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Nothing beats the excitement of getting a new phone. However, nothing beats the frustration of then having to get all of your data and contacts onto it either.

Luckily, transferring contacts to a new phone has gotten a lot easier over the past few years - especially now Google and Apple have embraced cloud technology.

Whether you’re switching from Android to iPhone or vice versa, or even just staying loyal to your favourite operating system, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out how to transfer your contacts (and if you want to make some extra cash, check out our Sell My Phone page too!)

How to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone

Not that long ago, transferring contacts from Android to iPhone was a real hassle. Today, there are lots of ways to go about it - including one endorsed by Apple itself.

So if you’re wondering “how do I transfer contacts from Android to iPhone?” and don’t know where to start, read on!

The easiest way to transfer contacts is to use Apple’s Move to iOS app. Even better, you can use Move to iOS to transfer all of your data - including photos, email accounts and anything else - at the same time!

Important: this method requires a fully-functioning Android phone. If your Android doesn’t power on, you’ll need to use a different method to transfer your contacts.

  1. Install Move to iOS on your Android phone.
  2. Turn your new iPhone on and follow the set-up process.
  3. When you reach ‘Apps & Data’, choose the ‘Move Data from Android’ option.
  4. Open Move to iOS on your Android.
  5. Select ‘Continue’ on both phones, then tap Next in the Move to iOS app.
  6. Your iPhone will display a code. Enter this code in the Move to iOS app.
  7. Follow the instructions on the app and viola! You’ve transferred your contacts (and everything else)!

Make sure that you leave both phones alone while your content is transferring, as any activity will halt the transfer. This includes phone calls (annoyingly!) so make sure you pick a time when no-one is likely to disturb you!

If you have any problems, try turning off cellular data on your Android or any apps that might affect your Wi-Fi connection.

Syncing your contacts to a Google account makes transferring them to a new phone super simple - and it’ll help make future transfers easier too. If you haven’t synced your contacts already, here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the ‘Settings’ app on your phone
  2. Tap ‘Google’ then follow this route: ‘Settings for Google apps’ > ‘Google Contacts sync’ > ‘Also sync device contacts’ > ‘Automatically back up and sync device contacts.’
  3. Switch on ‘Automatically back and sync device contacts’ and make sure you’ve selected the correct Google account (it should be the one you used to set up your device).

Now all you need to do is sign into your Google account on your iPhone!

  1. Open ‘Settings’ on your iPhone
  2. Select ‘Passwords & Accounts’
  3. Select ‘Add Account’ and then ‘Google’
  4. Once signed in, all of your contacts will automatically sync to your iPhone!

This is a slightly old school method (and more complex) but still effective if you’d prefer not to use ‘Move to iOS’ or sync contacts with your Google account.

VCF is a file format specifically for storing contact information, whether that’s names, addresses or phone numbers. It’s basically just like any other file you’d open on your phone so don’t worry if you’ve never used one before!

This is also the best method if you’re wondering how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone via Bluetooth. Just select Bluetooth when sharing the VCF file!

Please note: this process varies from device to device, so follow the below instructions as a rough guide.

  1. Open ‘Contacts’ on your Android device
  2. Open the menu using either the ‘hamburger’ button in the top left or the three dots in the top right (depending on device).
  3. If you see ‘Share’ in the options listed, select it. If not, go to ‘Settings’ then select ‘Export’
  4. Choose the contacts you want to share. On later versions of Android, you may only get the option to save all.
  5. Save or share the file. Make sure that you’ve selected ‘VCF file’.
  6. Send the VCF file to your iPhone via email, text message or Bluetooth.
  7. Open the VCF file on your iPhone and add your contacts.

Ah, the good ol’ SIM card. Transferring contacts using a SIM card isn’t quite as quick as the options above, but it’s a solid option if your Android isn’t working (provided you’ve saved contacts to your SIM card!). It’s also a good option if you’re staying on the same network and keeping the same number.

If your Android phone is working…

  1. Open ‘Contacts’, open the ‘Menu’ and select ‘Manage contacts’. Then, select ‘Import/Export Contacts’ (or, on newer Android devices, select ‘Settings’ then ‘Export’).
  2. Tap ‘Export’ then select ‘SIM card’
  3. Select the contacts you want to export, tap ‘Done’ then tap ‘Export’
  4. Remove your SIM card and insert in your iPhone
  5. Open ‘Settings’ on your iPhone and select ‘Contacts’.
  6. Select ‘Import SIM contacts’

If your Android phone isn’t working…

  1. Remove the SIM card from your Android and insert in your iPhone
  2. Open ‘Settings’ on your iPhone and select ‘Contacts’.
  3. Select ‘Import SIM contacts’ (please bear in mind this method won’t work if you haven’t previously synced your contacts).

