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How to Export and Back Up Your Google Contacts

Managing Google Contacts

Short answer: to export your Google Contacts, go to contacts.google.com, select the contacts (or all), and use Export to download them as a vCard (for phones/Apple) or CSV (for spreadsheets/Outlook). It is a quick, important backup, and the way to move contacts to another account or device. Here is how, and how to import them back.

How to export your contacts

  1. Go to contacts.google.com and sign in.
  2. Select the contacts you want (or click the top checkbox for all).
  3. Open the menu and choose Export.
  4. Pick a format: vCard (best for iPhone/Android/Apple Contacts) or Google CSV / Outlook CSV (for spreadsheets or Outlook).
  5. Download the file, that is your backup.

Which format to choose

FormatBest for
vCard (.vcf)iPhone, Android, Apple Contacts
Google CSVRe-importing to Google
Outlook CSVMicrosoft Outlook

Import contacts back (or to a new account)

  1. In Google Contacts, choose Import from the menu.
  2. Upload your vCard or CSV file.
  3. Google adds the contacts; use "Merge duplicates" afterward to tidy up.

The same file also imports into iPhone (via iCloud), Outlook, or another Google account.

Move contacts between phones

Contacts synced to your Google account appear automatically on any Android phone you sign into. For iPhone, import the vCard via iCloud or the Contacts app. This is far more reliable than SIM-card transfers, which hold limited info.

The non-obvious tip: export periodically, not just when switching

Most people only export contacts when changing phones, then lose years of contacts if an account is hacked, locked, or accidentally wiped. Do a quick vCard export every so often and save it to your own storage. Your contact list is one of the hardest things to rebuild from scratch, an occasional backup makes it bulletproof, independent of any single account.

Frequently asked questions

How do I export my Google Contacts?

Go to contacts.google.com, select contacts or all, choose Export, and pick vCard (for phones) or CSV (for spreadsheets/Outlook) to download.

Which format should I use to export contacts?

vCard for iPhone, Android and Apple Contacts; Google CSV for re-importing to Google; Outlook CSV for Microsoft Outlook.

How do I import contacts back into Google?

In Google Contacts choose Import, upload your vCard or CSV, and then use Merge duplicates to clean up. The same file works for iPhone and Outlook too.

How do I move contacts to a new phone?

Google-synced contacts appear on any Android you sign into. For iPhone, import the vCard via iCloud or the Contacts app, more reliable than SIM transfers.

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