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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Your contact app is more important than you think.
• Some platforms have subpar default contact apps.
• Better alternatives are available – you can even build your own.

When was the last time you opened your contact app? Do you even bother with it? If you use email, chances are you also use your contact app — perhaps without realizing it. However, not all contact apps are created equal.

Some contact apps are very basic, while others are overly complicated. And then there’s the sweet spot — those apps with just the right number of features wrapped up in a well-designed GUI.

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I want to share with you my favorite contact apps for each operating system I use. I’ll even throw in one app that can be used on every platform (so no one is left out).

Are you ready for this?

Let’s get connected.

1. Contacts+ (Android)

Contacts+ provides you with only the features you need to keep your contacts well-managed. When you create a contact, you can add a photo, name (first, last, middle, suffix, nickname), phone, email, profile, IM, address, job, birthday, date, URL, relationship, tags, and notes. 

Also: This new Contacts app update solves a problem we’ve all had on Android phones

The app also gives you:

• Direct access to the Android Phone app
• Event reminders
• Contact updates
• Syncing with Google, iCloud, and Outlook
• Contact sorting by first name or last name
• Business card creation
• Free and premium versions

The premium version removes ads, provides 100 business cards per month, syncs up to 5 accounts, stores up to 25,000 contacts, and allows up to 250 updates per week.

Yes, the free version has ads, but I’ve found them to be fairly unobtrusive. 

Although the default Android Contacts app is good, it’s a bit too integrated with Google Workspace, which (at least to me) could lead to privacy issues. You also have the option of using Contacts+ strictly for on-device contacts or cloud contacts. If you want more privacy, stick with the on-device option.

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If you opt for the premium route, the cost is $120/year. That’s a bit high for a contact app, so I’ll be sticking with the free version.

2. Kontact (Linux)

You’d think Linux would be teeming with outstanding Contact apps, but that’s not quite the case. The good news is that there’s Kontact, a KDE Plasma contact app that has everything you need. With Kontact, you get a unified interface –works with Kmail, Calendar, and contacts in one well-designed UI. Kontact emphasizes privacy and supports open standards for data control, works with other KDE applications such as KMail and Kopete, has built-in support for importing and exporting contacts using the vCard format, and allows customization of fields and categories.

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One drawback of Kontact is that it is a KDE Plasma application. Although you can install it on other desktop environments, it will bring along several dependencies and libraries, which can clutter your OS. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, I suggest taking a look at number 4 below — and use it as a web app.

3. Contacts (MacOS)

This is one instance where I recommend going with the default, because MacOS Contacts is outstanding. Although the app is fairly basic, the UI is so good that I can’t imagine using a different app for Apple’s OS. With MacOS Contacts, you can add a mobile phone, name, home phone (why that’s still a thing, I do not know), pronouns, ringtone, text tone, URL, birthday, address, and notes. You can also define a contact as either a person or a company.

I would say that Apple’s Contacts app is the perfect blend of form and function.

Also: How to decide between Linux and MacOS – if you’re ready to ditch Windows

Of course, Contacts is free and preinstalled on MacOS, and with the new Liquid Glass UI, it looks even better. 

4. Airtable (All platforms)

This one might surprise you, but AirTable is great for a lot of things — including contacts. Even better, you can create a custom contact app tailored to your exact specifications. 

One thing I did with Airtable was utilize the built-in Omni AI to create a contact app that met my exact needs. All I had to do was type a query, answer a few simple questions, and the app was built. I was shocked to see just how well the AI was able to create the app with all the features I requested and a modern UI. In fact, after building the app with Airtable, I’m considering making it my go-to contact manager. And because AirTable runs on all the platforms I use, I can toss aside the other apps and stick with this one.

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Even better, you can build and use this app with the free account. Do keep in mind that there is no official Airtable app for Linux, so you’ll have to use it as a web app. Trust me, when creating your own custom contact app, it’s worth the extra effort.