Outlook access to iPad Contacts

[tigerdg]

I installed Outlook on my iPad (iPad Pro 10.5 in. iOS 17.0.3) and iPhone a few months ago. However, Outlook is unable to access my Contacts as both the resident Apple Mail app and my Yahoo mail can. When I start a new mail and begin to type a name, I then click Search this account, but it always says Found 0 contacts. I've tried going into Settings, Contacts, Accounts, Comcast, and there used to be a green slider button for Contacts, but on or off, it made no difference (it's gone now; now sure why; it disappeared while I was trying to solve this problem). When I open Contacts, there used to be two lists, one under iPad called "All iPad" and another called "All Outlook " under Outlook. The Outlook list had 0 contacts in it, but even when I copied contacts over from my "All iPad" list into the Outlook one, it made no difference. I can create a new list called "All Outlook" and copy contacts into it, but it doesn't work. Wen I go into Settings, Privacy & Security, Contacts, I get a list of apps that have requested access to my Contacts (as Yahoo mail did), but there is no way to add a new app. When I open Outlook, Settings, Contacts, I see "Default," but when I click that, I just get a blank window called "Default Contacts Account" with no way to add one. If I go back to the main Outlook page and click "Apps" at the lower right, I see one called "Contacts," but if I click it, I just see a screen that says "All Contacts (0)" and below that, "No Contacts" and a notice that reads, "Create a new contact or save an existing one to fill up your address book," but there is no way to do that (no "Add" button, for instance). Sorry this is so long, but I've tried to be as thorough as possible explaining everything I have done. Everything I've said here applies equally (almost) with my iPhone. Thanks for any help. Pleas ask if you need further information.

 

[twerppoet]

Short answer: I have no answer for you.

Longer Answer: same with more words.

It's been a long while since I used Outlook, so I signed back in to check it out. As you say, it does not appear to have access to my contacts. When I checked settings in the app, I found a Save Contacts option. This copied over 200 contacts into my Contacts app, mostly duplicates. Strangely, I still can't get Outlook to predict or search for contacts.

Luckly, when I turned the option off, it deleted all the duplicate contacts. (whew).

Outlook worked fine when I used it before. I can only guess that a recent update has a bug. It's probably related to using iCloud email accounts in Outlook. I'd guess Microsoft accounts work fine; otherwise there would be a a lot of angst on the net. I did quick search and came up with nothing. I've given up my one Microsoft email based email account, so I can't check.

It isn't uncommon for apps to have bugs after recent updates, especially when combined with a recent iOS updates. Hopefully it will be fixed sooner than later.

 

[tigerdg]

I've had Outlook on my iPad/iPhone for only a few months and it's never accessed my Contact LIst, so if you're right about an update, it happened awhile ago. Incidentally, I am unable to reproduce what you tried. I can't find a "Save Contacts" option in Outlook anywhere. If I go to Outlook settings, I do see a section called "Contacts," but only two choices below that, Default and Sort By. Neither leads anywhere helpful.

I do appreciate your trying, and I'm not at all surprised by your answer. Just seems insanely stupid to me. Why would anyone design an e-mail client without access to a contacts list? Yes, I know it probably works with outlook.com addresses, but I don't know, as I don't have or use one. Anyway, thanks again.

 

[twerppoet]

I've had Outlook on my iPad/iPhone for only a few months and it's never accessed my Contact LIst, so if you're right about an update, it happened awhile ago. Incidentally, I am unable to reproduce what you tried. I can't find a "Save Contacts" option in Outlook anywhere. If I go to Outlook settings, I do see a section called "Contacts," but only two choices below that, Default and Sort By. Neither leads anywhere helpful.

I do appreciate your trying, and I'm not at all surprised by your answer. Just seems insanely stupid to me. Why would anyone design an e-mail client without access to a contacts list? Yes, I know it probably works with outlook.com addresses, but I don't know, as I don't have or use one. Anyway, thanks again.

The setting is in Outlook itself. I'll provide some screenshots to show you, but as I said in my last post, it won't solve the issue. Or at least it did not for me. To be fair the setting description doesn't sound like it would.

Right after I answered your post, I realized I wasn't using Outlook anymore, so I deleted it. However I haven't gotten around to deleting off of my iPad Mini, so that's where the screenshots come from.

 

[tigerdg]

Thanks for following up on this. To begin with, I have a Microsoft 365 subscription, which I guess is different from an Office 365 subscription. I say that because after your first screenshot, I don't see what you see. Under Mail Accounts, I see only IMAP, which is my Comcast account. There is nothing anywhere that says "Save Contacts." Everything else there is a blind alley. Thanks again for trying.

 

[twerppoet]

Thanks for following up on this. To begin with, I have a Microsoft 365 subscription, which I guess is different from an Office 365 subscription. I say that because after your first screenshot, I don't see what you see. Under Mail Accounts, I see only IMAP, which is my Comcast account. There is nothing anywhere that says "Save Contacts." Everything else there is a blind alley. Thanks again for trying.

Most likely this is because of your Comcast account, not the Microsoft 365 vs Office 365. I'm pretty sure they are just different packages of the same apps/services. Comcast may not include contacts in it's email service. Both iCloud (IMAP), and my Exchange email service do. I can't check this, because I don't have a Comcast account.

It's not uncommon for settings to vary based on the email provider's services.

As a general rule I avoid having ISP based email addresses. After all, they can change fairly frequently; when you move or just switch to a better provider. Also, they tend to provide bare-bones services. Not much more than making sure their customers have an email address. Though, by providing IMAP, Comcast is doing better than many cheap ISP's, some who only provide POP3 accounts; an old protocol that does poorly in today's multi device world.

 

[tigerdg]

I don't think it is because of the Comcast account. If I log into my Comcast e-mail through the web on my desktop computer, there is a tab called "Address Book" where names and e-mail addresses can be added. I don't use it extensively, but I do have a dozen or so names entered there. I cannot access even those through my iPad Outlook app. Funny you should mention the difference between IMAP and POP3 protocols; I use POP3 between the Comcast server and my desktop as I like to archive my old e-mail locally, but IMAP between the Comcast server and the iPad/iPhone. That way, unwanted e-mail doesn't build up on my portable devices (I have my Comcast account to keep e-mail on the server for two weeks). I don't suppose THAT could have any bearing on my issue, do you?

 

[twerppoet]

Sounds like you are making good use of the difference between the POP3 and IMAP accounts. I don't see how it would make a difference in the problem. Honestly, it just sounds like an Outlook bug. The missing Save Contacts setting isn't really related, as it is more of a way to add contacts to the Contacts app, not search for them.

I did another search for the problem and found this thread on a microsoft support forum.

Redirecting

The solution appears to be to add a secondary iCloud email account to Outlook (making sure your original is still set to default). The thread is a couple years old, but may be worth reading.

There is a fair chance you ended up creating an @icloud email address when you set up the iPad. If you did, that should work.

Good luck.