BusyContacts Mac
Using BusyContacts with CardDAV
CardDAV is an industry standard for contact servers. BusyContacts can connect to CardDAV servers, using them to sync contacts across your devices.
Please note - these instructions are no longer applicable on macOS 10.13 onwards.
Syncing with a CardDAV Server
To sync BusyContacts with a CardDAV server, do the following:
- Choose BusyContacts > Preferences > Accounts.
- Click the plus (+) button to add a new account.
- Choose CardDAV from the Server Type pop-up menu, and then enter your user name, password, and server address and click OK. For the server address, enter the domain (e.g., myserver.com), and BusyContacts attempts to figure out the full path to your account.
- BusyContacts begins syncing with the server and your calendars will appear in the left sidebar.
Hosting contacts on a CardDAV server
If you want to sync contacts between a macOS and iOS device without having to rely on a cloud syncing service like iCloud or Google, you can host your own CardDAV server on your local area network.
BusyContacts and the built-in Contacts app on macOS and iOS are all client apps that sync with CardDAV servers. This means any data you enter into one client app will sync to all other client apps through the server. As long as you have all client apps configured to sync with the same server, all your calendar data remains in sync.
All contacts you want to sync between your Macs and iOS devices must be hosted on a CardDAV server. Following are some examples of CardDAV servers.
macOS Server
Apple's macOS Server functions as a CardDAV server much like iCloud except that it’s accessible only on your local area network. It can be purchased from the Mac App Store for $20.
Here are some resources that explain how to set up macOS Server:
- Take Control of macOS Server
- Macworld — iTunes iOS syncing gone? Solve it with Server!
- Todd Olthoff’s YouTube channel — Mac 10.9 Mavericks Server Tutorials
Other CardDAV Servers
If macOS Server doesn’t meet your needs, you may want to consider other third-party servers, such as Kerio or Zimbra. Both servers support CardDAV, as well as Exchange EWS, and are fully compatible with BusyContacts.