Apple Contacts

Name: Apple Contacts
Author: mgcrea

by mgcreaversion 1.38.0i★ 5 (Stars for the whole repo)iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts

How to install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Search and read Apple Contacts — resolves numbers and emails to names, writes off by default

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Chat & email

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Passed 2/2 checks · Runs on your computer

First: which AI do you use?

ClaudeWeb · app · phoneChatGPTWebClaude CodeTerminalCursorCode editorVS CodeCode editorOtherOther apps

Pick your app and the steps appear below.

Works with Claude, with some setup first

You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time) · Only the Claude desktop app (Windows or Mac), not the web or phone

Install Node.js
One time only; it works for every server that needs Node.js
Open the Node.js download page ↗
Done
Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key
Open the maker’s site, sign up and create an API key for the next step. It may cost money.
Open the Apple Contacts site ↗
Done
Open the Claude desktop app’s settings file
SettingsDeveloperEdit Config
Done

Paste these settings and save the file

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-contacts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Paste the key only into the app’s field, never into a chat or to anyone

Done

Quit Claude and open it again
Done
Try it
Use Apple Contacts and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Claude says it is using Apple Contacts or shows a Apple Contacts tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

ChatGPT cannot connect Apple Contacts yet

Apple Contacts runs on your computer, but ChatGPT can only connect servers that run on the web

What you can do instead

A · Use an app that can connect Apple Contacts

Steps for Claude →You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time) · Only the Claude desktop app (Windows or Mac), not the web or phone
Steps for Claude Code →You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)
Steps for Cursor →You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)
Steps for VS Code →You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)

B · Others in Chat & email that work with ChatGPT

Picked from the most used in the same category, only ones that connect by address with no key

Inbox Zero✓ ChatGPT
Agent-Native Chat✓ ChatGPT
draw.io✓ ChatGPT

Works with Claude Code, with some setup first

You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)

Install Node.js
One time only; it works for every server that needs Node.js
Open the Node.js download page ↗
Done
Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key
Open the maker’s site, sign up and create an API key for the next step. It may cost money.
Open the Apple Contacts site ↗
Done
Open Terminal
Mac: press Command+Space and type Terminal · Windows: open PowerShell
Done
4
Paste this command and press Enter
```
claude mcp add apple-contacts --env APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES=your-value -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts
```
Replace “your-value” with your key before pressing Enter
Paste the key only into the app’s field, never into a chat or to anyone
Done
Type /mcp in Claude Code
You should see Apple Contacts listed as connected
Done
Try it
Use Apple Contacts and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Claude Code says it is using Apple Contacts or shows a Apple Contacts tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with Cursor, with some setup first

You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)

Install Node.js
One time only; it works for every server that needs Node.js
Open the Node.js download page ↗
Done
Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key
Open the maker’s site, sign up and create an API key for the next step. It may cost money.
Open the Apple Contacts site ↗
Done
Click this button to open Cursor
Open in Cursor
Cursor asks you to confirm; click Install
Done
Fill in your key
In the Apple Contacts settings, APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES is empty; add your key and save
Paste the key only into the app’s field, never into a chat or to anyone
Done
Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode
Done
Try it
Use Apple Contacts and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Cursor says it is using Apple Contacts or shows a Apple Contacts tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Cursor’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with VS Code, with some setup first

You need a Apple Contacts key (sign up on the maker’s site, may cost money) · Install Node.js on your computer first (one time)

Install Node.js
One time only; it works for every server that needs Node.js
Open the Node.js download page ↗
Done
Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key
Open the maker’s site, sign up and create an API key for the next step. It may cost money.
Open the Apple Contacts site ↗
Done
Click this button to open VS Code
Open in VS Code
VS Code asks you to confirm; click Install
Done
Fill in your key
In the Apple Contacts settings, APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES is empty; add your key and save
Paste the key only into the app’s field, never into a chat or to anyone
Done
Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode
Done
Try it
Use Apple Contacts and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If VS Code says it is using Apple Contacts or shows a Apple Contacts tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against VS Code’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Other apps that use MCP, such as Windsurf, Zed or Gemini CLI, each add servers differently. See how in the app list.

See every app that uses MCP →

JSON settings are under “For developers” below

Stuck? Ask people who use Apple Contacts💬 Discussion →

For developers: Terminal commands and JSON settings

Installed on your computer

Claude Code

claude mcp add apple-contacts --env APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES=your-value -- npx -y @mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-contacts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-contacts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code (mcp.json)

{
  "servers": {
    "apple-contacts": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Values you fill in

APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES env
Register the mutating tools. Off by default, and the gate decides whether the write tools exist at all rather than merely refusing — an agent with writes off cannot see them.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

At a glance

GitHub stars i: 5 (Stars for the whole repo)
This repo holds several MCP listings; its stars count once in rankings
Downloads per weeki: 878/wk
Licence i: No licence stated
Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Latest versioni: 1.38.0
Categoryi: Chat & email
Published to registryi: Nov 10, 2026
Code last changedi: Nov 8, 2026
Maker: mgcrea
Packages: npm: @mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts
Repo: mgcrea/cupertino
Website: cupertino.mgcrea.io
Registry status: Active

Which apps can use it

Based on how this server connects and on each app’s own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026.

