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Importing Outlook Contacts in 8x8 Work for Desktop

Updated: 07/23/2026

This feature will be deprecated on August 31, 2026. See the notice below

Objective

Import, sync, or remove local Outlook contacts in 8x8 Work for Desktop.

Applies To

  • Outlook
  • Contacts
  • 8x8 Work for Desktop
  • Windows

Important: This feature is being retired on August 31, 2026

Starting August 31, 2026, it will no longer be possible to import contacts from a personal (free) Outlook account into 8x8 Work for Desktop and 8x8 Work for Web on Windows.

What will happen on August 31, 2026:

  • The option to import contacts from a personal (free) Outlook account will be removed from the 8x8 Work apps.
  • Contacts that were previously imported this way will be permanently removed from 8x8 Work. They will no longer appear in the contact list, search results, or when making calls or sending messages.
  • Contacts are only removed from 8x8 Work, nothing is deleted from Outlook itself. The original contacts remain safe in the user's Outlook account.
Why this is changing: This import method relies on an older Windows desktop technology (MAPI) that Microsoft is retiring as part of its move to the new Outlook experience. 8x8 Work now uses Microsoft's modern, cloud-based contact integration instead, which is actively supported by Microsoft and keeps contacts in sync automatically.

Recommened actions before August 31, 2026:

  • Sign in with a Microsoft account (paid license required) — users who sign in to 8x8 Work with a Microsoft account that has a paid Microsoft license (for example, a Microsoft 365 subscription) and has their Outlook contacts synced to the cloud will continue to see those contacts in 8x8 Work automatically. This option is not available for free Outlook accounts.
  • Save contacts directly in 8x8 Work — users can re-create the contacts they want to keep under My Contacts in the 8x8 Work app. Contacts saved this way are stored in 8x8 Work itself, work on all platforms, and are not affected by this change. This is the recommended option for users with a free Outlook account.

Recommended actions for administrators:

 
  • Inform affected users of the change and the August 31, 2026 deadline.
  • Encourage users to check their 8x8 Work contact list now and re-save any imported contacts they want to keep before the deadline.
Note: Contacts synced from a Microsoft 365 work account and contacts saare not affected by this change.

8x8 Work for Desktop Feature Checklist

Review the checklist below prior to importing Outlook contacts.

Local Microsoft Outlook (MAPI) Contact Sync

Review the questions below to determine whether this feature will work with your system.
  • Are you using a Windows operating system?
    • Microsoft doesn’t support MAPI on the Mac OS.
  • Do you use Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016?
    • This synchronization is with your local contacts. It won’t sync from Outlook.com.
  • Do you have less than 10,000 contacts?
    • The synchronization will time out after 10 minutes or 10,000 contacts.
  • If your mail server is MS Exchange, has caching been enabled?
    • Support for remote address books is best-effort only.
Note: Office 365 is supported on a best-effort basis, as it doesn’t always cache contacts locally.

FAQs

Q: How often is the synchronization done?
A: The sync is done on demand via the Refresh option.
Q: Can I import both personal and company contacts?
A: Yes, you can import both or either.
Q: What fields are imported?
A: First name, Last Name, Phone numbers, Fax numbers, and Email addresses.
Q: Will my contacts be available on other PCs or in 8x8 Work for Mobile?
A: No. This is a local sync with the local Outlook version on the PC and the synced contacts are kept privately on the computer.

Importing Outlook Contacts

In 8x8 Work for Desktop, the ability to sync Outlook contacts is available to Windows and Outlook users. This feature is not available to macOS users.
Important: 
  • Outlook data is stored locally on the computer, so contacts imported to 8x8 Work for Desktop on that computer will only be available on 8x8 Work for Desktop on that computer.
  • Because Outlook data is stored locally on the computer, users should set 8x8 Work for Desktop to "Call using Computer" to see the correct Caller ID on inbound and outbound calls for imported contacts. Contact data imported to 8x8 Work for Desktopis not passed to desk phones.
  1. Log in to 8x8 Work for Desktop.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Contacts.
  4. Under Add Account, select Outlook.
  5. Log in with your Outlook account.
  6. Select Personal Contact, Company Contact, or both. (Note: The maximum number of contacts that can be imported is 10,000.)
    • Personal contacts are imported to My Contacts.
    • Company contacts are imported to Company.
    • ​Fields imported include:​ Name, Emails, Phones, and first Address.

Remove Imported Outlook Contacts

In 8x8 Work for Desktop go to Settings > Contacts and select Remove (trash can).

Sync Imported Outlook Contacts

In 8x8 Work for Desktop go to My Contacts > Add, and select Refresh Outlook Contacts.

Additional Information

For more information, see the product documentation on how to Import Contacts in 8x8 Work for Desktop.