Contacts Framework

Fetch, create, update, and pick contacts from the user's Contacts database using

CNContactStore

CNSaveRequest

CNContactPickerViewController

Contents

• Setup
• Authorization
• Fetching Contacts
• Key Descriptors
• Creating and Updating Contacts
• Contact Picker
• Observing Changes
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

Setup

Project Configuration

1. Add

   NSContactsUsageDescription

   to Info.plist explaining why the app accesses contacts
2. No additional capability or entitlement is required for basic Contacts access
3. For contact notes access, add the

   com.apple.developer.contacts.notes

   entitlement

Imports

import Contacts       // CNContactStore, CNSaveRequest, CNContact
import ContactsUI     // CNContactPickerViewController

Authorization

Request access before fetching or saving contacts. The picker (

CNContactPickerViewController

let store = CNContactStore()

func requestAccess() async throws -> Bool {
    return try await store.requestAccess(for: .contacts)
}

// Check current status without prompting
func checkStatus() -> CNAuthorizationStatus {
    CNContactStore.authorizationStatus(for: .contacts)
}

Authorization States

.notDetermined

.authorized

.denied

.restricted

.limited

Fetching Contacts

Use

unifiedContacts(matching:keysToFetch:)

enumerateContacts(with:usingBlock:)

Fetch by Name

func fetchContacts(named name: String) throws -> [CNContact] {
    let predicate = CNContact.predicateForContacts(matchingName: name)
    let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
        CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
        CNContactFamilyNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
        CNContactPhoneNumbersKey as CNKeyDescriptor
    ]
    return try store.unifiedContacts(matching: predicate, keysToFetch: keys)
}

Fetch by Identifier

func fetchContact(identifier: String) throws -> CNContact {
    let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
        CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
        CNContactFamilyNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
        CNContactEmailAddressesKey as CNKeyDescriptor
    ]
    return try store.unifiedContact(withIdentifier: identifier, keysToFetch: keys)
}

Enumerate All Contacts

Perform I/O-heavy enumeration off the main thread.

func fetchAllContacts() throws -> [CNContact] {
    let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
        CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
        CNContactFamilyNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor
    ]
    let request = CNContactFetchRequest(keysToFetch: keys)
    request.sortOrder = .givenName

    var contacts: [CNContact] = []
    try store.enumerateContacts(with: request) { contact, _ in
        contacts.append(contact)
    }
    return contacts
}

Key Descriptors

Only fetch the properties you need. Accessing an unfetched property throws

CNContactPropertyNotFetchedException

Common Keys

CNContactGivenNameKey

CNContactFamilyNameKey

CNContactPhoneNumbersKey

CNContactEmailAddressesKey

CNContactPostalAddressesKey

CNContactImageDataKey

CNContactThumbnailImageDataKey

CNContactBirthdayKey

CNContactOrganizationNameKey

Composite Key Descriptors

Use

CNContactFormatter.descriptorForRequiredKeys(for:)

let nameKeys = CNContactFormatter.descriptorForRequiredKeys(for: .fullName)
let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [nameKeys, CNContactPhoneNumbersKey as CNKeyDescriptor]

Creating and Updating Contacts

Use

CNMutableContact

CNSaveRequest

Creating a New Contact

func createContact(givenName: String, familyName: String, phone: String) throws {
    let contact = CNMutableContact()
    contact.givenName = givenName
    contact.familyName = familyName
    contact.phoneNumbers = [
        CNLabeledValue(
            label: CNLabelPhoneNumberMobile,
            value: CNPhoneNumber(stringValue: phone)
        )
    ]

    let saveRequest = CNSaveRequest()
    saveRequest.add(contact, toContainerWithIdentifier: nil) // nil = default container
    try store.execute(saveRequest)
}

Updating an Existing Contact

You must fetch the contact with the properties you intend to modify, create a mutable copy, change the properties, then save.

func updateContactEmail(identifier: String, email: String) throws {
    let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
        CNContactEmailAddressesKey as CNKeyDescriptor
    ]
    let contact = try store.unifiedContact(withIdentifier: identifier, keysToFetch: keys)
    guard let mutable = contact.mutableCopy() as? CNMutableContact else { return }

    mutable.emailAddresses.append(
        CNLabeledValue(label: CNLabelWork, value: email as NSString)
    )

    let saveRequest = CNSaveRequest()
    saveRequest.update(mutable)
    try store.execute(saveRequest)
}

Deleting a Contact

func deleteContact(identifier: String) throws {
    let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [CNContactIdentifierKey as CNKeyDescriptor]
    let contact = try store.unifiedContact(withIdentifier: identifier, keysToFetch: keys)
    guard let mutable = contact.mutableCopy() as? CNMutableContact else { return }

    let saveRequest = CNSaveRequest()
    saveRequest.delete(mutable)
    try store.execute(saveRequest)
}

Contact Picker

CNContactPickerViewController

SwiftUI Wrapper

import SwiftUI
import ContactsUI

struct ContactPicker: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
    @Binding var selectedContact: CNContact?

