Where Are Mac Contacts Stored?
Mac Contacts AddressBook data folder with contact images and change logs.
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The Contacts app keeps its local database in Application Support under an AddressBook folder, with contact images and sync metadata alongside. iCloud accounts mirror here for offline access.
Time Machine restores of this folder resurrect deleted contacts. Export vCards for portable backups instead of relying on the raw database.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook
Holds the contact store with Sources per account plus Images and metadata. Reach it through Finder Go > Go to Folder. iCloud contacts re-download on sign-in; On My Mac groups live only here. Export with File > Export > Contacts Archive for a restorable backup.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Mac contacts?
Export a Contacts Archive from the app for restores, and copy the AddressBook folder above for the raw store. The archive imports cleanly anywhere.
Where are contact photos stored?
In the Images subfolder of the AddressBook directory above, referenced by the contact database.
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