How to synchronize contacts from iPhone to Mac

Synchronizing iPhone contacts is something that users only have to do once. Thanks to iCloud, Apple keeps the user's contacts and other data synced between devices.

That means that when making changes to contacts on iPad or Mac, those changes will be transferred to the iPhone as well. When syncing for the first time, users can access contacts via the web, even without an iPhone or Mac with them.

Below, how to safely synchronize contacts on Apple devices.

Back up your contacts first!

There is no simple backup option for iOS contacts. Instead, you'll need to back up your entire device. If anything happens to the next step, you can restore this backup to your device without losing any important data.

Please make a backup in iTunes as follows:

1. Launch iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC, then connect iPhone.

2. Click the device icon when it appears, then on the Summary tab , click Back Up Now .

3. Backup is completed.

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You can also store iCloud backups of the device on the cloud. For more information on how to back up your iPhone and restore all backups, refer to the article: How to back up data on your iPhone or iPad?

How to sync iPhone contacts with iCloud

iCloud is a storage and synchronization service on Apple's cloud platform. Users have many options to use iCloud memory such as file storage, device search and data transfer. iCloud is also accessible from any browser on iCloud.com. iCloud is the best way to synchronize contacts, as it keeps everything up to date when users make changes.

To turn on iCloud sync for contacts on iPhone, do the following:

1. Launch the Settings app and click on your name.

2. Click iCloud, then activate the checkbox next to Contacts.

3. If asked to choose Merge or Cancel, click Merge.

Note : If you are using iOS 10.2 and earlier, launch Settings and touch iCloud.

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If you already have contacts in iCloud, this step will merge the new contacts with the old contacts and download them all to the device. If the iCloud Contacts synchronization feature has been activated, you may need to enable it on both your Mac or other devices for full functionality.

You can then take these steps on your iPad or iPod Touch to have access to your contacts on all your devices.

Activate iCloud Contacts on your Mac

Now you need to follow the same steps on your Mac to download the folder you just uploaded to iCloud. Do the following:

1. Log in to Mac as usual, then click System Preferences.

2. Select iCloud and make sure you are logged in to your Apple ID .

3. Select the checkbox next to Contacts to enable iCloud synchronization.

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Contacts will now sync via iCloud. Any new contacts on a Mac that were not previously available on the iPhone will show up and vice versa. You can access contacts on your Mac using the Contacts application . This directory is also used in other Apple applications, such as Messages and Mail.

Next, 'clean up' your contacts!

With iCloud running to keep everything in sync, you can now change your contacts to keep them neatly organized on all devices. If the contacts were not previously synced, the contacts may become extremely messy.

On the Mac, launch Contacts. Make sure you have selected iCloud contacts in the sidebar, then sort, delete and add new contacts. You can search for duplicate contacts on the Mac by clicking Card> Look for Duplicates and Contacts .

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From the web browser (ideal for Windows users), visit iCloud.com and log in. Select Contacts to view contacts. From here, you can add new contacts, change existing contacts and delete any numbers no longer needed.

Export contacts to stay safe

If you want to export contacts from Apple 'ecosystem', you will have to do it from the computer. First, make sure you synchronize everything with iCloud and organize your contacts properly.

On a Mac, you can use the Contacts app to do this:

1. Launch Contacts and make sure to select iCloud in the sidebar.

2. Select all contacts by clicking Edit> Select All or using the shortcut Cmd + A.

3. In File, click Export> Export vCard and select the destination for the contacts.

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From the web browser (for Windows users):

1. Go to iCloud.com and log in, then click Contacts.

2. Select all contacts ( Cmd + A on Mac or Ctrl + A on Windows).

3. Click the Settings gear icon on the bottom left of the screen.

4. Select Export vCard to download contacts.

Now, you can import your vCard file into Gmail, Outlook or any other contact management service.

1. Sync iPhone contacts with Gmail

The contacts are stored permanently in iCloud and are tied to Apple ID which means you will never lose them. When buying a new iPhone or iPad, contacts will magically appear when you log in. The changes you make on any device will also apply to all connected computers, tablets and smartphones.

Even if you want to convert contacts from iPhone to Android, first sync with iCloud, make sure you don't miss any important contacts.

Hope you are succesful.