Over 100 million people use Outlook to manage their emails, calendars, and contacts. So, chances are you are using Outlook to manage employees’ and clients’ contacts.
I wrote this article because many people (and I) are searching for the best way to sync the global address list to Android devices. In fact, I spent six days reading many articles online and Reddit conversations to find the easiest solution.
Here are my findings.
Key Takeaways:
- I found 6 ways to sync the GAL to Android devices: 1) CiraSync, 2) Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, 3) Manual export of contacts, 4) Custom scripting and API integrations, and 5) LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol).
- CiraSync offers the best and easiest way to sync the Global Address List to Android devices.
- The GAL (Global Address List) does not sync automatically to Android devices unless you sync it using a third-party tool or manual process.
- Syncing the GAL to your Android device doesn’t affect your personal contacts.
Now that you know the results of my research, let me show you how to use the 5 methods mentioned above.
Keep reading!
If you want to sync to iPhones, check out my guide on syncing the GAL to iPhone.
How to Sync the Global Address List to Android Devices?
Method 1: Use a Third-party App
CiraSync is a synchronization solution that allows users to sync the entire Global Address List to their smartphones (iPhones and Androids).
Users can sync an unlimited number of Office 365 Global Address Lists (GALs), public folders, CRMs, and shared calendars.
Here’s how to use Cirasync to sync the global address list to your Android!
1. Log in to the CiraSync Dashboard.
2. Click the + in the Contact Lists. (See figure below.)
3. Select the Contact source type. For this example, we will use Global Address List as the Contact source.
4. Click on Collections.
5. Select the desired Contact sources.
6. Click the NEXT button on the top-right corner.
7. Select the user contact you would like to use as a target.
8. Click NEXT in the top-right corner.
9. Name the contact list in the box under Provide Contact List Name.
10.Click the + next to Contacts.
11. Enter the preferred name of your subfolder.
12. Check Sync Contact Groups if you have groups in the contact list and would like to sync members of that group. You can choose to exclude Group members from syncing.
13. Check Populate Outlook Auto-Complete List if you want these sync contacts to appear in the Outlook Auto-Complete list.
14. By default, CiraSync will remove a Contact from the targeted mailbox if it is removed from the Source. If you would like to allow users to keep these obsolete items, check Retain obsolete items.
15. Click SAVE.
16. You will be taken to the sync summary dashboard.
17. Click the CiraSync icon in the top-left corner of the window to return to the CiraSync home dashboard.
18. Check the Update Cache box under the Sync Status pane in the top-right corner of the dashboard.
19. Click SYNC NOW to run a manual sync.
Method 2: Use Microsoft Outlook
This method doesn’t work, but I still wanted to mention it.
There isn’t a native way to sync the Global Address List (GAL) to Android smartphones using Microsoft Outlook. The Android Outlook app does not sync GAL contacts to the device’s native Contacts app but allows users to view them while searching within the Outlook app.
Without a synchronization platform like Cirasync, users cannot access GAL contacts outside of Outlook.
Method 3: Use Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, open the Admin centers menu and select Exchange.
3. Once inside the Exchange Admin Center, navigate to Recipients > Mailboxes.
4. Select the user mailbox for which you wish to enable or disable Exchange ActiveSync.
5. In the user’s mailbox properties, click on Mobile devices.
6. Under the Mobile Devices section, you can review sync settings and manage, add, remove, or block device access. This section also allows you to manage device policies, initiate remote wipes, and configure additional mobile device settings.
7. Click Browse to access and modify mobile device policy settings.
8. From here, you can view and adjust mobile device policy details, update synchronization status, and configure device encryption settings as needed.
Method 4: Manual Export and Import of Contacts
1. In Outlook, go to File.
2. Click on Import/Export under Open & Export.
3. Click “Export to File.”
4. Select Comma Separated Values.
5. Scroll to the top of the Select folder to export from your inbox and choose the Contacts folder located under your account. Select Next.
