Title: Unlock the Secret to Seamless Contact Transfer: Mastering the Art of Importing Outlook Contacts into Apple Mail

Introduction: Contact management plays a very crucial role in our daily lives, especially for individuals who work in the corporate world. We rely on our contact lists to keep track of all the people we interact with for work and personal reasons daily. The two most popular contact management systems are Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. Currently, many people are switching to Apple Mail due to its user-friendly interface, features, and design aesthetic. However, transitioning from Outlook to Apple Mail means transferring all your contacts, which can be a significant challenge. In this article, we’ll unlock the secret of seamless contact transfer by mastering the art of importing Outlook contacts into Apple Mail.

Section 1: Exporting Contacts From Outlook The first step in importing Outlook contacts into Apple Mail is to export your contacts from Outlook. Here is how to do it:

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook
  2. Click on “File” in the top menu bar
  3. Click “Open & Export”
  4. Click “Import/Export.”
  5. Click “Export to a file” and click “Next.”
  6. Select “Comma Separated Values” and click “Next.”
  7. Select the contacts folder you want to export and click “Next.”
  8. Choose a file name and saving location for the exported CSV file and click “Finish.”

Section 2: Importing Contacts into Apple Mail Now that you have successfully exported your Outlook contacts, it’s time to import them into Apple Mail. Here is how to do it:

  1. Open Apple Mail
  2. Click on “File” from the top menu bar
  3. Select “Import Mailboxes.”
  4. Select “Contacts” and click on “Continue.”
  5. Select “CSV” and click on “Continue.”
  6. Select the exported CSV file from Outlook and click on “Continue.”
  7. Map the fields in your Outlook CSV file to the relevant fields in Apple Mail.
  8. Click on “OK” to initiate the transfer process.

Section 3: Tips to Ensure a Successful Transfer To ensure a seamless transfer of your Outlook contacts into Apple Mail, here are some essential tips to keep in mind:

  1. The CSV file should be correctly formatted. Ensure that all fields are separated by commas, and there are no extra spaces or symbols.
  2. Double-check the mapping of fields as you transfer them. Ensure that you match each field with its corresponding Apple Mail field.
  3. Finally, ensure that your Outlook contacts are wholly free of any duplicates or errors.

Conclusion: Now that you know the secret to seamless contact transfer from Outlook to Apple Mail, it’s time to put the knowledge into action. With the easy steps outlined in this article, you can ensure every contact you need is effortlessly available, making life a lot easier. Remember, contact management is at the heart of our daily interactions, and a smooth transition is vital. Follow these easy steps for a seamless experience—good luck!

This article explains the two-phase process for importing your Outlook contacts to Apple Mail on a Mac. Instructions cover Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2019 for Mac, Outlook 2016 for Mac, and the Mail and Contacts applications in macOS Sierra and later.

What to Know

  • Open Outlook > select People > select contacts to transfer and drag to Outlook Contacts folder.Next, open Mac Contacts app > select and drag contacts from Outlook Contacts folder into Contacts app.If prompted for confirmation, select Add. The Contacts app will notify you of any duplicates.

Export Outlook Contacts to a VCF File

To export your Outlook Contacts to a VCF file:

  • On the Mac desktop, create a new folder titled Outlook Contacts. It isn’t required, but it helps keep the transfer organized.
  • Open Outlook and select People.
  • Select the contacts that you want to export.
  • Drag the contacts to the Outlook Contacts folder you made on the desktop. The contacts are stored in this folder in vCard format.

Import the Outlook vCard Files Into the Contacts App

To import your contacts into the macOS Contacts application:

On the Mac desktop, create a new folder titled Outlook Contacts. It isn’t required, but it helps keep the transfer organized.

Open Outlook and select People.

Select the contacts that you want to export.

Drag the contacts to the Outlook Contacts folder you made on the desktop. The contacts are stored in this folder in vCard format.

  • Open Contacts.
  • Open the folder you created on the desktop labeled Outlook Contacts.
  • Select all the contacts in the Outlook Contacts folder by pressing Command+A.
  • With the left mouse button, drag the contacts from the folder into the macOS Contacts app.
  • If prompted for confirmation for adding the new contacts, select Add.
  • The newly imported contacts are in the macOS Contacts app.

Resolve Duplicate Contacts

If duplicate contacts are copied into the Contacts app, macOS notifies you of these duplicates. Here’s how to handle duplicates:

Open Contacts.

Open the folder you created on the desktop labeled Outlook Contacts.

Select all the contacts in the Outlook Contacts folder by pressing Command+A.

With the left mouse button, drag the contacts from the folder into the macOS Contacts app.

If prompted for confirmation for adding the new contacts, select Add.

The newly imported contacts are in the macOS Contacts app.

  • When prompted to import a duplicate contact, select either Review Duplicate, Cancel the copy, or Import.
  • If you select Review Duplicate, you get the choice to either Keep Old, Keep New, Keep Both, or Update.
  • Keep Old keeps the original contact in the Contacts app.Keep New copies the new contact over the original contact in the Contacts app.Keep Both makes a copy of the new contact with the same name.Update combines the original and new contact information.
  • No matter which option you choose (besides Cancel), the new contact or the contact update is listed in the macOS Contacts app.
  • To check that all the Contacts are available in Apple Mail, open the Mail app and open a new email message. In the To field, begin typing the name of one of the contacts you copied from Outlook to Contacts. The name and email address autopopulate from the Contacts application.

When prompted to import a duplicate contact, select either Review Duplicate, Cancel the copy, or Import.

If you select Review Duplicate, you get the choice to either Keep Old, Keep New, Keep Both, or Update.

  • Keep Old keeps the original contact in the Contacts app.Keep New copies the new contact over the original contact in the Contacts app.Keep Both makes a copy of the new contact with the same name.Update combines the original and new contact information.

No matter which option you choose (besides Cancel), the new contact or the contact update is listed in the macOS Contacts app.

To check that all the Contacts are available in Apple Mail, open the Mail app and open a new email message. In the To field, begin typing the name of one of the contacts you copied from Outlook to Contacts. The name and email address autopopulate from the Contacts application.

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