How To Move Contacts From Gmail to iCloud [3 Easy Ways]
For anyone taking the leap, switching from Android to iPhone is great. But what about all those left-behind contacts in your old phone’s Google account? Isn’t it tedious to manually transfer them all over one by one?
Thankfully, though, that struggle isn’t necessary. You can move contacts from Gmail to iCloud easily by exporting and importing vCards, syncing them with your iPhone’s Contacts app, or even using certain apps. Let’s go over the details.
3 Ways to Transfer Your Gmail Contacts to iCloud
If you didn’t know already, your Gmail ID is also your Google account, which stores all your contacts by default. Meaning all your contacts in Gmail will automatically appear in Google’s Contacts service (or App).
Many people are unaware of this, which makes accessing those contacts look so daunting. But having them at your fingertips is so simple, and so is moving them elsewhere. Let’s show you three ways to do that.
Method 1: Export and Import vCards from Google Contacts
As long as you have Google account syncing enabled, all your Gmail contacts are stored automatically in Google Contacts, no matter how many devices they’ve been added from. And the good news is that it also applies to your phone contacts. So, you’ve got nothing to leave behind.
Now, if you want all these contacts in your new iPhone, using vCards paves an easy route. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Step 1: Open Google Contacts
Begin with locating all your Gmail contacts. To do this, open a web browser on your computer, visit contacts.google.com, and sign in.
You can also open Google and choose Contacts from Google Apps at the top right corner. Or, if you’re on your phone, launch the Contacts app.
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Step 2: Choose the Contacts to Transfer
Once you’re on the contacts page, you’ll see all your contacts are listed there.
In some cases, though, contacts of people you only interacted with Gmail don’t appear in plain sight. If that’s your case, you’ll need to click Other Contacts from the left panel. This will show them all.
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Now, you can either choose them individually by ticking the box on the left side of each or select them all at once, as shown below.
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Step 3: Export the Contacts as vCards
After you’ve picked your contacts, click the blue three-dot icon from the top right (which says More Actions) and then click Export.
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This will bring up a pop-up with multiple export options. But you’ll only need to choose vCard (for iOS Contacts), then click Export at the bottom right of that pop-up.
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Doing so will download a file named contacts.vcf to your computer.
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Step 4: Import the VCF File into Your iCloud Contacts
Visit iCloud.com on your browser, and log in with your Apple credentials. Then, you’ll have to choose Contacts from the array of options shown.
From the bottom left of the following page, click the gear icon. When that brings up a list of options, you’ll need to choose Import vCard.
And then, all that’s left to do is upload the contacts.vcf file you’ve already downloaded in the previous step. All your Gmail (and phone contacts, if chosen) will now be available in your iCloud.
Method 2: Sync Your Gmail/Google Contacts with iCloud
Syncing your Gmail contacts with iCloud gives you an even neater transfer option, especially if you switch between Android and iOS too often.
The best thing about this method is that whenever you add a new contact to your Gmail, it’ll automatically add it to your iCloud without further action. Follow these steps to activate this useful feature.
Step 1: Add the Gmail Contacts to Your Google Contacts
As mentioned, not all Gmail contacts are automatically added to your main Google Contacts list. That’s why you should first add them all before enabling the syncing.
To do this, you’ll again need to visit contacts.google.com from your browser and sign in if necessary. Like before, you’ll also need to click Other Contacts from the left panel to bring up all the Gmail contacts.
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Now, once you’ve chosen the desired contacts, click on the Add to Contacts icon from the top right to add them to your main Google Contacts list.
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Step 2: Add Your Google Account to Your iOS Device
Now, move over to your iPhone or iPad and launch the Settings app. From there, you’ll need to tap Contacts >> Accounts >> Add Account.
This’ll give you several account options to add. Since you’ll be syncing your Gmail contacts, choose Google and log in with your credentials.
And once logged in, toggle on the Contacts option. Don’t forget to Save this setting before you exit.
Step 3: Sync Your Contacts with iCloud
Launch the Setting app again on your iPhone or iPad and tap on your Apple ID. Then, under the available option, you’ll need to tap iCloud.
Here, you’ll find so many things to sync with your iCloud. With your Google Contacts toggled on already, you can now just toggle on Contacts from here to begin syncing.
Method 3: Use a Designated App to Transfer Your Gmail Contacts
While the above two methods should suffice to transfer your Gmail contacts, some situations may demand a more streamlined approach.
For example, maybe you’re in a hurry, and there’s no computer to complete all those steps real quick. Or, maybe you’ve yet to set up your iPhone and want the contacts as soon as you do.
This is when using an app designated to transfer your contacts comes in super handy. They can transfer all your contacts in much fewer steps.
And while so many third-party apps are available online for this job, we recommend Apple’s Move to iOS instead to prevent potential data leaks. Besides, this app can transfer all your Android data (including messages, photos, WiFi settings, etc.) instead of just contacts.
Here’s how to use it.
Note: Remember, this method is only for when you haven’t yet set up your new or factory-reset iPhone. Also, your Gmail contacts must already be in your Android phone’s contacts.
Step 1: Download and Install Move to iOS on Your Android
First, you’ll need to download the Move to iOS Android app on your phone. Just open Play Store and search it by its name. Or you can follow this link.
Step 2: Open Move to iOS on Both Android and iPhone
Launch the Move to iOS app on your Android, and boot your not-yet-set-up iPhone. While setting it up, turn on the WiFi before you reach the App & Data screen.
From there, choose ‘Move Data from Android’ and tap Continue on both phones.
Step 3: Enter the Security PIN and Begin Transferring Contacts
Tapping Continue on your iPhone will give you a 6-digit security PIN code. Take note of it, and once you agree to the terms, enter it on your Android.
It’ll now ask you which data to sync. You can just select Contacts or all of the available options and tap Continue.
The transfer process will now take a few minutes to complete. And the contacts will all be in your iCloud account once you log in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have further queries regarding moving your Gmail contacts to your iCloud? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions that might help.
Are Gmail contacts the same as Google contacts?
Yes, they are. However, if you’ve interacted with some people only through emails using Gmail, they’ll not always appear on your Google Contact’s main interface. You’ll have to add them manually to your main contacts list from the Other Contacts tab on the left panel.
Does iCloud automatically back up my contacts?
Yes. iCloud keeps backing up your contacts, along with your other iPhone data, as long as it’s connected to the WiFi. And these include the contacts you’ve just moved over from Gmail or elsewhere. However, you must activate contacts backup from iCloud backup settings.
What happens if I delete a Gmail contact after syncing it with iCloud?
After syncing with iCloud, if you delete a contact from either Google or your iOS device’s native Contacts app, it will also get removed from any other place, including iCloud. Yet, both Gmail and iCloud allow you to restore them within 30 days.
Can I merge Gmail Contacts with iCloud Contacts?
When you sync Gmail contacts with iCloud, any newly added contacts in Gmail also show up in iCloud Contacts. Put simply, it merges two separate lists into one. However, duplicated contacts will still appear, and you’ll need to merge them on your device’s contact app manually.
Conclusion
So, there you have it—three practical ways to move contacts from Gmail to iCloud. Hopefully, this guide gave you all the knowledge and confidence you needed to complete the process without a hitch.
On a final note, remember to sync new Gmail contacts regularly if you continue to use both accounts. This way, you keep both contact lists consistent and up-to-date.
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