Joe Kissell discusses his brand new book, Take Control of Apple Contacts, explaining why a guide is needed despite the app's app’s limitations. He outlines hidden features, confusing design choices, and workarounds for common frustrations like sharing contacts and managing duplicates. (1)

Today’s edition of MacVoices is supported by MacVoices Live!, our weekly live panel discussion of what is going in the Apple space as well as the larger tech world, and how it is impacting you. Join us live at YouTube.com/MacVoicesTV at 8 PM Eastern 5 PM Pacific, or whatever time that is wherever you are and participate in the chat, or catch the edited and segmented versions of the show on the regular MacVoices channels and feeds.

Show Notes:

Chapters:

0:09 Introduction to the new Apple Contacts book
1:40 Why the book exists despite app limitations
3:48 Hidden features and misunderstood design
5:44 Importance of contacts across apps and workflows
9:54 Lack of shared contacts and workaround solutions
13:18 Risks and limitations of shared account methods
19:27 Controlling what contact data gets shared
22:45 Duplicate contacts problems and concerns
24:57 Built-in merge tools and their limitations
26:25 Trust issues with automated duplicate merging
27:32 Linking contacts across multiple accounts
29:44 Differences between iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions

Guests:

Joe Kissell is the publisher of Take Control ebooks, as well as the author of over 60 books on a wide variety of tech topics. Keep up with him if you can on his personal site, JoeKissell.com, on Bluesky, and Mastodon.

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