So I tried this and I'm still sharing my contact data with Google by just importing my Outlook contacts into the Android contacts application.
My goal is to use Outlook only for mail, calendar and contacts. I don't see an option to view my contacts in the Outlook application. It seems like this is not a function with Android.
That depends on the phone if it has a standalone contacts app like Samsung does. If you're using a Pixel/Nokia/Android One device, it has the Google Contacts app by default, so it's really going to to be a bit frustrating since that's primarily designed to sync with Google.There's no Contacts section in the Outlook app. There is however an option to sync with the Android contacts app. You go in the settings section (the gear icon in the left panel of the app), tap on your account name and you'll see the option there. You'll have to grant Outlook the Android permission to manage your contacts. Then, eventually, it will sync.
I say eventually because the syncing is pretty unreliable. It takes a while before it starts syncing, some informations are missing sometimes, after every update it wipes all contacts and redownloads them, if you have contact pictures you're lucky if they show up at all and you'll see two birthdates: one on the actual day and one on the previous day and there's nothing you can do to change that.
All in all it's a pretty frustrating process.
That depends on the phone if it has a standalone contacts app like Samsung does. If you're using a Pixel/Nokia/Android One device, it has the Google Contacts app by default, so it's really going to to be a bit frustrating since that's primarily designed to sync with Google.
But I've got a Samsung Galaxy S9+ and what I wrote is what happens to me. That's even how I knew that contacts were being reset after every update because my contact's edge panel kept being wiped.
It's a simple solution really. Don't use the Outlook app at all. Open the Samsung Email app, and connect your Outlook.com account to it. Then go to settings>accounts>exchange>you will see your Outlook account there. Just make sure calendar and contacts are set to sync and everything will work fine.
I know this works because I've been using this to sync to my Outlook.com details for several years now and it works perfectly.
You'd expect that yes. But I do like the Samsung calendar and email apps better. Not really a fan of burying the calendar like the Outlook app does. I'd prefer them to be just separate and coordinate in the background.Indeed it's a lot more reliable except for the profile picture. Those are just completely random. I also had my edge panel wiped with this method. But it's more reliable than the Outlook app, for shame. It should be the other way around.
You'd expect that yes. But I do like the Samsung calendar and email apps better. Not really a fan of burying the calendar like the Outlook app does. I'd prefer them to be just separate and coordinate in the background.