    func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> CNContactPickerViewController {
        let picker = CNContactPickerViewController()
        picker.delegate = context.coordinator
        return picker
    }

    func updateUIViewController(_ uiViewController: CNContactPickerViewController, context: Context) {}

    func makeCoordinator() -> Coordinator {
        Coordinator(self)
    }

    final class Coordinator: NSObject, CNContactPickerDelegate {
        let parent: ContactPicker

        init(_ parent: ContactPicker) {
            self.parent = parent
        }

        func contactPicker(_ picker: CNContactPickerViewController, didSelect contact: CNContact) {
            parent.selectedContact = contact
        }

        func contactPickerDidCancel(_ picker: CNContactPickerViewController) {
            parent.selectedContact = nil
        }
    }
}

Using the Picker

struct ContactSelectionView: View {
    @State private var selectedContact: CNContact?
    @State private var showPicker = false

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            if let contact = selectedContact {
                Text("\(contact.givenName) \(contact.familyName)")
            }
            Button("Select Contact") {
                showPicker = true
            }
        }
        .sheet(isPresented: $showPicker) {
            ContactPicker(selectedContact: $selectedContact)
        }
    }
}

Filtering the Picker

Use predicates to control which contacts appear and what the user can select.

let picker = CNContactPickerViewController()
// Only show contacts that have an email address
picker.predicateForEnablingContact = NSPredicate(format: "emailAddresses.@count > 0")
// Selecting a contact returns it directly (no detail card)
picker.predicateForSelectionOfContact = NSPredicate(value: true)

Observing Changes

Listen for external contact database changes to refresh cached data.

func observeContactChanges() {
    NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
        forName: .CNContactStoreDidChange,
        object: nil,
        queue: .main
    ) { _ in
        // Refetch contacts -- cached CNContact objects are stale
        refreshContacts()
    }
}

Common Mistakes

DON'T: Fetch all keys when you only need a name

Over-fetching wastes memory and slows queries, especially for contacts with large photos.

// WRONG: Fetches everything including full-resolution photos
let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [CNContactCompleteNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactImageDataKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactPhoneNumbersKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactEmailAddressesKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactPostalAddressesKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactBirthdayKey as CNKeyDescriptor]

// CORRECT: Fetch only what you display
let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
    CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactFamilyNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor
]

DON'T: Access unfetched properties

Accessing a property that was not in

keysToFetch

CNContactPropertyNotFetchedException

// WRONG: Only fetched name keys, now accessing phone
let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor]
let contact = try store.unifiedContact(withIdentifier: id, keysToFetch: keys)
let phone = contact.phoneNumbers.first // CRASH

// CORRECT: Include the key you need
let keys: [CNKeyDescriptor] = [
    CNContactGivenNameKey as CNKeyDescriptor,
    CNContactPhoneNumbersKey as CNKeyDescriptor
]

DON'T: Mutate a CNContact directly

CNContact

mutableCopy()

CNMutableContact

// WRONG: CNContact has no setter
let contact = try store.unifiedContact(withIdentifier: id, keysToFetch: keys)
contact.givenName = "New Name" // Compile error

// CORRECT: Create mutable copy
guard let mutable = contact.mutableCopy() as? CNMutableContact else { return }
mutable.givenName = "New Name"

DON'T: Skip authorization and assume access

Without calling

requestAccess(for:)

// WRONG: Jump straight to fetch
let contacts = try store.unifiedContacts(matching: predicate, keysToFetch: keys)

// CORRECT: Check or request access first
let granted = try await store.requestAccess(for: .contacts)
guard granted else { return }
let contacts = try store.unifiedContacts(matching: predicate, keysToFetch: keys)

DON'T: Run heavy fetches on the main thread

enumerateContacts

// WRONG: Main thread enumeration
func loadContacts() {
    try store.enumerateContacts(with: request) { contact, _ in ... }
}

// CORRECT: Run on a background thread
func loadContacts() async throws -> [CNContact] {
    try await Task.detached {
        var results: [CNContact] = []
        try store.enumerateContacts(with: request) { contact, _ in
            results.append(contact)
        }
        return results
    }.value
}

Review Checklist

• NSContactsUsageDescription

  added to Info.plist

• requestAccess(for: .contacts)

  called before fetch or save operations
• Authorization denial handled gracefully (guide user to Settings)
• Only needed

  CNKeyDescriptor

  keys included in fetch requests

• CNContactFormatter.descriptorForRequiredKeys(for:)

  used when formatting names
• Mutable copy created via

  mutableCopy()

  before modifying contacts

• CNSaveRequest

  used for all create/update/delete operations
• Heavy fetches (

  enumerateContacts

  ) run off the main thread

• CNContactStoreDidChange

  observed to refresh cached contacts

• CNContactPickerViewController

  used when full Contacts access is unnecessary
• Picker predicates set before presenting the picker view controller
• Single

  CNContactStore

  instance reused across the app

References

• Extended patterns (multi-select picker, vCard export, search optimization): references/contacts-patterns.md
• Contacts framework
• CNContactStore
• CNContactFetchRequest
• CNSaveRequest
• CNMutableContact
• CNContactPickerViewController
• CNContactPickerDelegate
• Accessing the contact store
• NSContactsUsageDescription