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"Add to existing contact" dialog box has gone

Until recently I had the option of adding, say, and email address to an existing contact by clicking on the address's down arrow in Mac Mail.


I'd click on Add to Contacts and a dialog box would open where I could select which contact to add the address to, or to create a new contact.


Just recently that dialog box has disappeared - all I can do now is create a new contact.


Anybody else noticed this?


All software is the latest version. Happens on iMac and MacBook.

My 1st Apple ll 1982, then-OTHER, iMac, MacBook, iPad, iPhone, Watch

Posted on Mar 5, 2018 4:54 AM

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69 replies

Mar 5, 2018 6:15 AM in response to Jagmurcredrea

ian-apple wrote:


Until recently I had the option of adding, say, and email address to an existing contact by clicking on the address's down arrow in Mac Mail.


I'm not questioning your experience but I have no recollection of that feature on any macOS version. I confirmed it does not exist on Sierra or El Capitan either... the only two I still have lying around.


User uploaded file


If the Contact already exists an option "Show Contact Card" will appear, but nothing resembling "add to existing contact". Same with El Cap and Sierra... in other words HS did not introduce that change.


The option you describe have been placed there by a Mail add-on you had been using, and that is no longer compatible.

Mar 5, 2018 6:37 AM in response to John Galt

Thanks for actually reading the question John!


It's really frustrating... I first noticed it about 3 months ago when I began adding logos and photos to Contacts, so I could immediately spot if an email came from a 'known' contact.


Like this:


User uploaded file


So, when I got an email from a new address but an existing contact, I'd click on Add to Contacts and quite a small dialog box would pop up enabling me to choose between a new contact or adding to an existing one by scrolling down the list.


I used it a lot and it's gone. I've never used an add-on...


I'm wondering if it was some sort of short-lived feature that came and went between updates - all I know is it was really useful!

Mar 5, 2018 6:54 AM in response to Jagmurcredrea

To configure address book you need a webmail account and iCloud account .

The Apple ID is kept same as the web mail address ( could be gmail account or any ) .

In system preferences > iCloud > the user must be signed in with Apple ID .

In system preferences > internet accounts > for web account > all the boxes ( mails , contacts , notes & calendar are checked ) and in iCloud - all boxes are checked except back to Mac .

Open mail application when you receive a mail from some one click on drop down arrow of mail address and click on add to contact it will be added .

User uploaded file

In your Mac if this window doesn't appear either your apple mail application is corrupted or you are using some unidentified apps like some kind of cleaners , anti virus , softwares , that has corrupted the address book or mail application you can use https://etrecheck.com/

It will find out and give the results for the cause .

Sometimes , a new user account is created and then in this you have to configure mail application and address book and tested .

Mails , contacts are stored on the web server and iCloud server and they will get downloaded when applications are configured , some prefer only time machine to restore contacts , but configuring the applications with server is more convenient and it always works ( in case even the hard drive is erased and the OS is installed , just an example the notes , contacts , mails ( for IMAP accounts ) never vanish from the server , once the Mac is connected to the wifi and applications are configured , each and every contact gets downloaded for sure ) .

Mar 5, 2018 8:46 AM in response to dialabrain

Right, this is the actual dialog box I've been talking about, which I've found by clicking on an address within the text of an email.


Yes, it really does exist. This is exactly it.


I used to be able to access it, until recently, from the dropdown arrow on an email address in the "From" field of an email in Mac Mail. Now I cannot.


I don't care if you never did use it, or never could use it, or never tried using it.


And I realise that fanboys won't even see the advantage of using this dialog box via an email address, but I found it useful, while it was there.


And yes dialabrain, it really is a screenshot from a Mac, just like before.


User uploaded file

Mar 6, 2018 10:30 AM in response to Jagmurcredrea

I agree it would be helpful, but when or if it ever did that in macOS, I can't say. However, I do know it exists with iOS, which may explain my (most likely flawed) recollection of it.


For example, if you get an email from this site, tapping the "from" address results in the following:


User uploaded file


I think that's what you want.


macOS's evolution has been following iOS, so if iOS does it I would expect macOS to have that feature also. If you think it would be a helpful feature, and assuming it's not just an oversight as you suspect, then you should make that suggestion to Apple: http://apple.com/feedback/macos.html Given that iOS already incorporates that functionality, it seems to me it should be a no-brainier for them.

Mar 5, 2018 10:21 AM in response to Jagmurcredrea

Hello ! ian - apple

You wrote -

It's come back to me that the dropdown arrow on a "From" address on an email just said Add to Contacts, exactly as it does now - but it opened the dialog box in the screenshot above.


So in a sense, a tiny thing - making Add to Contacts open the dialog box - but as I said, it no longer does. For anybody, it seems.

And also - I miss it because I used it so much over the last few months - I don't know from when it started, as I've only recently had a real need to use it, just that it stopped very recently. My best guess is that it ceased in one of the recent High Sierra Supplemental Updates.

In fact you are missing the old settings , its apple decision to do any any changes we all are Mac users just like yourself , and its not in our control to do the changes you can only give feedback a link that you are very much aware of it Product Feedback - Apple

Mar 5, 2018 7:28 AM in response to Jagmurcredrea

But you wrote in the question -

I'd click on Add to Contacts and a dialog box would open where I could select which contact to add the address to, or to create a new contact.


Just recently that dialog box has disappeared - all I can do now is create a new contact.


The dialog box never disappears if the settings are done correctly and now you have switched to a new question , the photos that are added by the senders in their address book , they have full privileges to change and you are trying to differentiate with newly added photos .

There is no method to control the senders photos .

"Add to existing contact" dialog box has gone

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