This is a pretty frequently asked question, but the answer is really simple: use any of the options above. Aside from some subtle differences, the Samsung version of Android is more or less the same at its core and all of the above options will work!

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone

As you might expect, Apple has made it ridiculously easy to transfer contacts to your brand new iPhone. Here’s how to transfer contacts from one iPhone to another.

If you haven’t set up your new iPhone yet, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you’re logged into iCloud on your old iPhone.
  2. Open ‘Settings’ > ‘iCloud’ then turn on ‘Contacts’ (if it isn’t already).
  3. Turn on ‘iCloud Backup’ (if it isn’t already) then select ‘Back Up Now’.
  4. Turn on your new iPhone and enter your Apple ID details when prompted
  5. Select ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’ and choose the latest backup.
  6. You’re done!

If you got too excited and set up your iPhone already, follow these steps instead:

  1. Follow instructions 1 - 3 above on your old iPhone to sync your contacts to iCloud.
  2. On your new iPhone, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘iCloud’ and turn on ‘Contacts’.
  3. Open the ‘Contacts’ app and refresh it by pulling down from the top of the screen. Your contacts should appear soon after!

First things first, we highly recommend using iCloud if you’re switching from iPhone to iPhone. Not only is it much easier, but it’s useful if you’re planning to stick to the iOS/MacOS ecosystem for the foreseeable future (which we’re guessing you are!)

That said, there are a couple of ways to transfer contacts if you really, really don’t want to use iCloud.

How to transfer iPhone contacts using iTunes

Yes, you can still use iTunes to transfer contacts on PC (even though Apple Music has taken over on Mac). Here’s how:

  1. Download the latest version of iTunes
  2. Plug your old iPhone into your computer and select ‘iPhone’ from the menu
  3. Click ‘Info’ in the sidebar and enable ‘Sync Contacts’
  4. Click ‘Sync’.
  5. Unplug your old iPhone, then plug in your new iPhone
  6. Select ‘iPhone’ from the menu again, click ‘Info’ and turn on ‘Sync Contacts’ (if it isn’t already)
  7. Select ‘Advanced’ from the menu options. Under ‘Replace information on this iPhone’, turn on ‘Contacts’.
  8. Click ‘Sync’ to transfer contacts to your new iPhone.

How to transfer contacts using a SIM card

First things first, this method is reliant on you previously saving contacts to a SIM card. This is surprisingly difficult on an iPhone (probably because there are a lot of easier options…) but if you do have contacts saved, getting them onto your new iPhone is really easy.

  1. Insert your SIM card into your new iPhone… but make sure it fits! If it doesn’t, you might be able to get it resized at a phone shop.
  2. Select ‘Settings’ > ‘Contacts’ > ‘Import SIM Contacts’.
  3. When the import is finished, open the ‘Contacts’ app and check everything has transferred.

How to transfer iPhone contacts using third-party software

If you can’t use iTunes or iCloud, there are a few third-party options available. As we haven’t tested these options at the time of writing, we can’t suggest a particular option but a quick Google search will reveal the software you’ll need. As with everything you download, make sure you do your research and check that the software is legitimate before progressing.

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone via Bluetooth

You can technically transfer contacts using Bluetooth using the Quick Start process.

Here’s how to transfer contacts using Quick Start:

  1. Turn on your new iPhone and place it near your old iPhone (making sure Bluetooth is active on both devices). You should get a prompt titled ‘Set Up New iPhone’ with your Apple ID listed. Press ‘Continue’ when it appears.
  2. An animation will appear on your new iPhone. Hold your old iPhone over this animation and line it up in the viewfinder. A ‘Finish on New [Device]’ message should appear.
  3. Enter your old iPhone’s passcode on your new iPhone and set up Face ID/Touch ID.
  4. Enter your Apple ID password then choose ‘Transfer from iPhone
  5. Keep your iPhones close together while data is transferring.

If you’ve already set up your iPhone and you don’t want to factory reset it, you can use AirDrop instead… but you can only transfer one contact at a time, so we recommend trying one of the methods listed above instead!

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android

Google welcomes new users to Android with open arms, even establishing an official process for moving to iOS. We’re not going to argue with the creators of Android, so here’s how to transfer your contacts from iPhone to Android according to Google.

