Family Contacts System

We use Fastmail as our primary contact system. Each family member has a Fastmail account, and contacts sync to all Apple devices via CardDAV.

Quick Reference

Primary Platform: Fastmail Contacts (via CardDAV) Family Accounts:

Person	Fastmail	Apple ID
Matthew	dratspiker@fastmail.com	matt@speicherville.com
Kandace	kanaussie@fastmail.com	kanaussie@gmail.com
Violet	queenvi@fastmail.com	violet@speicherville.com

Web Access: fastmail.com/contacts (log in with your Fastmail account) Sync: Automatic via CardDAV to all Apple devices

How We Have It Set Up

Fastmail Contacts (Primary)

Each family member has their own Fastmail account with contacts that sync to their Apple devices via CardDAV. Fastmail supports multiple addressbooks within an account, so contacts can be organized into separate books (e.g., personal vs. shared).

Matt's Fastmail account has two addressbooks:

• Personal: Private contacts visible only on Matt's devices
• Shared: Family-relevant contacts (family, friends, local services, neighbors)

Kandy and Violet each have their own Fastmail contact storage as part of the Family plan.

iCloud Contacts (Disabled)

iCloud Contacts has been disabled on Matt's devices. iCloud accumulated a large number of spam entries over time, so we turned it off and moved to Fastmail as the clean, reliable source.

If you see iCloud Contacts still enabled on your device, check the Troubleshooting section below.

Google Contacts (Matt Only)

Matt's Google account (dratspiker@gmail.com) has a separate set of ~308 contacts. These are not synced to family devices — they are only used by Matt for personal reference via contacts.google.com.

Shared Info via 1Password

Emergency service numbers, account PINs with contact names, and service provider contacts are stored in the Family vault in 1Password. These are not in the Contacts app — they're accessed via 1Password when needed.

Examples:

• Insurance company contact info
• Doctor/dentist office numbers with account numbers
• HOA contact

How to Use It

Adding a New Contact

On iPhone:

1. Open the Phone app → Contacts tab, or open Contacts app directly
2. Tap + in the top right
3. Fill in the details
4. Make sure the account shown at top says Fastmail (not "On My iPhone" or "iCloud")
5. Tap Done

On Mac:

1. Open Contacts app
2. Click + at the bottom left
3. Fill in details
4. Check the account selector shows your Fastmail account
5. Click Done

On the Web:

1. Go to fastmail.com/contacts
2. Click New Contact
3. Fill in details and save

Editing a Contact

Tap or click the contact, then tap Edit. Changes sync to all your devices within a few minutes via CardDAV.

Finding a Contact

• iPhone: Open Contacts or Phone app, use the search bar at top
• Mac: Open Contacts, use the search bar (Cmd+F)
• Siri: "Call [name]" or "What's [name]'s number?"
• Web: Log in at fastmail.com/contacts and use search

Sharing a Contact

iPhone: Open the contact → scroll down → Share Contact → choose Messages or Mail.

Device Setup

Each device needs the Fastmail CardDAV account configured to sync contacts. This is already set up on all family devices.

What Should Be Enabled

Account	Contacts
Fastmail CardDAV (your @fastmail.com)	ON
iCloud	OFF
Google (if present)	OFF

Checking Your Settings

iPhone/iPad:

1. Open Settings → Contacts → Accounts
2. Confirm Fastmail shows with Contacts enabled
3. Confirm iCloud does NOT have Contacts enabled

Mac:

1. Open System Settings → Internet Accounts
2. Confirm your Fastmail CardDAV account has Contacts checked
3. Confirm iCloud does NOT have Contacts checked

Troubleshooting

Contact Not Showing on All Devices

1. Check the contact is saved to your Fastmail account (not "On My iPhone" or "iCloud")
2. Open Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Fastmail and confirm Contacts is toggled on
3. Wait a few minutes for sync, or toggle Contacts off and back on to force a refresh

Duplicate Contacts

• On iPhone: Contacts app → top right menu → Merge Duplicates (iOS 16+)
• On Mac: Contacts app → Card menu → Look for Duplicates

Seeing Lots of Spam or Unknown Contacts

This usually means iCloud Contacts is still enabled on your device. iCloud had accumulated spam entries.

Fix: Go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud and turn Contacts OFF. Your clean Fastmail contacts will remain.

Contact Not Syncing

• CardDAV sync can occasionally stall
• On iPhone: Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Fastmail → toggle Contacts off, wait 10 seconds, toggle back on
• On Mac: System Settings → Internet Accounts → Fastmail → uncheck and recheck Contacts