What Are Import and Export Contacts and How Do I Create Them?

You may have come across the terms import and export contacts in applications such as the Contacts app, Google Contacts, iCloud, and others. Are you unfamiliar with the terms "import" and "export" when it comes to Android and iPhone contacts? You'll find the solution here, along with the steps necessary to complete it.

What Do Import Contacts Indicate?

Import and export are generally defined as obtaining something from the outside and moving stuff from an internal source to an external source, respectively. A same principle holds true for contacts.

Importing contacts implies adding contacts to your phone from a separate source. A SIM card or a vCard file can be used as the source. Importing contacts is useful if you wish to add contacts to your phone from another location.

What Do Export Contacts Indicate?

Exporting contacts, on the other hand, entails copying contacts from source X to source Y. In the context of phones, it refers to the process of transferring contacts from one device to another. This is accomplished by creating a copy of the contacts and transferring it to an other location, such as the SIM card or internal storage.

Previously, the export contacts capability was used to move contacts across phones. It is nevertheless handy if you wish to transfer contacts between services that are not immediately compatible. Google Contacts and iCloud are two examples. Additionally, exporting contacts creates a contacts file from which you can execute bulk operations such as importing, editing, and rearranging contacts.

For instance, you can export contacts from your phone to internal storage or from Google Contacts/iCloud to a Google CSV, Outlook CSV, or vCard file.

Is It True That Contacts Are Deleted Upon Importing or Exporting?

No, contacts are not deleted from the source when they are imported or exported. Without modifying the source contacts, the contacts are simply copied from source to destination.

What Does iPhone's Import SIM Contacts Mean?

Essentially, during the era of feature phones, contacts were typically saved solely on the SIM card. If your SIM card is replaced or lost, you will lose all of your contacts. This is still possible today if your contacts are stored solely on your SIM card. This is when the iPhone's Import SIM contacts feature comes in helpful.

Import SIM Contacts enables you to move or import contacts from your SIM card to your iPhone. It enables users to smoothly migrate contacts from a feature phone to an iPhone. Without this feature, each contact would have to be manually copied to the phone.

Additionally, it provides an additional degree of protection for contacts by storing them on your phone, from which you may sync them to a cloud service.

When you import SIM contacts onto an iPhone or Android device, the following occurs:

• The SIM contacts will be added to your phone's current contact list.
• SIM connections will not delete current contacts on your phone; SIM contacts will not overwrite existing contacts.
• After importing contacts from the SIM, they will not be erased from the SIM.
• If you remove the SIM card after importing the contacts, you can still access them on your phone with or without the SIM card.

In a word, once SIM contacts are imported to the phone, they are unrelated to the SIM card in question. Contacts are now a distinct entity from your SIM card. Additionally, you can import contacts to your phone from various SIM cards.

Nota : The iPhone does not support contact export or transfer from the phone to the SIM card.

How to Import or Export Contacts on Android

1. Open the Google Contacts app on your phone.

2. Tap on the profile picture icon at the top and select Contacts app settings.

3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Import or Export. If you press on Import, you will be prompted to choose a source for the contacts, which can be a.vcf file or a SIM card.

By selecting Export, you can produce a.vcf file for the contacts. The Files application will launch. To download the.vcf file, click Save.

How to Import and Export Contacts from a Samsung Device

1. Open the Samsung Contacts app on your phone.

2. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top and select Manage contacts.

3. Tap on Import or export contacts.

4. There are buttons for Import and Export. To import contacts from a SIM card or a vCard file to your phone, tap on Import. On the following screen, select the source.

Alternatively, you can click the Export button to export contacts to a SIM card or as a vCard file. Choose a location for the contacts to be exported.

How to Import Contacts on an iPhone

Method 1: Import Contacts from a SIM Card

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.

2. Go to Contacts. Tap on Import SIM Contacts.

Method 2: Import vCard File

Sadly, iPhone doesn’t offer a direct way to add a vCard file to your phone. However, there’s a workaround that lets you to import contacts to iPhone as shown below.

1. Email the vCard file to the email account set up on your phone.

2. Once you receive the email, open it and tap on the vCard file in the email.

3. It will show the contacts present in the file. Tap on Add All contacts followed by Create new contacts.

Method 3: Using iCloud

If the above workaround doesn’t work, you can use iCloud on the web to import contacts.

1. Open iCloud.com and log in to the Apple ID that you are using on your iPhone.

2. Click on Contacts.

3. Click on the Settings icon at the bottom and select Import vCard from the menu. Select the file to import.

4. Once imported, the contacts will not appear on your iPhone unless you activate Contacts sync.

To do so, open your iPhone's Settings app and tap on your name at the top. Navigate to iCloud.

5. Select the toggle next to Contacts and turn it on. Allow some time. Then, launch the Contacts app to view the newly added contacts.

How to Export iPhone Contacts

Apple does not allow consumers to export contacts straight from the iPhone. To export contacts from your iPhone, you must utilise the iCloud web version, as seen below.

To begin, ensure that your contacts are synced to iCloud. Only then will contacts be exportable.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.

2. Tap on your name at the top and go to iCloud. Enable the toggle next to Contacts.

3. Open iCloud.com on your computer and go to Contacts.

4. Press Ctrl + A (Window) or Command + A (macOS) to select all the contacts. You can also select some contacts.

5. Click on the Settings icon at the bottom and select Export vCard. Save the .vcf on your computer.

Questions That Are Frequently Asked (FAQs)

What Does the Term "Merge Contacts" Mean?

Merge contacts enables you to combine duplicate contacts into a single record. Assume you've saved the identical numbers under two distinct names. By combining them, one contact will be maintained while the other is eliminated.

2. What Does Contacts Move Mean?

You can use the Move contacts tool to transfer contacts across separate accounts. Consider the scenario in which you have two Google accounts on your phone. This feature allows you to transfer contacts between accounts without first importing or exporting them.

3. Should Contacts Be Saved on a SIM Card or a Phone?

You must backup or sync your contacts on your phone. Even if your phone is lost or damaged, your contacts will remain intact.

4. What Is the Difference Between Contact Import/Export and Contact Syncing?

Import and export are distinct from contact synchronisation, which is a continuous process. When contacts are synced, they are always in import-export mode. That is, when a new contact is added, it is automatically added to all other devices. On the contrary, import/export is a manual process that must be repeated in order to maintain contact sync.

Contacts Management

Contact management and organisation are continual processes. Contacts can be transferred, merged, deleted, or moved. If you're not a fan of Android's native Contacts app, consider third-party contact manager apps.