Looking for a private shared address book

August 27, 2012 11:43 AM

Looking for a shared private address book phone app.

I'm looking for a phone app that I can use to share an address book with friends while keeping fairly tight control of it -- as in, I distinctly do *not* want the information available from a web browser. (the last few years of privacy surprise parties have left me jaded)

Googling "private address book" has led me down a set of increasingly unsavory paths. Is there a term for what I'm looking for?

posted by Tell Me No Lies to technology (3 answers total)

If you're still looking at this:

1. How do you want your friends to see this information? Is it allowed to show up in their phone contacts, where it could possibly be synced with a cloud service? Or, do you want them to view the contacts you've shared inside their installation of this app only? Would you want export allowed?

2. Are you sharing individual contacts, your entire address book, lists you make, lists based on searches (certain area codes, employers, etc.)

3. How much interoperability do you want between your phone's contact list for your master list (not the shared list?) Do you want import into the app? Export from the app?
posted by michaelh at 8:39 PM on September 23, 2012

Or, do you want them to view the contacts you've shared inside their installation of this app only?

The only user access would be via the app on the phone. The backend would be hosted on a secure server.

Would you want export allowed?

Only by the administrator of the secure server.

Are you sharing individual contacts,

The app would track a single address book across multiple devices/users. The address book might include lists.

How much interoperability do you want between your phone's contact list for your master list

Zero. I might possibly consider import but in general the whole thing needs to be in a space by itself with no possibility of leakage.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:36 PM on September 24, 2012

Thanks. I haven't found anything yet but you've got me curious. It seems there must be a solution.
posted by michaelh at 11:24 PM on September 25, 2012