---
title: Address Book
framework: Address Book
role: collection
role_heading: Framework
platforms: [iOS 2.0+, iPadOS 2.0+, Mac Catalyst 14.0+, macOS 10.2+]
path: addressbook
---

# Address Book

Access the centralized database for storing users’ contacts.

## Overview

Overview The Address Book is a centralized database containing contacts and their personal information. Users enter personal information about themselves and their friends only once, instead of entering it repeatedly whenever the information is used. Apps that support the AddressBook framework share this contact information with other apps, including Apple’s Mail and Messages. important: Do not use the AddressBook framework in macOS 10.11 and later. Use the APIs defined in the Contacts framework instead.

## Topics

### Essentials

- [ABAddressBook](addressbook/abaddressbook-swift.class.md)

### Data Types

- [ABPerson](addressbook/abperson.md)
- [ABGroup](addressbook/abgroup.md)
- [ABMultiValue](addressbook/abmultivalue-swift.class.md)
- [ABMutableMultiValue](addressbook/abmutablemultivalue-swift.class.md)
- [ABImageClient](addressbook/abimageclient.md)
- [ABRecord](addressbook/abrecord-swift.class.md)

### Pickers

- [ABPeoplePickerView](addressbook/abpeoplepickerview.md)
- [ABPersonView](addressbook/abpersonview.md)

### Search Elements

- [ABSearchElement](addressbook/absearchelement.md)
- [ABSearchElementRef](addressbook/absearchelementref.md)

### Action Plug-In

- [ABActionDelegate](addressbook/abactiondelegate.md)

### C Interfaces

- [C Types](addressbook/c-types.md)
- [AddressBook Functions](addressbook/addressbook-functions.md)
- [Address Book Constants](addressbook/address-book-constants.md)
- [AddressBook Enumerations](addressbook/addressbook-enumerations.md)
- [AddressBook Data Types](addressbook/addressbook-data-types.md)

### Deprecated symbols

- [Deprecated symbols](addressbook/deprecated-symbols.md)