Run on your computer in

Claude Goose LM Studio Msty Studio Cherry Studio Cursor VS Code + GitHub Copilot Visual Studio Windsurf (Devin Desktop)Zed Kiro Cline Continue JetBrains AI Assistant Claude Code Codex CLI Gemini CLI OpenCode nodecode Warp LibreChat Raycast

All apps, with pros and cons →

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 11, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account mgcrea, which owns the repo
✓ Pass
Still maintained
Code last changed 3 days ago
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Discussion

Ask, share a tip or report that it does not work. Sorted by what people marked helpful.

No posts yet. Be the first to ask or share.

Posts here are written by users, not the PopNx team.

User reviews

No reviews yet

Compared with others in Chat & emaili

More stars than 0% of the other 1940 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 95% of the other 1940 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 1940 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Apple Contacts safe?

It passed 2 of 2 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed 3 days ago, and the latest version (1.38.0) reached the registry today.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Node.js on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Inbox Zero, Agent-Native Chat, draw.io

Alternatives

Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.

Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

Inbox Zero

Search Gmail and Outlook, save drafts, manage email rules, and view email stats.

by elie222Widely used★ 13KUpdated 41 days ago

Runs in the cloud

Install

Agent-Native Chat

Minimal chat-first app with durable threads, actions, and the app-agent loop

by BuilderIOWidely used★ 7.7K Stars for the whole repoUpdated 2 months ago

Runs in the cloud

Install

draw.io

Create draw.io diagrams in chat from Mermaid or XML, shown live and interactive. 10,000+ shapes.

by jgraphWidely used★ 5.8KUpdated yesterday

Runs in the cloud✓ draw.io

Install

README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts

Model Context Protocol server for the macOS Apple Contacts address book.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with Apple. It reads the address book already on your Mac.

Why it exists: resolving handles

apple_contacts_resolve_handles turns phone numbers and email addresses into names, in batches of up to 500. Everything else here is in service of that.

This is the surface where the file-lane rule is about capability, not speed. Contacts' scripting dictionary answers in ~65 ms — comfortably fast, and still useless for this: resolving a phone number means a suffix-keyed index over every stored number, and no quantity of Apple Events round trips produces one. So reads go through read-only SQLite, and there is no Apple Events read lane.

The lookup builds in 3 ms over 947 phone keys and 295 email keys, then is kept for the life of the process.

Permissions — this one is different

Permission	Needed for	Notes
Contacts (its own)	reads	prompts — answer the dialog, and that's it
Automation → Contacts	writes only	reads are unaffected

Contacts fails differently from every other surface in this family: it sits behind its own TCC service rather than behind Full Disk Access, and unlike Full Disk Access that permission _prompts_. So the fix is usually "answer the dialog", not "go to System Settings" — and nothing here asks you to hand over whole-disk access for an address book.

Tools

Read: diagnostics, resolve_handles, search_contacts, list_contacts, get_contact.

Write, registered only when APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES=1 — with the flag off they are invisible to the model, not merely refused: create_contact, update_contact.

resolveHandles() is also exported from the package root, for callers already inside Node that would rather not go through MCP to reach it.

Configuration

Variable	Default
`APPLE_CONTACTS_ALLOW_WRITES`	off	Register the mutating tools.
`APPLE_CONTACTS_PHONE_SUFFIX_DIGITS`	`9`	Suffix key length; 6–15.
`APPLE_CONTACTS_INDEX_MODE`	`auto`	`auto` \	`ro` \	`immutable` \	`off`.
`APPLE_CONTACTS_STORE`	auto	Explicit store path.
`APPLE_CONTACTS_OSASCRIPT_TIMEOUT_MS`	`30000`	Sized for the first-run permission prompt.

Notes that will bite you

The store is plural. locate.ts returns a list and every query fans out — on a real machine, stores=2/2, contacts=421, matching Apple Events exactly. A server reading only the first store silently loses an account.
Nine-digit suffix keys, and the length travels inside the lookup object so the index and the query cannot diverge. A self-join over a real address book at 7, 9 and 10 digits settles it: 7 and 9 collide identically (10 of 947 keys, 1.1%), and 10 drops a key while losing the national-to-E.164 join.
Ambiguity is a status, never a guess — resolved / unknown / ambiguous / shortcode. unknown is documented in the tool description as expected, not as an error.
`Z_ENT` filters to `ABCDContact`. Without it, a list tool returns your groups as people.
A write can succeed and still not persist. Contacts holds changes in an unsaved buffer, so a mutation can read back correctly inside the same script and never reach the store. Every write script saves and then re-reads.

Licence

MIT.

Apple Contacts

Overview

What you can do with it

Install

Install Node.js

Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key

Open the Claude desktop app’s settings file

Paste these settings and save the file

Quit Claude and open it again

Try it

What you can do instead

Install Node.js

Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key

Open Terminal

Paste this command and press Enter

Type /mcp in Claude Code

Try it

Install Node.js

Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key

Click this button to open Cursor

Fill in your key

Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode

Try it

Install Node.js

Sign up and create a Apple Contacts key

Click this button to open VS Code

Fill in your key

Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode

Try it

Installed on your computer

Values you fill in

At a glance

Which apps can use it

Related guides

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Discussion

User reviews

Compared with others in Chat & emaili

Common questions

Alternatives

Inbox Zero

Agent-Native Chat

draw.io

README from the maker

@mgcrea/mcp-apple-contacts

Why it exists: resolving handles

Permissions — this one is different

Tools

Configuration

Notes that will bite you

Licence