8x8 Community

My Services Express Jitsi as a Service 8x8 Connect 8x8 Work for Web

Importing Local Outlook Contacts in Work for Desktop

Overview

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.
You can import Outlook contacts via My Contacts or under Settings > Contacts. Review the checklist below prior to importing Outlook contacts.
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.

8x8 Work for Desktop Feature Checklist

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

  1. Log in to Outlook.
  2. Log in to 8x8 Work for Desktop and go to the Contacts.
  3. Click My Contacts.
  4. Click Add (person icon).
  5. Click Import Outlook Contacts. This will automatically select the Outlook profile that is set as the default profile.
  6. Select Personal Contact, Company Contact, or both. (Note: The maximum amount 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.
To remove all imported Outlook contacts, go to Settings > Contacts and click Remove (trash can).
To sync imported Outlook contacts, go to My Contacts > Add, and click Refresh Outlook Contacts.

See Also