The fastest way: use iCloud during setup
When you turn on a new iPhone, Apple walks you through a setup screen that asks if you want to restore from a backup. If you choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in with the same Apple ID you used on your old phone, your contacts move over automatically — along with your photos, messages, apps, and settings. This takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on how much data you have, but it requires almost no work from you.
The catch: you need to know your Apple ID password, and your old iPhone needs to have backed up to iCloud at least once. If you have never turned on iCloud backup, or if you do not remember your password, you will need one of the other methods below.
If you have already finished setting up your new iPhone without restoring a backup, you can still move contacts later using the other methods in this guide — but starting fresh during setup is simpler.
Key Takeaways
- Restoring from an iCloud backup during initial setup moves all your contacts in one step if you know your Apple ID password.
- If you do not have iCloud backup turned on, you can export contacts from your old iPhone as a file and import them on the new one.
- You can also sign into the same iCloud account on both phones and let them sync contacts automatically over a few minutes.
- Google Contacts and other third-party apps can transfer contacts if you use them instead of Apple's built-in system.
- If you are switching from Android, you can move contacts through Google Contacts or by exporting a file from your Android phone.
Syncing contacts through iCloud on both phones
If you have already set up your new iPhone without a backup, you can still move contacts by turning on iCloud sync on both phones. On your old iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and make sure Contacts is toggled on (the switch should be green). Do the same on your new iPhone, signing in with the same Apple ID.
Within a few minutes, your contacts will appear on the new phone. This method works even if your old iPhone is not backed up, because iCloud syncs contacts in real time as long as both phones are signed into the same account. The downside is that it only moves contacts stored in your iCloud account — if you have contacts saved only to your SIM card or to the phone's local storage, they will not transfer this way.
After the contacts arrive on your new phone, you can turn off iCloud sync on your old iPhone if you no longer use it, or leave it on if you want both phones to stay in sync.
Exporting and importing contacts as a file
If you do not have iCloud set up or do not want to use it, you can export your contacts from your old iPhone as a file and then import that file on your new one. On your old iPhone, open Contacts, tap Groups in the top left corner, make sure "All Contacts" is selected, then tap Select All (if that option appears). Tap the share icon and choose "Export as vCard" — this creates a file with all your contacts.
Email this file to yourself or save it to a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox. On your new iPhone, read the file, open it, and tap "Add All Contacts." The contacts will import into your phone's default contact storage.
This method works on any iPhone and does not require an Apple ID or iCloud account. It also gives you a backup file you can keep in case you need to restore contacts later. The trade-off is that it takes more steps than iCloud backup or sync.
Using Google Contacts if you sync through Google
If you use Google Contacts to manage your contacts instead of Apple's system, you can move them by signing into your Google account on your new iPhone. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, choose Google, and sign in. When prompted, make sure Contacts is toggled on.
Your Google contacts will sync to your new iPhone within a few minutes. This is useful if you already use Gmail and Google services, because your contacts stay in sync across all your devices — phone, tablet, and computer. You can also access and edit them from Google Contacts on the web if you need to.
If you have contacts in both Apple's system and Google Contacts, you will see both sets on your new phone, but they will not merge automatically. You can manually move contacts between them by opening a contact, tapping Edit, and changing which account it is saved to.
Moving contacts from an Android phone
If you are switching from Android to iPhone, the easiest path is through Google Contacts. On your Android phone, make sure your contacts are synced to your Google account — go to Settings > Accounts > Google, select your account, and toggle Contacts on. Then on your new iPhone, add your Google account the same way you would for any other iPhone (Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > Google), and your contacts will appear.
If your Android contacts are stored on your SIM card instead of Google, you can export them as a vCard file using your Android phone's Contacts app, email the file to yourself, and import it on your iPhone the same way described above.
Some Android phones also let you back up contacts to Samsung Cloud or another service — if that is where your contacts live, sign into that service on your iPhone if it has an app, or export the contacts as a file and import them manually.
What to do if contacts do not appear
If you have restored from backup or turned on iCloud sync but your contacts are not showing up, first check that you are signed into the correct Apple ID. Go to Settings > [Your Name] and verify the email address matches the account you used on your old phone. If it is wrong, sign out and sign back in with the correct account.
Next, check that Contacts is actually turned on in iCloud. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and look for the Contacts toggle — it should be green. If it is off, turn it on and wait a few minutes for contacts to sync.
If you restored from a backup and contacts still do not appear, your old iPhone may not have had any contacts saved to iCloud in the first place. In that case, use the export-and-import method or the Google Contacts method instead. If you need help recovering contacts from an old phone that no longer works, contact Apple Support — they can sometimes retrieve contacts from an old backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer contacts if I do not have my old iPhone anymore?
Yes, if you backed up to iCloud or Google. Restore from that backup on your new iPhone, or sign into the same account and let contacts sync. If you did not back up, you will need a file you saved earlier or contact information stored in another service like Gmail or Outlook.
Will my contacts transfer if I use a different Apple ID on the new phone?
No. Contacts stored in iCloud are tied to the Apple ID that created them. If you switch to a different Apple ID, you will need to export contacts as a file from your old phone and import them on the new one, or manually add them to the new account.
What if some contacts are missing after I restore from backup?
Contacts saved only to your SIM card or to local phone storage will not transfer through iCloud backup. Export those contacts as a vCard file from your old phone and import them separately, or add them manually to your new phone.
Do I need to keep my old iPhone turned on while contacts sync?
No. Once you restore from backup or export contacts as a file, your old phone does not need to be on. If you are using iCloud sync on both phones at the same time, both need to be connected to the internet, but they do not need to be near each other.
Can I merge contacts from two different Apple IDs?
Not automatically. If you have contacts in two separate iCloud accounts, you will need to export one set as a file and import it into the other account, or manually move individual contacts by editing them and changing which account they are saved to.