hasn't been part of Android since Android 5.

o *Contacts Import*, by The Prophet
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.stargw.contactsimport>
Imports contacts from Microsoft Outlook and/or csv.

o *One-Click Erase All Contacts*, by mypapit
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=contacteraser.mobile.mypapit.net.contacteraser>
Has option to delete contacts without phone number
--
When there are so many choices, it helps to ask others what they like.

[Arlen Holder]

UPDATE:

Given privacy-based solutions specifically don't _use_ the cloud, it's
interesting that, despite perhaps MARKETING claims to the contrary...
o *Extremely few data sync, backup, or merge issues actually "need" the cloud*

For starters, there are so many ways to copy files, it isn't funny:
1. *CIFS* (eg Folder Tag, Network Browser, ES File Explorer, etc.)
2. *SMB* (eg AndSMB, Astro, Total Commander, MiXplorer, etc.)
3. *FTP* (eg PrimitiveFTP, FTPUse, FTP Server, WinSCP, FileZilla, etc.)
4. *HTTP* (eg Wifi Explorer, WiFi File Transfer, etc.)
5. *Sync* (eg MyPhoneExplorer, AirDroid, Psencik LocalSync, etc.)
6. *MTP* (e.g., libMTP, MTP, Android Studio adb, etc.)
7. *Proprietary* (e.g., KDEConnect, ResilioSync, SyncMe Wireless, etc.)
(Note: I've tested _all_ these programs, and written reviews elsewhere.)

As for optimizing and merging duplicate contacts, there are also so many
solutions for that it isn't funny, where those solutions range from Android
apps to using Outlook & Excel (importing & exporting as CSV quite easily).
<https://i.postimg.cc/8cFn3D7r/contact03.jpg>

For privacy reasons, I put nothing on the cloud that I don't need to.
o Particularly my contacts which contain other people's data

Where I consider it quite rude that plenty of other people not only put my
contact information on the cloud, but also that of my kids & grandkids.

For those same privacy reasons, most here know I don't use apps from Google
except at gunpoint... nor do I use GSF based apps if I can help it; but
interestingly, the stock Contacts app from Google "apparently" can do
merging all by itself (which others can confirm or deny as I don't use it):
o Merge duplicate contacts
<https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7078226?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid>

Understandably those who care about privacy wouldn't want to use stock
Google apps, even for contacts merging, but the stock google contact app
merging capability does seem to be the case based on this article also:
o How to merge & remove duplicate contacts
<https://www.techspot.com/article/1408-android-merge-duplicate-contacts/>

And based on this article also, the default contacts app merges contacts:
o How to Delete or Merge Duplicate Contacts
<https://www.tunesbro.com/merge-duplicate-contacts-android.html>

For those of us who abhor the stock Google contacts app, there are other
apps which will optimize & merge contacts, as explained in this article:
o How to Merge Duplicate Contacts
<https://www.maketecheasier.com/merge-duplicate-contacts-android/>

Which suggests this freeware which even works from your notification bar:
o *Merge +*, by Contacts Plus team
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.contapps.android.merger>
But Merge+ has ads & is not GSF independent so I personally would deprecate
it; but most people don't seem to aim for ad-free GSF-free apps like I do.

Interestingly, though, I'm not the only one who shuns the cloud for syncing
contacts among all my devices on my own private LAN over Wi-Fi...

For example, this article talks about the file-based use model I espouse:
o *Manage, Delete & Merge Duplicate Contacts*
<https://www.droidviews.com/manage-and-merge-duplicate-contacts-on-android/>
"On Android your contacts are usually synced to Google so that anytime
you log in with your Google ID on a new phone, all your contacts are
there. Yet, you also have the option to create local backups in the form
of .vcf files. This can result in a number of duplicate contacts.
Luckily, it gives you options to manage, delete and merge duplicate
contacts on Android and iOS devices."

Notice they use a similar privacy-based non-cloud use model as I do, where,
for privacy reasons that are impossible on iOS devices, I don't even have a
Google Account set up on my Android phone (and the phone works just fine
without it).

To that point about privacy, that article cited above says:
"If you don't store your contacts on your Google ID but instead use your
device's local storage...[they] recommend using the app called
Contacts Optimizer..."

o *Contacts Optimizer*, by Compelson Labs
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.compelson.optimizer>

Readers will note I already listed this app in the opening post, but after
testing, I threw it away as it was asking for money but it's useful for
others to note the full version claims to perform the following tasks:
o Remove all duplicates and even find similar contacts
o Every individual optimization function at your fingertips
o Edit Contacts feature with Move to account function
o Mass move of selected contacts between accounts
o Move all contacts - a powerful function for moving contacts between accounts.
o You can combine your contacts from Phone Memory to Google to have them all synchronized and then find and delete all duplicates.
o The ability to quickly delete individual contacts you no longer need
o Correct and nicely format phone numbers
o Locate potentially incorrect contacts which cannot be dialed
o Find all incomplete contacts that have an important contact field empty
o Clean contacts removing empty fields
o Add international prefixes and country codes where needed
o Merge contact fragments into one rich contact
o Locate contacts in your messages and calls that have not yet been saved
o Digitizing of vanity numbers like 1-800-MY-GOOGLE
o Edit, Delete, Select all or unselect all contacts at any time, just tap and hold the contact
etc.

In summary, please note that there's almost never a need to put your
private data on the cloud, where, for contacts, there are two fundamental
privacy-based local 'sync' models, both of which work just fine:
a. Maintain "Master" contacts on the PC (e.g., via Excel or Outlook).
b. Sync local contacts across your local LAN at any time you desire.
--
Putting private data on the cloud is not only rude, but wholly unnecessary.

[Arlen Holder]

UPDATE:

I tested almost all the apps in the original post, and ditched a lot of
them following basic one-strike-you're-out freeware-testing rules.

Here's a quick summary of the first round honing down:

1. These three apps are apparently exactly the same app, only with a
different background color (as far as I can tell).
o (gray) Duplicate Contacts Finder, by PRsaikat
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rezwan.duplicatecontacts>
o (pink) Duplicate Contacts, by Dot Player Team
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.r4sh33d.duplicatecontactsremover>
o (blue) Contact Optimizer, by RTC Hubs Ltd.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rtchubs.contactoptimizer>

They will show you contacts for all "accounts", e.g., I imported a
contacts.vcf file into two apps which created two different "accounts":
<https://i.postimg.cc/3wXk659p/contact07.jpg>

They work, but not was well as other options do, so I don't recommend them.

2. Of all the tested apps, only Contact Merger, by ORGware Technologies,
seems to "see" all six of my contact accounts. It has a section to merge
duplicates by name or by number. Unfortunately it can't seem to select more
than one account at a time, but most people won't have six accounts (mine
are there due to my testing).
a. You select an account, e.g., Psencik Local Sync (it has 2412 records)
b. You select "Duplicates" > "By Name" > "Select all" > "Merge"
c. Or you select "Duplicates" > "By Number" > "Select all" > "Merge"

3. These two apps _created_ an Android sqlite contacts account, which makes
these apps completely different from the contact optimizers (they're
basically import/export apps).

o True Contacts, by Ondrej Psencik ==> created a "Local Sync" account.

<http://www.psencik.cz/true-contacts> Use this download!
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.psencik.com.android.contacts>

o Contacts Import, by The Prophet ==> created a "My Contacts" account.

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.stargw.contactsimport>
Imports contacts from Microsoft Outlook and/or csv

--
Part of the complexity of the contact managers is that there are multiple
contact databases, and not all the managers see all the databases.