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How to transfer contacts to another iPhone or Android

Easy steps: transfer contacts to a new iCloud or Android.

Buying a new iPhone and then logging-in using the same iCloud account will seamlessly transfer all your contacts to the new device, providing that you’ve properly backed up the contacts to the Cloud. But what about if you want to use a new iCloud account or for some reason – Android.

Here is how you can transfer the contacts in three possible scenarios:

1. Switching to a new iPhone (with a new iCould account):

Upgrading to a new iPhone and transferring the contacts is a fairly simple process. Sign in to the new smartphone using the old iCloud account and the contacts will be downloaded on the phone. Then Navigate to the Settings app and then to iCloud → Make sure that the Contact option is turned on to sync them online. Sign-in using the iCloud account and the contacts will be synced.

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2. Switching to a new iPhone (with contacts stored in other services like GMAIL):

Just add your account and the contacts will sync with the new iPhone. But existing / old contacts won’t automatically sync between the iPhone and Gmail, Outlook or some other service.

Navigate to Settings → ‘Mail, Contacts, Calendars’, open the account in which you stored the contacts. Then check if the slider for syncing is enabled, and see contact groups associated with the accounts you are using (you can hide /show groups).

3. Switching to Android:

You have contacts in iCloud and a brand new Android phone? You have to export the contacts from iCloud and import them to the new phone.

Use a PC or Mac, open a browser and go to www.icloud.com. Sign in with your iCloud account and select all contacts by pressing CTRL+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac). Tap the gear icon at the bottom and press ‘Export vCard’. The computer will download a file .vcf.

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You can easily import the .vcf file onto an Android phone via PC or Mac. Go to the Google website → Contacts, tap More → Import → Select file.

Sign in with the same Google account on the Android phone and the contacts should be there.

Another option is to copy the .vcf file to the Android device or send it over an email.