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Cannot use contacts for different email accounts.

Anonymous
2025-01-09T06:00:55+00:00

I have not long moved to OUTLOOK. Previously I used THUNDERBIRD on my PC. I use the standard APPLE email on my iphone. I have three email accounts 1/yahoo 2/ gmail 3/bigpond. On THUNDERBIRD and APPLE mail , when creating a new email I just click on the TO section and my contacts list comes up. HOWEVER, with OUTLOOK this only happens with the first email account I entered into outlook, i.e. my yahoo account. The subsequent email accounts (which I entered/registered with OUTLOOK) will not give me any contact details to select an address I want to send the email to.

If I go to the contacts list in OUTLOOK and select an address I want to send an email to, when I have the yahoo account selected, the email addresses are listed under the relevant contact. HOWEVER, if I want to use either of the other two accounts and I select the contacts list NO email addresses will be displayed. If I open a NEW EMAIL and select TO, there is no response for contacts. So I cannot send any emails with either my gmail or bigpond accounts.

I have read the community forum and a lot of info is about groups, and businesses where there is a lot of discussion, however, I do not have my email contacts divided into groups. It is one contact list only. HOW do I get my gmail and bigpond accounts to recognise the contacts list (as THUNDERBIRD and APPPLE Mail do)?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Contacts

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-10T02:24:31+00:00

    Dear Dusty4880

    Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Community.

    I understand your situation and needs. I would like to ask you a few questions. After learning more about your mailbox and Outlook, I will continue to help you here. Thank you for your understanding and support.

    May I ask what Outlook you are using, is it Outlook (New) or Outlook Classic? On the left side of the screenshot is Outlook Classic and on the right side is Outlook (New).

    I would like to ask you in which account your contacts are saved in Outlook. If it is Outlook (New). You can click on Contacts to see the contacts in each account. If it is Outlook Classic. You can click on Contacts. Then click on Address Book to see them.

    Thank you for reading my question. I will continue to help you here as I learn more about your situation.

    Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thank you.

    Best Regards,

    Simon.W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-01-10T06:39:58+00:00

    Hello. I am using Outlook (New). As I mentioned, I have the primary account (yahoo). Contacts work in the primary account.

    I have two other secondary acccounts , as mentioned, and contacts is available to view only. When I select a contact in either of the secondary accounts the email address for the contract is shown, however the email Icon just under their name is not highlighted - therefore I cannot click on that icon and start a new email. Similarly if I am in one of the secondary accounts and select NEW (for a new email) and then try to open contacts from the TO it will not open contacts (says there are none).

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-01-10T08:02:29+00:00

    Dear Dusty4880

    Welcome back to the Microsoft Community.

    Thank you for your reply and detailed explanation. I just tested it in my new Outlook as well. The situation is the same as yours. In the new Outlook. When sending an email, To only recognizes the contacts in the outgoing mailbox, so your secondary mailbox can't recognize the contacts in your primary account Yahoo mailbox.

    I suggest you export all the contacts from your Yahoo mailbox. Then import them to the contacts of the other two accounts. You can refer this link to learn how to import and export contacts in the new Outlook.

    Import or export contacts in Outlook - Microsoft Support

    Because your yahoo mailbox, Gmail mailbox and bigpond are IMAP or POP protocols when configured in Outlook, these two protocols are configured mailboxes are not synchronized contacts. So you don't need to worry that importing contacts to Gmail and bigpond in the new Outlook will affect your web-based mailbox contacts. It is not affected. Because contacts are saved locally in New Outlook and are not synchronized with the server. You can refer to this link to know what can be synchronized by different mailbox protocols.

    Sync basics - what you can and cannot sync - Microsoft Support

    Best Regards,

    Simon.W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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