6. Click Browse, name your file, and click OK.
7. After confirming the location on your computer where your new contacts file will be saved, click Next.
8. Find the newly created CSV file on your computer and open it in Excel.
10. Your contacts are now copied to a.csv file, which you may import into another email service or onto another computer running Outlook for Windows.
11. Send the CSV file to your Android Smartphone.
Method 5. Custom Scripting and API Integrations (Advanced)
1. To access GAL information in an Office 365 environment, set up Microsoft Graph API. You’ll need an Azure AD application registered with the necessary permissions to read and access GAL data.
(For on-premises Exchange servers, use the EWS API to access the GAL. Ensure that you have permissions configured for secure access.)
2. Use PowerShell to access Exchange and Office 365 GAL data. A sample PowerShell script could retrieve contact details, export them as a CSV or JSON file, and store the data in a secure location or database.
3. Format the GAL data into a compatible format for Android devices, such as VCF (vCard) or CSV. You may need to create individual contact entries based on each GAL contact for easier management.
4. Write a sync adapter to automate the data pull from your server to Android devices. The sync adapter will periodically check for updates and add new contacts or update existing ones on Android.
5. Use Android’s Contacts API to add or update contacts directly on the device.
6. Set up a cron job (Linux) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to run the script at regular intervals (e.g., daily or weekly) to ensure GAL updates are reflected on the Android devices.
7. Test the entire workflow in a controlled environment to ensure proper data synchronization without duplications or data loss.
Method 6: LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
To sync the Global Address List (GAL) to Android devices using LDAP, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that your Active Directory is configured to allow LDAP queries. Enable port 389 for standard LDAP or port 636 for LDAPS (LDAP over SSL) to secure communications between devices and the Active Directory.
2. Identify the Active Directory server’s IP address or domain name. Gather the Base Distinguished Name (DN), which specifies the directory level to start the search (e.g., dc=company,dc=com).
Also, obtain the necessary credentials (username and password) to bind to the LDAP server and access GAL data.
3. On each Android device, install an LDAP client app from the Google Play Store. Popular choices include LDAP Sync or CardDAV-Sync. These apps will allow the device to connect to and sync with the GAL via LDAP.
4. Open the LDAP client app on the Android device and enter the LDAP server address (IP or domain name), port number (389 or 636), Base DN, and the account credentials.
Set the appropriate search filters to limit the data retrieval to the GAL (e.g., (&(objectClass=user)(objectCategory=person))).
5. Once the LDAP client is configured, initiate the sync process. The client app will retrieve the GAL contacts from the Active Directory and store them in the Android device’s contacts app.
6. Configure the LDAP client app to periodically sync the contacts, ensuring that the GAL is kept up to date on the Android device. Most LDAP client apps allow you to set a sync interval (e.g., daily or weekly).
7. After the sync is completed, verify that the GAL contacts are properly listed in the Android contacts app. Ensure that the sync works as expected and that future updates to the GAL reflect on the Android device automatically.
Does Syncing GAL Contacts to My Android Affect My Personal Contacts?
No, syncing the GAL with your Android won’t impact your personal contacts. GAL contacts are stored separately from personal contacts. Many apps and services offer the option to enable or disable GAL contacts to avoid overlap with personal contacts.
How Often is the GAL Updated on My Android?
The GAL (Global Address List) does not update automatically on Android devices unless you synchronize it using a third-party tool or manual process.
FAQ
You can access the global address list by searching for contacts in the Android Outlook mobile app. Alternatively, you can use the web version of Outlook to view your GAL by signing in with your Microsoft account.
The GAL (Global Address List) is not syncing on your Android because Microsoft does not sync the GAL to Android devices. The only solution is to use a third-party platform like CiraSync.
Yes, third-party solutions, like CiraSync, allow you to select specific contact lists from the GAL to sync, giving you control over which contacts appear on your smartphone.
