Adding Google Directory Contacts To Your iOS Devices

Managing different kinds of contacts on your Mac, iPhone or computers can be difficult, and it may require you to make several edits in the lists each time you want to add or delete a contact.

People who use Google Workspace for business love the end user experience and the ease of administration that Google offers. However, when it comes to managing your Google Workspace Contact Directory (Google/Android) ecosystem with your Apple (iOS/MacOS) devices, there’s no simple way to do it. Also, the existence of a cross-platform Google Contacts mobile app in the foreseeable future seems rather questionable.

But there must be some way to sync Google Directory contacts to iOS devices? Right?

Yes, there is! But the way it works is pretty high up on our dislike list at the moment.

On iOS the list only shows up if you go to Contacts -> Groups -> Global Address List and search for contacts within the Google Directory. It is not used to display information when you have an incoming call or in the call history lists etc. The directory is dormant until you bring it up on screen from its hidden location.

Furthermore, you cannot copy contacts in bulk from the Directory to your personal contact list using the Google Workspace web UI.

Adding your Google Workspace account to your iPhone allows the manually added contacts to sync but not those from the directory. Even when using third party applications, most users run in to issues. At times only the email addresses show up in contacts or worse, duplicate contacts are created on your device. (Imagine having duplicate contacts created on your device when there are 1000+ people working in your organisation 😉)

So how do you get iOS users to have the same Google Directory contact access as their colleagues that are using Android and Google Contacts app?

Generic way to add google directory to iOS
Contacts > Groups > Global Address List > Search

Advanced way to add Google directory to iOS
Patronum > Automatically adds Google Directory contacts to iOS

Patronum is the only enterprise-ready contact sharing application for Google Workspace. Within Patronum you can set up a policy that will automatically take your Google Directory and add the contacts to your iOS users’ Google Contacts. You can even customise which users receive the Directory contacts and also the name of the label that will be applied to their contacts.

Whenever a Google Directory contact is added or updated Patronum will update the user’s Google Contacts.

And that’s just one more reason to invest in Patronum – Your Google Workspace Manager. Save hours of mind-boggling manual labour and invest your valuable time in productive work. Let Patronum be your helping hand – Try for Free Today!

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