How to automatically syn contacts from GAL onto all users outlook accounts and then onto the local contacts app

Question

How to automatically syn contacts from GAL onto all users outlook accounts and then onto the local contacts app

Isaac Noyce 0

We have around 200 IOS devices and need to automatically sync and add all contacts from the GAL into each phones contacts app. Right now we are adding all of the contacts from the outlook address book onto each users account one by one. We then sign into each users phone to then log into exchange ad sync all of the contacts. I was wondering if there is a way to get all of the company's contacts into each phone and to have it sync with the GAL when we need it to e.g when a user leaves or we give a new starter someones old sim.

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Answer 1

Dear @Isaac Noyce,

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

Based on your description, I understand that you need a way to automatically sync all contacts from your organization's Global Address List (GAL) to approximately 200 iOS devices, so the contacts appear in each user's Outlook account and native iPhone Contacts app. You're currently adding contacts manually for each user and would like a centralized, automated solution that stays up to date when employees join or leave the organization.

Based on Microsoft's current design, the Global Address List (GAL) cannot be automatically synced to Outlook Contacts or the native iPhone Contacts app by default. Users can search the GAL from Outlook, but GAL entries do not automatically become device contacts.

For an environment of this size (200 devices), Microsoft 365 does not provide a native GAL-to-iPhone Contacts synchronization feature. Organizations with similar requirements typically use a third-party GAL synchronization solution (such as CiraSync or similar products) that syncs GAL/Entra ID contacts to users' contact folders and keeps them updated automatically. If you're using Intune, it can help manage Outlook and contact-sync settings on devices, but it does not automatically synchronize the entire GAL to the iPhone Contacts app.

As an alternative, users can manually add GAL contacts to their Outlook contacts, which will then sync to mobile devices via Exchange, but this approach is generally not scalable for 200 devices.

I hope this helps clarify the available options. With your requirements, a third-party GAL synchronization solution would be the most practical and scalable approach for maintaining company contacts across all 200 iOS devices.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding!

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