How to quickly copy contacts from one device to another

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The instructions in this article will help you easily move contacts between Android and iOS devices, SIM cards and computers.

How to copy contacts from Android smartphone to another Android smartphone or computer

Thanks to a special application from Google, you can copy selected contacts to other devices via email. This method is most suitable for transferring contacts between devices that you do not want to associate with a common account.

1. On the smartphone that is the source, launch the Contacts application. If it is not installed, download it from Google Play.
2. Inside the application, log into the account to which the necessary contacts are linked, and then select them.
3. Click on the Share button, then select Gmail and send copies of your contacts by mail.

Contacts in the form of one file in VCF format will be attached to the letter. The recipient can save this document on a computer or smartphone. To add the entries stored in the file to the phone book of another Android device, simply open the resulting VCF document using the Contacts application.

How to copy contacts from Android smartphone to another Android smartphone or iPhone

Method 1: using a computer

The web version of the Google Contacts application will allow you to save selected contacts on your computer as a single file, with which you can copy them to any iOS or Android device. Linking devices to a shared account is optional. But this method will be convenient only if you have a computer at hand.

1. Launch a browser on your computer and open Contacts.
2. Sign in to the account to which the desired contacts are linked.
3. In the menu on the left, click "More" → "Export", and then - "TO OLD VERSION".
4. Mark the necessary contacts, then click on the "More" button and select "Export".
5. Complete the process using the system prompts.

As a result, a document with contacts will be downloaded to the computer in the form of a VCF file.

If you are copying contacts to Android:

1. Send the file to the target device, for example via email.
2. Open the received document using the "Contacts" application.

If you are copying contacts to iPhone:

1. Launch a browser on your computer and sign in to Contacts on the iCloud site with the Apple ID to which you want to copy the recordings.
2. Click on the gear in the lower left corner and select "Import vCard".
3. Specify the path to the file with contacts and confirm the import.
4. Open the Contacts mobile app on the target iPhone and swipe down from the top to refresh the contact list.

Method 2: using a Google account

By connecting a new Android smartphone or iPhone to your Google account, you can copy all the contacts linked to this account on the old device to the gadget at once. Unlike the previous method, you cannot choose which contacts will be copied. But this does not require a computer.

To get started, open the settings on the source smartphone, find the connected Google account and make sure that contact synchronization is activated.

If you are copying contacts to your Android smartphone:

1. Go to the settings of the target device and open the section dedicated to accounts.
2. Add the Google account to which the desired contacts are linked.
3. Go back to the accounts section in settings and select Google.
4. Open the added account and sync its contacts with the device.

If you are copying contacts to iPhone:

1. Go to iPhone settings and click "Contacts" → "Accounts" → "Add account" → Google.
2. Add the Google account to which the desired contacts are linked.
3. Open the added account and sync its contacts with iPhone.

How to Copy Contacts from iPhone to Another iPhone, Android Smartphone or Computer

The Contacts web application allows you to save selected contacts to your macOS or Windows computer as a single file that can be copied to any iOS or Android device. You do not need to link smartphones with a common account. But this method will be convenient only if you have a computer at hand.

1. Launch a browser on your computer and sign in to Contacts on the iCloud site with the Apple ID from which you want to copy the recordings.
2. Highlight the contacts you want in the list.
3. Click on the gear in the lower left corner and select "Export vCard".

The selected contacts will be saved on your computer as a VCF file.

If you are copying contacts to iPhone:

1. Launch a browser on your computer and sign in to Contacts on the iCloud site with the Apple ID you want to copy your contacts to.
2. Click on the gear in the lower left corner and select "Import vCard".
3. Specify the path to the file with contacts and confirm the import.
4. Open the Contacts mobile app on the target iPhone and swipe down from the top to refresh the contact list.

If you are copying contacts to Android:

1. Send the file to the target device, for example via email.
2. Open the received document using the "Contacts" application.

How to copy contacts from iPhone to another iPhone

Method 1: using the "Contacts" mobile application

The Contacts application allows you to share selected contacts through instant messengers, SMS and other services. This method is most suitable for copying single contacts to devices that you do not want to associate a common Apple ID with the source device. You don't need a computer for this.

1. Go to the "Contacts" application on the source device.
2. Click on the desired contact, then - "Share contact".
3. Choose a convenient service and use it to send a contact to another iPhone.
4. Repeat the process for the rest of the contacts you want to share.

Method 2: using a shared Apple ID account

By connecting a new iPhone to the Apple ID, you can copy to the gadget all the contacts associated with this Apple ID on the old iPhone. Unlike the previous method, you cannot choose which data will be transferred. But this method copies the entire phone book at once.

1. Make sure the same Apple ID is connected to both devices.
2. Enter the settings on the source device and click on the profile name at the very top.
3. Select iCloud and check that the switch next to Contacts is green.
4. Scroll down and tap "Back up to iCloud" → "Back up".
5. Make sure that in the iCloud settings on the target iPhone, the switch next to Contacts is also green.
6. Launch the Contacts app on the target iPhone and swipe down to refresh the data.
7. Wait a few minutes for the sync to complete.

How to copy contacts from Android smartphone to SIM card or vice versa

You will most likely find the options for importing from a SIM card and exporting to it in the application for working with contacts preinstalled on your device. If not, install the Google Contacts app. Select in its settings "Export" or "Import" depending on your goal and follow the prompts on the screen.

If for some reason you are unable to copy contacts using the pre-installed program and application from Google, search for alternatives on Google Play. For example, try the SIM Cards & Contacts. Broadcast".

How to copy contacts from SIM card to iPhone

1. Insert SIM card into iPhone.
2. Go to settings and click "Contacts" → "Import SIM contacts".
3. Wait for the import to complete.

Unfortunately, you cannot copy contacts from iPhone to SIM card without iOS jailbreak.