GAL sync for iPhone and Android
The global address list (GAL) in Microsoft 365 can only be searched online. Phones store nothing from it, so there are no contacts and no name when a colleague calls. ModernSync copies the people you choose from the GAL into every mailbox each night, where they become ordinary contacts on iPhone, Android and in Outlook.
Works withiPhoneAndroidOutlook for Windows, Mac and web
Why the global address list stays in Outlook
The address list is a directory on the server that the phone can only look up while online. Nothing from it is copied into the phone's contacts, so a call from a colleague shows no name.
Your options in Microsoft 365
| Option | Works well | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Search the global address list | Up to date and searchable in Outlook. | Only searchable online, and it doesn't become contacts on the phone. |
| Offline address book | Lets Outlook on the desktop look people up without a connection. | Not available in the phone's contacts. |
| Export and import by hand | Works once. | Goes out of date, and someone has to repeat it every time. |
How ModernSync does it
Set-up takes about five minutes.
Approve the app
A global admin approves ModernSync in Microsoft 365. Nothing is installed on phones or servers.
Choose the groups
Pick who becomes contacts and who receives them. A test run shows exactly what would change before anything is written.
Contacts on every phone
Every night the contacts are updated in employees' mailboxes, and phones and Outlook pick them up from there.
A test run first
The test run shows exactly how many contacts would be created, updated and removed in which mailboxes. Nothing is written until you switch synchronisation on.
Data, hosting and the DPA
- Contact data stays in Microsoft 365
- Contacts are written straight from Microsoft 365 to employees' mailboxes. We only keep what the portal needs to show status.
- Hosted in Azure in the EU
- Your data is processed in Microsoft Azure in the EU, and we hold no passwords. The app's permissions are listed on the permissions page.
- Data processing agreement included
- It is part of the terms and accepted when you sign up.
Questions
Do we have to sync the whole directory?
No. You choose a group, for example all employees, and can subtract an exception group to keep service accounts and the like out.
Which details are included?
Name, title, department, company, email, phone numbers and business address from Microsoft 365.
Does it include external contacts?
The rules are based on groups of users. External contacts can be shared through a shared contact folder in a mailbox.
How quickly do changes come through?
Every night. If a colleague changes number or job title in Microsoft 365, the phones show it correctly the next morning.
What about old contacts employees saved themselves?
When a new colleague gets a mobile number that used to belong to someone else, the phone can show the old name if the user saved the former colleague. The free check for outdated contacts finds cases like this, and the user deletes the old contact.
Related guides and other solutions
- How to get the global address list on iPhone
Where the iPhone can look up the global address list, why it stays online-only, and what it takes to turn colleagues into contacts with caller ID.
- Which phones and apps show the contacts?
iPhone, Android and Outlook on Windows, Mac and the web, plus the one limitation to know about.
- Check for outdated contacts
Find contacts users saved themselves that show the wrong name on calls. What the check reads, what it stores, and how users fix the findings.
- Outlook contacts on iPhoneColleagues from Microsoft 365 in the iPhone's own contacts, so calls show a name.
- Outlook contacts on AndroidColleagues in the Android phone's contacts, Samsung included.
- Shared contacts in OutlookOne shared contact list in every mailbox and on every phone.
- Push contacts to iPhone and AndroidApprove the app once and choose the groups. There are no scripts to maintain.
- Company directory on the phoneThe directory in the phone's own contacts app instead of one more app.
Try it on your own groups
Sign up in the portal and see the test run for your own groups before you decide. Free for 14 days.