A user reports that their phone shows no RingSync contacts, or that some contacts are missing, even though a sync job completed successfully on the dashboard.
Check 1 — Contacts permission on the device
RingSync requires write access to the native address book. If this permission was denied or later revoked, the app completes the sync but cannot write any contacts.
iOS:
- On the device, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Contacts.
- Find RingSync in the list.
- Ensure it is set to Allow access (not "None").
- Return to the RingSync app and tap Sync now on the directory card.
Android:
- Go to Settings → Apps → RingSync → Permissions.
- Ensure Contacts is set to Allow.
- Return to the RingSync app and trigger a manual sync.
If the permission was permanently denied ("Don't ask again" on Android), the app cannot request it again. The user must grant it manually in the system settings as described above.
Check 2 — The user is enrolled on this directory
A sync job completing successfully on the dashboard means the proxy fetched users from Microsoft Graph. However, a specific device only receives contacts if the user on that device is enrolled for the relevant directory — meaning they have an active row in mobile_user_tenants for that tenant.
How to verify from the back office:
- Open Users → [directory] in the back office.
- Search for the user's email address.
- Confirm their row shows Active in the Access column.
If their access is inactive or missing:
- The user may not be assigned to the RingSync app in Entra. An Entra admin must assign them to the app (via Enterprise Applications → RingSync → Users and Groups).
- Alternatively, you can add them manually using the Add manual grant action on the Users page.
- After adding the grant, wait up to 15 minutes for the assignment cron to run, or click Refresh assignments to trigger an immediate pull.
Check 3 — The user's account is not in scope
Even if the user is enrolled, their contacts will only appear if they themselves are within the sync scope defined in Settings.
This check is different from Check 2: Check 2 asks "can this user see the directory?", Check 3 asks "are this user's colleagues being synced?".
Verify in Settings → Sync scope that the configured groups include the users the person expects to see. A common mistake is selecting a group that includes managers only, when users expect their whole department.
Check 4 — The sync has not run since the device was enrolled
If the user installed the app and enrolled after the last scheduled sync, their device has never performed a sync. The contact list on the device is empty until the first sync completes.
Ask the user to open the app, tap the directory card, and tap Sync now. The first sync will be a full sync and may take a few minutes on large directories.
Still stuck?
If all four checks pass and contacts are still missing, contact support via the contact page with the affected user's email address and the sync job ID from the Logs screen.