  1. Download Google Drive on your iPhone and sign into your Google account (or create one if you need to).
  2. Open ‘Settings’ in the Google Drive app then tap ‘Backup’. Make sure ‘Contacts’ are selected.
  3. Go back to the Home Screen and open your iPhone’s ‘Settings’ app. You won’t be able to use iMessage and FaceTime on your Android, so turn these off to avoid missing messages and calls (it helps to let people know you’ve moved away from iPhone too… prepare yourself for the occasional judgemental comment!)
  4. Turn on your Android device and sign into your Google account. Your phone will do the rest!

You also use iCloud to transfer your contacts but it’s slightly more complicated!

  1. Make sure your iPhone is backing up contacts to iCloud by going to ‘Settings’ > ‘iCloud’. If it isn’t, switch on ‘Contacts’ then tap ‘iCloud Backup’ > ‘Back Up Now’.
  2. With your contacts backed up, go to icloud.com on your Android phone and log in with your Apple ID.
  3. Open the menu on icloud.com and select ‘Contacts’
  4. Open the settings and tap ‘Select All’ > ‘Export VCard’
  5. Open the VCF file you’ve just exported. You should get an option to save your contacts to your phone.

How to transfer contacts from Android to Android

Transferring contacts from one Android to another is super simple, especially if you have a Google account.

The below methods apply to all Android devices too, so we’ve got you covered whether you’re wondering how to transfer contacts from samsung to samsung or from Google Pixel to Google Pixel!

If you already backup your contacts to your Google account, this process is going to take a couple of minutes max. To check, follow these steps:

  1. Open ‘Settings’
  2. Select ‘Accounts’
  3. Select ‘Google’
  4. Check ‘Contacts’ is switched on

If you aren’t syncing already, switch on ‘Contacts’ and wait a few minutes for your phone to work its magic.

Then, simply sign into your Google account on your new phone and all of your contacts will appear!

Prefer not to backup your Google account? You can use your SIM as well. Before you do anything though, make sure your current SIM card fits your new phone. If it doesn’t, we recommend using the Google account method instead.

If it does fit though, you’re all ready to go. First, make sure you’ve saved your contacts to your SIM:

  1. Open your ‘Contacts’ app
  2. Find the menu and select ‘Export’ and select ‘Import/Export’
  3. Select the ‘Export to SIM card’ option (or a similarly named option)

With that sorted, it’s time to transfer your contacts:

  1. Insert your SIM card into your new phone
  2. Open the ‘Contacts’ app
  3. Find the Menu and select ‘Import’ or ‘Import/Export’
  4. Select ‘Import from SIM card’ (or a similarly named option)

You can also transfer your contacts using the VCF file method we outlined earlier. Here’s a reminder of what to do:

  1. Open ‘Contacts’ on your old phone
  2. Open the menu.
  3. If you see ‘Share’ in the options listed, select it. If not, go to ‘Settings’ then select ‘Export’ or ‘Import/Export’
  4. Choose the contacts you want to share. On later versions of Android, you may only get the option to save all.
  5. Save or share the file. Make sure that you’ve selected ‘VCF file’.
  6. Send the VCF file to your new phone via email, text message or Bluetooth.
  7. Open the VCF file on your phone and add your contacts.

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPad

Look no further than iCloud. Apple’s cloud storage solution doubles up as a simple way to share data between your Apple devices, including contacts.

First of all, make your contacts are synced to your iCloud account. To do this, follow these steps on your iPhone:

  1. Open ‘Settings’
  2. Open ‘iCloud’
  3. Switch on ‘Contacts’ (if it isn’t already)
  4. Select ‘Merge’ if prompted
  5. Switch on your iPad and follow steps 1 - 3. This will add the contacts from your iPhone onto your iPad.

There are options to transfer contacts without iCloud, including third-party software, but the steps above are by far the simplest. Plus, there are tons of other benefits to using iCloud if you’re using multiple Apple devices - so it’s worth using if you don’t already!

How to transfer phone number to new phone

So you know how to transfer everyone else’s number - but what about yours?

If you’re sticking to the same carrier, you should be able to keep your number even if you require a new SIM card. As the process varies between carriers, it’s best to raise this when starting your new airtime plan.

If you’d like to keep your number but switch to a new carrier, it’s a little trickier. You’ll need to contact your new carrier to arrange a port of your existing number; this usually takes a few hours to a day to implement.

Just make sure you don’t cancel your existing plan before switching, as your number may become inactive. In most cases, your new carrier will be able to talk you through the process. Also make sure to check for any fees you might incur from switching!

If you’ve recently switched phones, trade in your iPhone (or any other phone!) with Decluttr today! Just get an instant valuation, ship your phone for FREE and we’ll pay you the day after it arrives. Or if you’re just planning to buy a phone, make sure to check out our huge range of refurbished phones!

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