Back Up Your macOS Contacts Before Beginning
Before you make any changes, create a backup of your contacts so you can restore everything to its current state if an error occurs during the process. To back up your contacts:
Synchronize Gmail Contacts With macOS Contacts
If you don’t use Google services on your Mac and you just want to add Gmail contacts to the Contacts application on your Mac, complete the instructions that follow. If you have Google services on your Mac, skip ahead to the section, “If You Already Have Google Services on Your Mac.”
If You Already Have Google Services on Your Mac
If you have Google services on your Mac, such as a Gmail account in the macOS Mail application, linking your address book with Gmail Contacts is easier.
Synchronizing vs. Importing Contacts
The steps above show you how to synchronize your contacts with macOS. When you use this method, your Gmail contacts remain on Google’s servers, but changes appear on your Mac. If you don’t want to worry about moving your contacts around, use synchronization to access contacts on your Mac. In contrast, by importing your Gmail contacts, you completely merge your Gmail contacts with the Contacts application on your Mac. This is a useful option if you want to move away from Google services but want to keep your Gmail contacts. The process begins when you export your Gmail contacts, and then import them to a new service.
