This website uses cookies.Learn MoreGet Started
By Patronum
October 13, 2023
Share Article
Managing and sharing contacts can be a daunting task, especially with so many Google contact sharing and contact-management apps available today. Google Contacts is one of the most popular and widely used contact managers, integrating directly with Gmail and many Android phones. With some know-how, Google Contacts can become an invaluable tool for organizing your professional, personal, and family contacts and seamlessly sharing them with colleagues, friends, and relatives.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into all things Google Contacts, uncovering tips and best practices for getting the most out of this powerful yet underutilized app. We’ll explore how to best structure your Contacts, manage multiple accounts and groups, easily share Contacts, integrate with third-party apps and services, and more.
Whether you’re just getting started with Google Contacts or looking to get more from this versatile contact manager, read on for pro tips that will transform the way you organize and share contacts.
Before we dig into the nitty gritty of managing Contacts, let’s look at why Google Contacts should be your go-to contact manager:
With the importance of contact management in our digital world, Google Contacts provides a robust cloud-based solution that integrates across devices and platforms. Now, let’s see how we can maximize its capabilities.
The key to making Google Contacts work for you is properly organizing your connections. The most effective way to structure Contacts is through the use of Groups. Here are some best practices for leveraging Groups:
• Create Groups for different areas of your life – Work, Personal, Family, Friends, Acquaintances, etc. This keeps your contacts organized and separated.
• Use Groups to manage sharing – Share entire Groups instead of individual Contacts for efficiency.
• Group by company or organization – Keep all your business/work contacts sorted by Groups for companies, business relationships, etc.
• Don’t overdo Groups – Find a balance between too many and too few Groups. Around 8-12 Groups is ideal for most needs.
• Review Groups periodically – Contacts sometimes shift between personal and professional. Reassess your Groups now and then.
Having Groups for Work, Family, Friends, and more allows you to quickly access the Contacts you need in the moment. Sharing Groups is far faster than selecting individual Contacts. Overall, leveraging Groups is crucial for keeping Google Contacts organized.
Beyond the basic name, phone, and email details, Google Contacts allows you to add robust information to each Contact through Custom Fields. Here are some great ways to use Fields:
• Job title and company – Essential details for work contacts.
• Birthday – Let Google Contacts manage the birthdays of friends and family.
• Mailing address – Store home addresses in Contacts rather than keeping separate documents.
• Notes – Add relationship details, reminders, keywords to surface the Contact in search, etc.
• Website – Store website URLs of businesses and professional connections.
• Social media profiles – Link to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts.
Fields enable you to build complete profiles and securely store all details needed for each Contact. Take advantage by populating as many relevant Fields as possible for work contacts, friends and family members.
Between our phones, email accounts, work tools and more, contact details end up fragmented across various platforms. Google Contacts lets you unite these disparate sources into a single Contacts Directory. Here are some popular sources to sync:
• Other email accounts like Outlook, Yahoo Mail, etc.
• G Suite and Google Workspace contacts
• Android phone contacts
• iPhone contacts via Google Sync
• Microsoft Exchange contacts from work
• Mac computer contacts
Syncing pulls in Contacts from multiple sources, merging any duplicates and uniting everything into your unified Contacts Directory. Sync periodically to ensure everything remains up to date as changes occur on the other platforms.
One of the most significant benefits of Google Contacts is the capability to share contacts with others easily. Rather than exporting files or emailing vCards, you can directly share Contacts with just a click or tap. Here are some key ways to share your connections:
• Share Groups – Efficiently share entire Groups of Contacts based on your relationships.
• Share individual Contacts – Select particular Contacts to share one by one.
• Share read-only access – Give read-only permission if you don’t want others editing your shared Contacts.
• Get shared Contacts – Have colleagues, friends and family share their Contacts with you.
• Share over email – Send Contacts to others right from Gmail.
• Create shareable links – Generate shareable links instead of direct access, which is great for one-off sharing.
Sharing Contacts is seamless whether you want to share a single Contact or your entire Friends Group. Take advantage of this great feature.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into some pro tips and tricks for supercharging your Google Contacts experience:
• Add Profile Photos – Upload photos or icons to personalize your Contacts.
• Star VIP Contacts – Star your most important connections for quick access.
• Link duplicate Contacts – Rather than deleting duplicates, link them to unite all details.
• Filter and search – Quickly find Contacts with Gmail-like operators and wildcards.
• Customize view settings – Adjust default Contact view settings like sort order, shown fields, etc.
• Export and import – Backup your data or migrate Contacts via export to CSV or vCard.
• Keyboard shortcuts – Use keyboard shortcuts like c to create a Contact for efficient computer use.
• Install mobile widgets – Add Contact widgets to your Android home screen for quick calling, texting or emailing top connections.
• Integrate apps and services – Connect third-party tools like WhatsApp, Evernote, Slack and more to sync Contacts.
These less-known tips will take your Contacts experience to the next level!
To wrap up this comprehensive guide, let’s touch on some frequently asked questions about Google Contacts:
Q. How do I add Contacts on mobile and the web?
On an Android device, open the Contacts app and tap the plus icon to create a new Contact. On iOS, use the Google Contacts app. On the web, click the ‘New Contact’ button at contacts.google.com to add a new Contact.
Q. Can I import Contacts from my iPhone?
Yes! Enable Google Sync on your iPhone to import Contacts automatically. You can also export Contacts from iOS to your Google account.
Q. Is there a desktop app for Google Contacts?
There is no official desktop app, but Contacts can be accessed through any browser at contacts.google.com. Many also access Contacts through Gmail on desktops.
Q. How do I share Contacts on mobile devices?
Open the Contact, tap the Share button (3 dots or More Options icon), choose Share Contact and select the sharing method.
Q. How do I find shared Contacts from others?
Open the Contacts app. In your Contacts list, look for a Shared Contacts group, which contains all contacts shared with you by friends and colleagues.
Google Contacts provides a robust, integrated and free contact manager available on every device. With intelligent organization using Groups, extensive custom Fields, unified directories and seamless sharing, Contacts can become your centralized hub for all personal and professional connections.
Use this deep dive into Google Contacts as your guide to getting the most out of this platform. Follow the tips and best practices outlined above to transform how you manage and share contacts. Whether for work or home use, Google Contacts helps keep your connections organized, accessible and at your fingertips anytime.
