Switch from Android to iPhone? We show you how to transfer your contacts from old phone to new one in just a few steps
Are you new to iPhone and coming from Android? One of the best ways to transfer your pers onal information and apps, among others, is to download the Move to iOS app. The most worrying thing is usually WhatsApp, but if you are one of the users who want to clean everything and only worry about their contacts, there are two ways to transfer contacts without dying trying. The best of all is that You can add your Google account on iPhone or add contacts without an account involved
Add your Google account to iPhone in just a few steps
Without a doubt, the best option is to synchronize your Android contacts by adding the Google account on the iPhone. It works, in addition to seeing your contacts and having them on iPhone, to continue to populate this contact list without it stopping being updated in case you use Google tools more like email and you need up-to-date information about these contacts.
- Open Settings and go to Contacts
- Tap Accounts
- Next in Add an account
- Press Google
- Enter your email and password (if you have two-step verification, verify it in your Gmail or Google app)
- Provide the necessary permissions in Allow
- Select, in addition to contacts, if you want to synchronize information for other applications like Mail, Calendar and Notes
That’s it, your Android contacts via your Google account will now be included in the Contacts app on iPhone or via Phone to call or in Messages to send iMessages or text messages.
I don’t want to include my Google account on the iPhone, just the contacts
These steps are exclusively for adding Gmail contacts to iCloud, so they will be merged into one in case you already have contacts added on your iPhone. First we will export Google contacts and then we will import them to the iPhone, we will rely on a Mac or PC to do it successfully.
- Open your Google contacts by logging into your Gmail accountIf you’re already signed in to Google Chrome, from the home page, click the apps menu and select Contacts.
- Click on the icon Export
- Select vCard format
- Save the file to your Downloads folder, then transfer this file via AirDrop to your iPhone
- Once the AirDrop sending is completed, a pop-up window will appear with the contact list. Tap Add all (number) contacts
- Tap Create new contacts
- Contacts will now be added to your iCloud account on iPhone
What default contact account do I have?
If you have one or more Google, iCloud or Microsoft accounts, you must define which account will be the one to add new contacts. By default it is iCloud but we will see how to make this setting
- Open Settings and go to Contacts
- Tap Default account
- Right away Tap the email account you want to set as default
- Return to Contacts to save the change
You may have different contacts in each of your accounts, is there a way to find them by account type? If two or more lists are enabled, this is how you can see them
- Open the Contacts app and tap Lists at the top left
- The accounts will be displayed with corresponding lists that should say “All iCloud or All (Gmail email account).
- If you want to see all mixed contacts, you need to tap Lists then All Contacts
Is it better to link multiple accounts to add contacts or is it better to use AirDrop?
The benefit of linking accounts to your iPhone is convenience beyond any other method. For example, If you have a personal account and another for professional reasons, it is good to have two categories of contacts, in this case by the lists managed by the Contacts application. It’s also a good idea if you want to have favorites or delete them in the future without complications.
If you don’t mind shuffling contacts, it may be best to transfer your contacts via AirDrop using the vCard method, especially if you have multiple devices where you have current contacts. On the contrary, if you have more information in your Google, Microsoft or other compatible account such as notes, emails or calendars, it may be advisable to synchronize the corresponding account on the iPhone as we saw in the first method. If you’re new to iPhone, we give you 4 tips about the Contacts app that you should know.
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