How to Transfer Contacts from Gmail to a Phone

To import contacts from Gmail to an Android phone or iPhone, you must first import contacts from Google to your phone. This is due to the fact that Gmail does not save contacts. Because these are saved in your Google account, we will refer to contacts as Google or Gmail contacts in this post. Google contacts can be added to your Android or iPhone. Let's look at both methods.

Method 1: Sync Contacts from Gmail to Phone

When you use this method to import contacts, your phone's contacts will remain in sync with those in your Google account. Any changes you make to a contact on your phone or computer will be automatically synced to other devices. This is one of the most effective methods for transferring contacts from Gmail or Google to the phone.

Contacts Sync for Android

When you add a Google account to your Android phone, Google contacts from that account will sync to your phone automatically. As a result, if you add multiple Google accounts, contacts from all of them will be synced.

Follow these steps to add and sync Google contacts to your Android phone.

1. Open Settings on your phone.

2. Navigate to Password & Accounts. Tap on it if the Google account has already been added to your phone. If you want to sync contacts from a new Google account, skip to step 5.

3. Tap Account sync and enable the toggle next to Contacts on the next screen.

4. Tap on the three-dot icon at the top and press the Sync now option.

5. Wait for the contacts to sync. Then, open the Contacts app on your phone and you will see the Google contacts in it. They make take some time depending on the number of contacts.

6. If a Google account isn’t added on your phone in step 2, scroll down on the same page and tap on Add account followed by Google on the next screen. Sign in with your Google account credentials.

7. Once the Google account has been added, come back to the Settings > Passwords & accounts screen. You will see the newly added Google account. Tap on it followed by Account sync. Make sure the toggle next to Contacts is enabled.

Pro Tip: Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts on Samsung Galaxy phones. Tap or click the Add account button to add a new Google account. The remaining steps are the same as described above.

The method described above is a one-time event. You only need to add the account once, and then your contacts will sync. To stop contacts from syncing, turn off the toggle next to Contacts in the preceding step.

Sync iPhone Contacts

As shown below, you can easily sync Google contacts to your iPhone. Contacts, like those on Android, will be kept in sync with those in the Google cloud or on other devices. That is, changes made to contacts on the iPhone will be reflected on other devices.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone and go to Contacts.

2. Tap on Accounts followed by Add Account. Then, log in with your Google account. If the account is already added, go to the next step.

3. Once added, come back to Settings > Contacts > Accounts and tap on Gmail. Enable the toggle next to Contacts. That should sync the Google contacts to your iPhone.

4. Open the Contacts app and you will see the Google contacts on your iPhone.

Tip: If you do not see Google Contacts, tap on Groups in the Contacts app's top-left corner and ensure that the toggle next to All Gmail is selected.

If Google Contacts does not appear to be syncing with your iPhone, navigate to Settings > Contacts > Accounts > Gmail. Account is the first option, followed by Advanced. Ensure that the toggle next to Use SSL is enabled. Consider additional methods for resolving contacts that are not showing up on your iPhone.

Method 2: Import and Export Contacts from Gmail to Your Phone

Another option for adding Gmail contacts to your Android or iPhone is to manually import them. To do so, you'll need to export your Google contacts and then import them into your phone.

Tip: Understand the distinction between contact import and contact export.

The contacts added in this manner are not in sync with the cloud-based contacts. If you modify a contact in Google Cloud, the modification will not appear on your mobile device. This method is useful if you want to combine contacts from multiple accounts or if you only want to add contacts once.

I have divided this method into two sections:

1. Export contacts from Google (same for both Android and iOS)

2. Import contacts

Export contacts from Google

1. Open contacts.google.com in a browser on your PC and sign in with your Google account.

2. Click on the Export button in the left sidebar.

All the contacts will be selected. If you want to select a few contacts only, go back, select the contacts, and then hit the Export button.

3. The window labelled Export contacts will open. Choose Google CSV for Android imports and vCard for iPhone imports. Select the Export option. On your PC, the contacts file will be downloaded.

Contacts Import to Android

1. Transfer the Google CSV file to your mobile device. You can e-mail it to yourself or share it via messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram. Download the file once you receive it on your phone.

2. Open the Google Contacts app on your phone.

3. Select Contacts app settings by tapping on the profile picture icon at the top.

4. Select Import from the pop-up menu and select the.vcf file.

5. Navigate to the file you downloaded in step 1. That is all. Google contacts contained in the.csv file will be imported into your phone.

Note: On Samsung Galaxy phones, open the Contacts app and tap on the three-bar icon. Go to Manage contacts > Import or export contacts > Import > Phone or cloud storage. Choose the CSV file.

Import Contacts to iPhone

You can import Google contacts to iPhone in two ways:

1. Using e-mail

2. Using iCloud

Using E-mail

The Apple Contacts app does not allow you to directly import contacts onto your iPhone. The contacts in the.csv file will be imported if you e-mail it to the e-mail address you added to your iPhone.

1. E-mail the contacts file that you exported from Google contacts to yourself.

Note: Make sure to send it to the account that is added to your iPhone.

2. Open the email containing the.csv file in the Mail app on your iPhone.

3. In the email, click the.csv file. The file will open and the contacts within it will be visible. Select Add all contacts, then Create new contacts. Your iPhone will receive the Google contacts.

Using the iCloud service

If the above method doesn't work or you don't like it for some reason, you can also use iCloud to import Google Contacts.

1. Open a browser on your computer and go to iCloud.com. Use your Apple ID to log in.

2. Click on Contacts.

3. Select Import vCard from the Settings icon at the bottom of the screen. Choose the.csv file you downloaded earlier.

Your contacts will begin to appear in your iCloud account.

4. To see the imported contacts on your iPhone, go to Settings and tap on the name at the top of the screen.

5. Go to iCloud and turn on the Contacts toggle. Your iPhone will be updated with the Google contacts you imported.

Useful Contacts Tips

I hope the above methods for importing Gmail contacts to your Android or iPhone were helpful. After that, you can learn about unknown caller silence and how to disable Google account features on your iPhone. Also, take a look at the best Android contact manager apps.