How-To

How to Transfer Contacts from Android to iPhone

By Adam Davidson

Published November 7, 2022

Are you jumping ship from Android to Apple? If so, you’ll want to keep your contacts. Learn how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone in this guide.

After a lifetime of Android phones, you’re ready to give Apple a try. The trouble is, over the years you’ve built up a huge number of contacts, and you’re not looking forward to having to re-enter them one by one on your new phone.

Well, worry not. There are a number of different ways that you can transfer your contacts from your Android phone to your new iPhone with a minimum of fuss.

If you’re ready to make the switch, then here’s how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone.

How to Use the Move to iOS App

If you’ve not yet set up your new iPhone, there is a useful app called Move to iOS that you can install on your Android phone to help make the process as smooth as possible.

To set up your new iPhone using the Move to iOS app:

1. Download and install the Move to iOS app on your Android phone.
2. Power on your new iPhone.
3. Bring it close to your Android device.
4. On the Quick Start screen, tap Set Up Manually.
   
5. When you reach the Apps & Data screen, select Move Data From Android.
   
6. On your Android phone, open the Move to iOS app.
7. Agree to the privacy policy.
   
8. Tap Continue.
   
9. Agree to the terms and conditions.
   
10. Decide if you want to send your data to Apple.
    
11. Grant location permission.
    
12. Your Android phone will ask for a code.
13. Tap Continue on your iPhone and enter the code that appears on your Android phone.
    
14. On your Android phone, connect to the temporary Wi-Fi network created on the iPhone.
15. Choose the content that you want to transfer to your new iPhone. To transfer contacts, ensure that Contacts is selected.
    
16. Wait for the process to complete.
17. Finish setting up your new iPhone. When you’re done, you should find your contacts are now on your new iPhone.

How to Transfer Contacts from Android to iPhone on SIM Card

If you’re planning to use the same SIM card in your new iPhone, you can save your contacts to the card before you move it to your new phone. Even if you’ll be using a different SIM, you can still use your SIM card to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone, provided that your SIM card fits.

To transfer contacts from Android to iPhone on a SIM card:

1. Open the Contacts app on your Android phone.
   
2. Tap the Menu icon.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Tap Export.
   
5. Select Export to VCF File.
   
6. Name your file and tap Save.
   
7. Open the Files app.
   
8. In the Downloads folder, select your contacts file and tap the Three Dots menu.
   
9. Select Copy To.
   
10. Select your SD Card as the destination.
    
11. Tap Copy.
    
12. Once your contacts have transferred to the SD card, remove it from your Android phone and insert it into your iPhone.
13. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
    
14. Scroll down and tap Contacts.
    
15. At the bottom of the screen, tap Import SIM Contacts.
    
16. Your contacts will now be copied from the SIM card to your iPhone.

How to Export Contacts from Android and Import Them to iPhone

It’s also possible to export your contacts using an email or messaging app if you can’t use your SIM card (or you don’t want to). You can send the exported contacts from your Android phone and import them on your new iPhone.

To export your contacts from Android and import them to iPhone:

1. Open Contacts on your Android phone.
   
2. Tap the Menu icon.
   
3. Tap Settings.
   
4. Select Export.
   
5. Tap Export to VCF File.
   
6. Give your contacts file a name and tap Save.
   
7. Open the Files app.
   
8. Select the contacts file and tap the Share icon.
   
9. Choose the method for sharing the file. You can email it to yourself, message it to yourself, save it to your Google Drive, or send it via Bluetooth.
   
10. When you receive the file on your iPhone, tap it to open it.
11. Tap the Share icon and select Contacts.
    
12. Click Add All Contacts to add all the contacts in the file to your iPhone.
    

How to Transfer Contacts Using a Google Account

If you’ve previously been using an Android phone, you’ll have a Google account (if you’ve been using the Google Play Store). If you do, you can use this account to transfer your contacts from your Android phone to your new iPhone.

To transfer contacts using your Google account:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
   
2. Select Accounts.
   
3. Tap the account you want to use to transfer your contacts.
   
4. Tap Account Sync.
   
5. Ensure that Contacts is set to On.
   
6. On your iPhone, open the Settings app.
   
7. Scroll down and tap Mail.
   
8. Tap Accounts.
   
9. Select Add Account.
   
10. Tap Google.
    
11. Sign in to your Google account to add it to your iPhone.
12. When it’s done, return to the Accounts page and tap on the Google account.
13. Toggle Contacts to the On position.
    
14. Your contacts will now sync to your iPhone.

Getting to Know Your iPhone

Learning how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone allows you to get your iPhone up and running as quickly as possible with all of the contacts you had on your old phone. If you’re new to iPhones, there are plenty of things you can learn.

For example, you can learn how to save audio messages on an iPhone. You’ll probably want to turn off the typing sound on your iPhone, as it can get annoying pretty fast. You can even learn how to unlock your iPhone with your voice.