Google Contacts – January 1, 1900 Birthday Issue

google-contacts

Google Contacts sets DOB (date of birth) to 1st Jan 1900 for my contacts by default. How can I remove this from multiple contacts at a time, or even all at once?

I have found a similar question on this Google group link which is left un-answered.

Best Answer

Export your contacts

  1. Log into https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?pli=1#contacts
  2. Click on More -> Export
  3. Select the group My Contacts
  4. Select vCard export format.
  5. Click on Export and save the file.
  6. Open contacts.vcf in a text editor. Ideally Notepad++ or Notepad. Not Word as it'll probably make unwanted changes to the file.
  7. Do a search and replace. Search for BDAY:1900-01-01 and replace with BDAY:
  8. Save the file with a different name (the original will be your backup).

Delete your existing contacts

  1. Go back to Google Contacts
  2. Select all contacts within My contacts
  3. Select More -> Delete contacts
  4. Repeat until My Contacts is empty.

Import your updated contacts

  1. Click on More -> Import
  2. Click on Browse and select your modified vcf file
  3. Click on Import to import the modified contacts into Google.

Bear in mind that you will lose all contact pictures. I personally use Sync.ME (available for Android and iOS) after the last desktop application I had that did this stopped working.