How to download your contacts from iphone

The iOS Contacts app has always been infamous for its lack of features when compared to its counterparts. Be it the ability to batch delete your contacts or the ability to import multiple ones from a different device.

Thankfully, with the release of iOS 16, a few of these issues have been addressed, and among them is the ability to export all your contacts. You can now export multiple contacts from the Contacts app on iOS, and here’s how you can get started. 

  • Required: iOS 16 update

Open the Contacts app and tap Lists in the top left.

How to download your contacts from iphone

Now tap and hold on, All iCloud. If you do not have iCloud enabled, this category will be named All contacts.

How to download your contacts from iphone

Select Export.

How to download your contacts from iphone

Now tap and select your desired app from the share sheet.

How to download your contacts from iphone

You can also tap Save to Files to save all your contacts to a designated location in the Files app. You can then access and export these contacts manually as needed.

How to download your contacts from iphone

And that’s how you can export all contacts on your device. 

Tip: You can also use this feature to export all contacts from a particular contact list on your device.

Which format is used when exporting my contacts?

iOS will export all your contacts in the .VCF format. This is a popular format commonly known as vCard used to store contact details like email addresses, contacts, and more easily. This format is supported by most platforms and contacts apps and can be easily imported to any device you like. 

Related: How to Add Your Vision Prescription on Health App on iPhone on iOS 16

Are all my contacts stored in a single file?

Yes, all your contacts are stored in a single .VCF file. Compatible apps and devices will be able to differentiate between different fields like name, email, address, phone number, landline number, and more. These details can then be easily imported to the app or device accordingly. 

Can I convert my contacts to a different file format?

Converting file formats for exported contact lists hasn’t been advisable for a long time. This is because most converters can end up messing your entire data if they end up encounter a bug or make a mistake. However, if you’re in a pickle and have no way of importing contacts to a platform or app in the .VCF format, then there is no harm in converting to a different file format. Ensure that you make a backup of the original file so that you can always recover your data in case something goes wrong during the conversion. 

We hope this post helped you easily export all your contacts on iOS 16. If you have any more questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.


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Three easy methods for you to export iPhone contacts to Excel or CSV.

A CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is a plain text file that has excellent compatibility with spreadsheet programs, like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, etc. Thus, when you want to export iPhone contacts to Excel, many of you choose to export iPhone contacts to CSV since CSV is an Excel-friendly format. While for others, they may want to export contacts from iPhone to Excel by saving the contacts as a .xls file.

Apple makes it easy to export iPhone contacts to VCF, which can be done with the help of iCloud. However, when you are looking to export contacts from iPhone to Excel or CSV, there isn't any official way that helps you to do it directly. Thus, you will need third-party tools or services to export iPhone contacts to Excel or CSV as you expect to.

How to Export iPhone Contacts to CSV Directly

Notes: If you want to export your iPhone contacts as an Excel file, you just need to take one more step, which is to save the CSV file as an XLS or XLSX file via MicroSoft Windows or other similar apps.

"How do I export my iPhone contacts to a CSV file?"

To export iPhone contacts to CSV, you will need an iPhone transfer software tool like EaseUS MobiMover. It not only supports contact transfer but also allows you to set the target format, including CSV, HTML, and VCF. Once you save your iPhone contacts as a CSV file on your computer, you can also easily save it as an Excel file since these two file types are highly compatible.

Other than contacts, it also works to transfer photos, videos, music, ringtones, books, and many other types of content. More specifically, here are the things you can do:

  • Download text messages from an iPhone to a computer
  • Transfer photos from one iPhone to another
  • Put music on an iPhone without iTunes
  • Transfer WhatsApp chats to PC

To export iPhone contacts to CSV:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer. To export your contacts from iPhone to CSV, you need to change the export settings first: Click "More" > "Settings", choose "CSV" as the export format, and click "Save". Afterward, click "Phone to PC".

How to download your contacts from iphone

Step 2. Select "Contacts" among the types of content and click "Transfer". If necessary, click the storage path to change it according to your needs. (If you want to transfer contacts selectively, go to "Content Management" instead.)

How to download your contacts from iphone

Step 3. After exporting contacts from iPhone, you can now access the CSV file in the selected folder and open it using Microsoft Excel or any other compatible program.

