To see which apps can read your address book, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Contacts, and turn off any app that doesn't need it. Turning an app off stops future access, but it doesn't delete copies the app already made.
Last reviewed · 2 sources
Where to find it
System Settings › Privacy & Security › Contacts
Contacts permission gives an app access to your address book: names, phone numbers, email and street addresses, birthdays and notes for everyone in it. Apple's example of a fair use is an app that helps you address emails or share messages with friends.
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
Each app that asked for your address book has a switch.
Email, calendar and calling apps use contacts to fill in names. Games and utilities rarely need them.
It loses access to your address book from then on.
If the app synced your contacts to its servers, look in its own settings, or ask the developer, to delete them.
CoreLock's free Privacy report covers Screen Recording, Accessibility, Full Disk Access, Input Monitoring, camera and microphone. For Contacts, review the list in System Settings.
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An app with Contacts permission can read your address book, and if it also uses the network it can send it anywhere. Some social and messaging apps upload contacts to suggest connections. What happens next is up to the app's privacy policy, so read it before you allow access.
No. It stops future reads only. Contacts the app already copied to its servers stay there until you delete them in the app's settings or ask the developer.
Email clients, calendar apps and calling or messaging apps use it to fill in names and addresses. Most other apps don't.
The Privacy report and the scan are free, with no account, on macOS 13 or later.
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Count the apps with Screen Recording, Accessibility, Full Disk Access, Microphone and Camera access in System Settings, and get a free 0–100 estimate in your browser.
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