Merge Address Book Records

· by · Tips

No matter how hard you try, somehow multiple Address Book entries for the same contact manage to spring up. If both entries are exactly the same, just delete one. If they each have different elements you want to keep, however, its time to merge.

Merging records combines multiple contacts into a single contact entry. All of the information in both, including addresses, phone numbers, and email information, is all blended into a unified entry. Hereis how it works:


Select the duplicate entries in Address Book...
  • If you view Address Book contacts in the default column view, great. If not, choose View > Card and Columns.
  • Search for the duplicate contacts.
  • Click on the first contact, and then Shift-Click on the second to select both.
  • Now choose Card > Merge Selected Cards.


...and then merge the records into a single entry.

I typically use this trick when I have already created a contact entry for someone and have added notes and other information, and then the person sends me a vCard to add to Address Book. After I add their vCard, I merge the two records so I donit lose the information I entered myself.

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Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet

Jeff is the Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and co-host of the Apple Context Machine podcast. He is the author of "The Designer's Guide to Mac OS X" from Peachpit Press, and writes for several design-related publications. Jeff has presented at events such as Macworld Expo, the RSA Conference, and the Mac Computer Expo. In all his spare time, he also co-hosts the We Have Communicators podcast, and makes guest appearances on several other podcasts, too. Jeff dreams in HD.

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