How To Move Your Contacts to a New Phone

By Tracey Dowdy

If you got a new phone for Christmas, then moving your contacts from your old device to the new one can seem overwhelming. However, switching platforms is easier than you may think.  Moving Android>Android or Apple>Apple is easiest, but Apple to Android or vice versa is just a matter of a few extra steps.

Moving from one iPhone to another is very straightforward as everything should already be synced through your Apple ID to the cloud or backed up on your computer. Before you move your contacts to your new device, take a moment to clean house and do a manual update of your contacts. Remember, your device will upload everything “as is,” so this is the time to look for duplicates, contacts you no longer need, or incomplete or inaccurate information.

If you’re moving to a new Android device, everything should already be backed up through your Google ID (your Gmail account). Go to Settings > Accounts > Contacts and ensure that your contacts are synced to your Google account. To check before you transfer, log onto Contacts.Google.com, and you should be able to see all of your contacts. Then, simply log into your Google account on your new phone and all the contacts should be listed.

As I mentioned above, switching platforms from iPhone to Android isn’t as straightforward but still very doable. Log in to your iCloud account and click on the contacts book. In the top left corner, click on the wheel and choose “Select All.” You can now export all the contacts to your computer. The next step is to upload the file to your Google Drive account. Now, when you log in to your Gmail account on your new Android phone, all your contacts will have been uploaded and listed.

Moving from Android to iPhone is even easier. Make sure all your contacts are backed up to your Gmail account (Settings > Accounts > Contacts), and simply add your Google account to your phone. That’s it – it’s that simple.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

• Comments
• Permalink
• Print
• Email