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FRITZ!Box reports "The update failed" when adding a telephone book

You cannot add the address book from an email account (online contacts). One of the following error messages is displayed when updating the telephone book:

  • "The update failed. Please check the user data. (13, 14, 17)"
  • "The online telephone book could not be refreshed."

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.

1 Contacts from Google, GMX, and WEB.DE can no longer be used

Due to a change made by Google, GMX, and WEB.DE, contacts from these providers can no longer be imported into the FRITZ!Box.

2 Address book does not contain any telephone numbers

The FRITZ!Box only imports contacts with telephone numbers. Since the FRITZ!Box does not import address books that only contain email addresses, at least one entry must contain a telephone number.

3 Deleting a telephone book in the FRITZ!Box and setting it up again

Deleting a telephone book

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Telephone Book" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Switch to the telephone book for your email account.
  4. Click the (Delete) button and then "OK".

Restarting the FRITZ!Box

  1. Click "System" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Backup" in the "System" menu.
  3. Click on the "Restart" tab.
  4. Click the "Restart" button.

Setting up a telephone book again

4 Contacting your provider

If you still cannot add the contacts, either your account information is not entered correctly or there is a problem with your provider:

  1. Contact your email provider.