Please separate contacts out as a separate app. And address the issues outlined by @timonoj.

After all this time paying for a subscription, I still have to use Google on my Android phone because this essential feature is neglected by Proton. Proton has been saying for 7 almost 8 years that this had been started, meanwhile they roll-out other services that are less important strategically nor do they have the Uservoice votes. Proton needs to pay attention and value its customers.

Me, and many other users, would like to have the option of backing up all of our iOS / android contacts in a app, or inside the mail's app, and also we would like to have them recognized by the phone's OS as actual contacts.
A feature similar to IOS's iCloud, or google's contacts, where you can sync contacts, and you can have them sync using the built in iOS account option.
It would be seamless for the user, all of their contacts would be downloaded and synced using the os's builtin feature.

Currently proton does not offer any of that.

This answer doesn't address the issue. Yes they're encrypted. But they're not android contacts. They're not recognized as contacts by any other app. You can't share a whatsapp contact to proton, and expect Proton to catch the intent. Because Proton contacts aren't android contacts.
More egregiously, no other app (say, your watch) is able to sync calendar events, because the proton calendar isn't a recognized Android calendar. It's an app that happens to have a calendar, but it's not a Calendar in Android. No other app acknowledges this. So you can't add events to it easily, your watch won't see it, and a lot of behaviors that could take advantage of android events just aren't possible with Proton.

And yes, I understand the privacy concerns with Google. But Google isn't the whole of Android. There's ungoogled phones. I expect them to rise in the future. And the option to sync to Android should be made, even if it's with warnings for people that have Google sync.

Critical at the moment would be iOS Contacts app. As of now, the Proton Contacts setting-up page still displays it as an upcoming feature:

« Soon you’ll be able to: Sync the contacts in your Proton Mail app to the default contact app on your mobile device and make Proton Contacts your default contacts app. »

7 years later and it's still showing "started". A similar request for contacts syncing with phone address book that also has tons of votes has been showing "planned" for years. It's almost like Proton employees don't actually read the requests or comments on this entire site. Wait... do they?

This is a vital feature that needs be done ASAP.

Cannot get android /e/os phone contacts synced by reading ProtonMail contact data. Partial duplicate https://protonmail.uservoice.com/forums/284483-proton-mail/suggestions/32521357-sync-contacts-with-phone-address-book

"ProtonMail offers encrypted contacts for both web and mobile applications"

This still does not allow to use the contacts in my phone or desktop.

This was replied to by you in 2018, it's 20125 and we still don't have notes, and contacts cannot be synced.

I need a sync between Proton Calendar and the iOS default one. I'm always missing events. It's a crucial to stuck with your calendar in the initial transition period

If tuta presents its tuta-drive I will seriously consider changing, since it offers more options and is updated much more than Proton.

As a Proton Mail user, I am seriously considering switching to the competition if Proton continues to do nothing about this issue, which is unbearable in the long term.

It's been a month and it seems that Proton isn't responding. Maybe they don't monitor this anymore?

I'm an early adopter and subscriber. I even forked over some $ when they had a debilitating DDOS attack when Proton first started. This improvement is very important to many people and it should be addressed.

I noticed that Tuta now has a calendar app and their contact can sync with the phone. They're UX still needs some improvement (e.g. conversation view lacking) but they give regular updates and seem to be progressing in the same direction. Plus, they're cheaper than Proton. Definitely worth testing and considering as an alternative if Proton keeps ignoring this issue and their clients.

So, any chance of some sort of update? Or is this just a space that is no longer monitored by Proton?

This was "Started" (and planned: https://protonmail.uservoice.com/forums/284483-proton-mail/suggestions/32521357-sync-contacts-with-phone-address-book) for years now. It has some of the highest vote totals (especially if combined with the above link).
I agree with "T", why has there been no status update?
Why not just a blog post or something even if it's just a couple of paragraphs saying that this was a lot harder than thought and we're x months/years out. Then just apply updates to that post as things progress.

Before 'selling out', Skiff had this capability and it's only a matter of time before a PM competitor provides these options and steals PM market share. I've been a long-term paying PM user and really like it but this has me watching for alternatives. Please address this ASAP.

Please give an status update

Still waiting...

im sorry whaaaat?!?
cannot believe this feature wasn't done BEFORE 2018. Stunning lack of commitment to Proton's user base! without this the user experience is terrible, and destroys Proton's entire value prop. Get it done ASAP or I'm outta here Proton. ffs

If development on this feature was started NEARLY SEVEN YEARS AGO, how come it's still not available?!

From the 2022 announcement:

"Today we’re launching a new contacts manager, the first one in the world that includes both zero access encryption and digital signature verification."

What it more accurately might have said is:

"Today we’re launching a new contacts manager, the first one in the world that is marginally useful except for creating an email."

How about creating a bridge for Contacts so that any app that needs to pull or consult a contact can be channeled to PM Contacts instead of the stock Contacts app. Permissions would be up to the user based on threat model.

At the very least, give an estimate of completion date and a roadmap of expected functionality. At least!

Dying of curiosity to know when this feature will finally see the light. Please give us a hint