How to download your contacts from iphone

How to Export Contacts from iPhone to Excel/CSV Using iCloud

Using EaseUS MobiMover is a direct way to export contacts on iPhone directly as a CSV file. There are also indirect ways to get things done, one of which is to use iCloud. By syncing your iPhone contacts to iCloud, you are able to export the items to the vCard format. Then you can convert the VCF file to CSV or Excel using an online converter. Make sure you have enough iCloud storage available and follow the steps below to export your contacts from your iPhone to a CSV file or Excel file.

To export contacts from iPhone to CSV/Excel:

First, you should export iPhone contacts to vCard (.vcf).

Step 1. On your iPhone, go to "Settings" > [your name] > "iCloud" and toggle on the "Contacts" option.

Step 2. On your computer, go to visit iCloud.com and sign in with your iCloud account, which should be the same as the one you use on your mobile device. (iCloud contacts not syncing? Fix it right now.)

Step 3. To export iCloud contacts to Excel or CSV, you first need to save them as a VCF file:

  • After you sign in, choose "Contacts" among the iCloud options. Now you could see all the items from your iPhone Contacts app.
  • Select the contacts you want to export and click "Settings (the gear icon)" > "Export vCard".

Step 5. Go to the selected folder to check the contacts in VCF format.

How to download your contacts from iphone

Next, you can convert the VCF file to CSV or Excel using an online tool. (I will take aconvert.com as an example. You can search for other online converters from the Internet to apply.)

Step 1. Visit aconvert.com on your computer.

Step 2. Choose "Document" in the list and click the "Choose Files" button.

Step 3. Select the vCard file you just exported and click "Open".

Step 4. Select the "CSV" format or "XLS/XLSX" as the target format and click "Convert Now" to start exporting your iPhone contacts to a CSV or Excel file.

Step 5. After the conversion, click the download icon in the "Conversion Results" section, open the file URL and then save the file to your computer.

How to download your contacts from iphone

If you prefer to export iPhone contacts to Excel for free, you can apply this method to do it without any cost.

How to Export iPhone Contacts to Excel Using a Mobile App

The first two methods export your iPhone contacts with the help of a computer. If you don't have a computer currently, how can you export iPhone contacts to Excel? The answer is to use a mobile app. There are a couple of different apps that allow you to export iPhone contacts to CSV or Excel without iTunes or even a computer. Here I will take an app called SA Contacts Lite as an example.

To download iPhone contacts to Excel:

Step 1. Download and install SA Contacts Lite from the App Store. (If you can't download apps from the App Store, read the related guide to learn how to fix it.)

Step 2. Open the app and tap "OK" to give the app permission.

Step 3. Choose to export all contacts, groups, or selected items and click "Start".

Step 4. When it has done, you can send the file to your computer via mail or other utilities.

How to download your contacts from iphone

SA Contacts Lite only saves the contacts as an Excel file. If you are looking to download the iPhone contacts as a CSV format, you may need to select another app to apply, like the one called Export Contact.

The Bottom Line

To sum up:

  • EaseUS MobiMover will get contacts off your iPhone and save them as the CSV format, HTML format, and VCF format directly.
  • iCloud together with an online format converter enables you to export your contacts for free.
  • A mobile app is quite convenient if you don't have a computer at hand.

Whether you want to make a backup of your iPhone contacts or merge your iPhone contacts with contacts from other address books, exporting iPhone contacts to Excel or CSV is a good choice. Besides, for users who want to import iPhone contacts to Outlook, they just need to take one more step: import the CSV file to Outlook.

Carry out the way best suited to your needs.

How do I export my Contacts from my iPhone?

In Contacts on iCloud.com, select one or more contacts in the contacts list. in the sidebar, then choose Export vCard. If you select multiple contacts, Contacts exports a single vCard containing all of them.

Can I download my Contacts from my iPhone to my computer?

Let's see how to export contacts to computer... Connect your iPhone with USB or Wi-Fi. Click "Contacts" to view your iPhone Contacts. Hit "Copy as vCard" (PC) or "Copy to Mac" (Mac).

How do I transfer my whole iPhone Contacts?

Make sure you're signed into the same Apple ID on both devices (Settings > [your name]). On both iPhones, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Enable the Contacts toggle on both devices. Wait until the message about merging contacts appears and tap Merge.

How do I download my Contacts from iCloud?

On iCloud.com, go to Account Settings, then click Restore Contacts in the Advanced section. Available versions are listed by the date and time they were archived. To the right of the version you want to restore, click Restore.