How to Sync Microsoft 365 Global Address List with the iOS native Contacts app (iPhone)
If you want to sync all contacts from the Microsoft 365 Global Address List (GAL) to the Contacts app on managed or unmanaged iPhone devices, then this guide is for you.
Scenario: You want some or all of your Microsoft 365 Global Address List (GAL) user contacts to be automatically synced and stored in the native Contacts app on every managed iPhone device in your organization.
The Global Address List (GAL) of Microsoft 365 contains detailed information about any mail-enabled user of your organization. However, syncing your GAL address list with the native iPhone Contacts app is not simple, as Microsoft doesn't provide any way to do this. But don't worry, in this step-by-step guide you'll learn how you can Sync Microsoft 365 GAL with iOS Contacts easily by using a Shared Mailbox.
Why Sync the Microsoft 365 Global Address GAL to iOS Contacts?
Having the Global Address List available in your iOS Contacts app offers several benefits:
- Offline access: View and dial internal contacts even without internet access.
- Consistency: Ensure everyone uses the same up-to-date contact info.
- Productivity: Quickly search or call coworkers directly from the iPhone Contacts or Phone app.
How to Automatically Synchronize All or Some GAL Contacts with each user's iPhone Contacts list by using a Shared Mailbox (Microsoft 365).*
* Note: If you want to sync the personal Outlook contacts of a Microsoft 365 user to the native Contacts app and to add the Global Address List as an Exchange account on iOS devices, see this guide: How to Automatically Sync Microsoft 365 Outlook Contacts to Managed iOS devices with Exchange Active Sync.
To be able to sync the contact information of any Microsoft 365 account in the Global Address List to the native 'Contacts' app on any iPhone device, follow the steps below:
- Create a Shared Mailbox & assign yourself read and manage permissions.
- Allow Shared Mailbox to Sign-in with a password.
- Add users from the Global Address List to the Shared Mailbox address list.
- Add the Shared Mailbox as an Exchange Account in iPhone.
Step 1. Create a new Shared Mailbox in Microsoft 365 for the GAL Contacts.
The first step, in order to sync GAL with iOS Contacts, is to create a new shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 admin center or in exchange center and assign it to your office 365 users. This shared mailbox will be used to add the contacts from the GAL in a next step.
To create a shared mailbox in the O365 admin center:
1. Navigate to Microsoft 365 Admin center, expand Teams & groups, select Shared mailboxes and click Add a shared mailbox.
2. Type a name and an email address for the mailbox (eg. "sharedcontactsmailbox@yourdomain.com") and click Save Changes.
3. Then, click Add members to your shared mailbox.
2. Now, add yourself or another O365 user as a member of this mailbox and proceed to the next step.
Step 2. Unblock Sign-in on the shared mailbox.
1. Navigate to Microsoft 365 Admin center > Users > Active users.
2. Click on the Shared Mailbox account you created in previous step.
3a. Select Unblock sign-in.
3b. Uncheck the option Block this user from signing-in and click Save changes.
4a. Now specify a password for this mailbox. So, select again the Shared Mailbox account and click Reset Password.
.
4b. Type a strong password (or create one automatically and note it) and click Reset Password.
5. Continue to next step.
Step 3. Add Global Address List contacts on the Shared Contacts Mailbox.
1. Open Microsoft Outlook on your computer or on the computer of the user to whom you have granted permissions to the shared mailbox (you added them as a member in a previous step).
2. Go to Contacts (People).
3. Verify that the shared mailbox's 'Contacts' folder appears below the personal Contacts folder.
3. If so, select the personal 'Contacts' folder and click Address Book.
4a. By holding down the CTRL key, select all the users from the Global Address List whose contacts you want to sync to the native 'Contacts' app on iPhone.
4b. When done, right-click and select Add to Contacts to add the selected contacts on the personal Contacts list/folder.
5. Wait a few minutes for this to happen, and then close the Address Book window.
6. Now on the personal 'Contacts" folder you should have of the added contacts from the GAL.
7. Press CTRL + A to select all the contacts , then right-click and select Move* > Other Folder.
* Note: If you want to keep all contacts in your personal mailbox as well, select Copy to folder.
8. On the 'Move items' window, choose to move (or copy) all the contacts on the Contacts folder of the Shared Mailbox. (eg the "Shared Contacts Mailbox" in this example.)
9. When the operation is complete, click on Contacts folder of the shared mailbox and make sure that all GAL contacts are there. If so, continue to next step.
Step 4. Add the Shared Mailbox as an Exchange Account in Contacts app on iPhone.
1. On the iPhone go to Settings > Apps > Contacts
2. Tap on Contacts accounts
3. Tap Add Account
4. Tap Microsoft exchange
5. Type the email of the shared mailbox (e.g. "sharedcontactsmailbox@yourdomain.com") & tap Next.
6. Tap Sign-in.
7. On question "Settings Want to Use "microsoftonline.com to Sign-in", click Continue.
7. On the next screen type the password of the shared mailbox account and tap Sign in.
8. On the last step, leave only the Contacts switch to ON and click Save.
9. That it! Open the Contacts app on your iPhone and you should have all the GAL contacts of the Shared Mailbox contacts there!
Optional step: If you want other O365 users to make changes to the Contacts list of the Shared Mailbox, go ahead and add them as members to it.*
* Note: To add members on the shared mailbox, go either to O365 admin center > Teams & groups > Shared mailboxes > %Shared Mailbox Name% > Read and manage permissions, or to Exchange admin center > Recipients > Mailboxes > %Shared Mailbox Name% > Delegation > Read and manage (Full Access) > Edit.
That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary benefit of syncing the Microsoft 365 GAL to iOS Contacts?
Syncing the Microsoft 365 Global Address List (GAL) to the iOS Contacts app allows offline access to contacts, ensures consistent and up-to-date contact information for everyone, and enhances productivity by enabling quick search or call functionalities directly from the iPhone Contacts or Phone app.
Can I sync personal Outlook contacts with the GAL to iOS Contacts?
Yes, if you want to sync personal Outlook contacts along with the Global Address List to iOS Contacts, you should refer to the guide on how to Automatically Sync Microsoft 365 Outlook Contacts to Managed iOS devices with Exchange Active Sync.
What is the first step in syncing GAL contacts to iPhone Contacts using a Shared Mailbox?
The first step is to create a new Shared Mailbox in the Microsoft 365 admin center. This Shared Mailbox will be used to add contacts from the GAL for synchronization with iPhone Contacts.
How do I unblock sign-in for the Shared Mailbox?
To unblock sign-in, navigate to Microsoft 365 Admin center > Users > Active users, click on the Shared Mailbox account, select 'Unblock sign-in,' uncheck 'Block this user from signing-in,' and click save changes. Then, reset the password for the Shared Mailbox account.
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