How to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone — top 3 methods

Switching from Android to iPhone is an exciting experience. You’ve got so much new stuff to explore! But before you begin selecting your Siri voice and wallpaper, make sure that all data from your old Android phone has been safely migrated to your iPhone. 

In this article, I'll explain how to transfer contacts to a new iPhone from Android using simple, step-by-step methods that anyone can follow. 

Want a quick iPhone troubleshooting tool? Use the iPhone Help Assistant to instantly get solutions to any iOS issue.

How to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone using Google 

Most Android users have created at least one Google account at some point. If you have one, you can use this account to move your contacts to an iPhone. All you need to do is set up some syncing processes, and that’s it. Here are the steps: 

1. Go to Settings > Account on your Android phone. 
2. Tap the Google account you’ll use for data transfer and make sure the Sync Contacts option is enabled. This will back up your contacts to Google.  
3. Access Settings > Mail on your iPhone. 
4. Tap Accounts and add the account you’ve used on Android. 
5. Make sure Contacts is turned on. 

Sync your contacts from Android to iPhone via your Google account for automatic updates and easy migration. Just be mindful that cloud syncing can get cluttered. Install Dropshare to get 10GB of cloud storage on your iPhone to store large files, and integrate it with other cloud services for convenience.

Check out easy ways on how to transfer photos from Android to Mac and back.

How to back up contacts on Android before transferring

Before you transfer your contacts, I highly recommend backing them up in case something goes wrong. Luckily, Androids offer multiple ways to do this, so you won’t have to do it manually.

Method #1: Backup through your Google account

Google accounts are connected to Android phones, much like Apple Account is interconnected with the iPhone. This makes it the easiest way to back up your contacts.

You need to: 

1. Open the Settings app on your Android.
2. Scroll down and tap Google.
3. Tap Settings for Google Apps > Google Contacts sync. Make sure Automatically sync is turned on.
4. Go to the Google Settings screen and tap Backup.
5. Tap Back up now.

Once you tap that option, your contacts will automatically sync and be stored in your Google account.

Learn more about how to back up an iPhone to a Mac.

Method #2: Save contacts to your SIM card

If you happen to have a physical SIM card (many people have eSIMs nowadays), then you can save your contacts to your SIM card:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Tap Menu > Manage Contacts.
3. Tap Export > Export to SIM card.
4. Choose the contacts you want to export and tap confirm.
5. Put your SIM into the new phone, then go to Contacts > Import and Import from SIM card.

Method #3: Export your contacts as a VCF file

The last method is to export your contacts into a VCF file. This file lets you manually back up this data and move it using cloud storage services, email, or even a USB. To do so:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Tap the menu icon > Manage Contacts.
3. Tap Export.
4. Choose where you want to save the VCF file > Save.

Whenever you need to make the transfer, you can email the file to yourself, open it on the iPhone, tap on the VCF attachment, and choose Add All Contacts when prompted.

How to transfer data from Android to iPhone with a SIM card 

Not every Android SIM is the same size as iPhone SIMs. If you can use your old Android SIM card in your iPhone, you can transfer contacts from Android to iPhone using that SIM. Just keep in mind that this method only transfers contacts, and nothing else. If that’s what you’re looking for, here’s how to do it: 

1. Open the Contacts app on your Android phone.
2. Tap the three dots or the gear icon.
3. Tap SIM card contacts (if you have two SIM cards, choose the one you want to use).
4. Tap the three dots > Import from phone.
5. Select all the contacts or certain contacts you want to transfer and tap Done.
6. Extract your SIM and insert it into your iPhone.
7. Go to Settings > Contacts on your iPhone. 
8. Tap Import SIM Contacts and wait a few minutes.

Once the import is done, your Android contacts will become available on your iPhone. 

Alternative methods for transferring other data from Android to iPhone

So, you’ve moved your contacts from Android to iPhone. Nice! But what if you also want to bring over your photos, videos, or documents? You'd be happy to hear that there are plenty of easy ways to do that.

• Move to iOS: This is Apple’s official app for switching from Android. It helps you move messages, bookmarks, and more. Just connect both phones, enter a code, and follow the steps. It works best when setting up a new iPhone.
• Cloud storage: Using services like Google Drive or Dropbox is another option. Upload your files from your Android, then download them on your iPhone. Just a heads-up: the files won’t automatically show up in apps like Photos or Files. You’ll need to move them there yourself if you want that.

Third-party tools like AnyTrans: AnyTrans for iOS is a helpful tool that gives you full control. You can pick exactly what you want to move, like contacts, calendars, photos, or reminders. It’s simple to use and keeps everything organized in one place.

• App-specific transfers: Some apps, like WhatsApp, let you transfer your chats and media directly. Look in the app’s settings to see if this feature is available.

Note that some app data might not be compatible with the new operating system, so check before you start transferring.

Transfer contacts from Android to iPhone via your Mac 

Did you know you can also transfer contacts from Android to iPhone using your Mac? You’ll need a couple of third-party apps, but the process is quick and straightforward.

One option is AnyDroid. It lets you move all your Android content to your Mac, giving you a full overview without needing to select items one by one. 

Once everything is on your Mac, connect your new iPhone and use an app like AnyTrans for iOS to finish the transfer.

To move your Android contacts from Mac to iPhone: 

1. Open AnyTrans for iOS. 
2. Click the plus button on the image of your phone.
3. Upload your contacts to your iPhone. 

To transfer contacts from iPhone to Android, use AnyTrans for iOS to move contacts to your Mac, then AnyDroid to send them to Android.

For a full Android-to-iPhone transfer after setup, connect both phones to your Mac, open AnyTrans for iOS, and use the content migration feature to move data with one click.

Troubleshooting contact transfer issues

Here’s a quick rundown of a few potential contact transfer issues you’ll want to know how to troubleshoot:

What's the problem?	How to fix it?
Move to iOS didn’t transfer contacts	Check your iPhone settings and make sure your Google account has Contacts toggled on. Try the transfer again.
The VCF file didn’t import	Make sure you import the VCF file through iCloud or via email by opening it on your iPhone.
SIM contacts not importing	Go to Settings > Contacts > Import SIM contacts to do it manually.
Missing or duplicate contacts after transfer	Use third-party tools to organize your list or merge duplicates through the built-in iPhone feature.
Google contacts not syncing	Make sure your Google account is added to your iPhone in Settings > Contacts > Accounts and toggle Contacts on.

Tip for Mac users: Get an advanced contact management tool 

If you use a Mac, BusyContacts can boost your productivity by syncing contacts across Google and Mail accounts more easily than the default app. It integrates with Mail, Calendar, and to-do lists, letting you track contact activity, like meetings, and syncs with social media for interaction history.

Read also:

• Target Disk Mode Mac
• Delete Contacts on iPhone

Final thoughts on how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone 

You now know how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone using a Google account, SIM card, and data transferring apps. The SIM card method is straightforward, but it'll only work if you have a SIM that works on both Android and iPhone, and only for transferring contacts. If you don’t mind using cloud sync for contact transferring, you can rely on your Google account. 

The easiest would be to use apps for data migration, such as AnyDroid and AnyTrans for iOS, which give you maximum control and let you transfer all your data, including media files, messages, and contacts, across devices. Use BusyContacts to sync contacts across your Google and Mail accounts, and install Dropshare to get 10GB of cloud storage on your iPhone to store large files.

The good news is that all of these apps are available on Setapp, a platform with more than 260 Mac and iOS apps for just about any task. There's a free seven-day trial, so take these apps for a spin before committing to a paid subscription.