How to Move Your Contacts to a New iPhone

The fastest way: use iCloud during setup

When you turn on a new iPhone for the first time, Apple walks you through a setup screen that asks if you want to restore from a backup. If you have an iCloud backup from your old iPhone, choose that option — your contacts come with it automatically, along with your photos, messages, and app data. This takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on how much data you have and your internet speed.

To make sure your old iPhone actually backed up to iCloud before you switch, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on your current phone and tap "Back Up Now". Wait for the backup to finish (you'll see a timestamp when it completes), then set up your new phone.

This method works whether your old phone is an iPhone or you're switching from Android — iCloud can restore from either one during the initial setup process.

Key Takeaways

During new iPhone setup, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" to move contacts along with photos, messages, and app data in one step.
Before switching phones, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap "Back Up Now" to ensure your contacts are saved.
If you only want contacts without other data, use the Contacts app to export them as a file, then import that file on your new phone.
If your old phone is Android, use Google Contacts or Samsung Smart Switch during iPhone setup to bring contacts over.
Contacts synced to your Apple ID automatically appear on your new iPhone once you sign in, even without a full backup.

Moving only contacts without other data

If you don't want to restore your entire backup — maybe you want a fresh start with a new phone but keep your contact list — you can export just your contacts. On your old iPhone, open the Contacts app, tap "Groups" in the top left, make sure "All Contacts" is selected, then tap "Select All" at the bottom. Tap "Share" and choose "AirDrop" or "Mail" to send them to yourself or another device.

On your new iPhone, when you receive the contact file, tap it to open it. The Contacts app will ask if you want to add these contacts — tap "Add All" and they'll import into your phone. This method works best if you have fewer than a few hundred contacts; for larger lists, the file can be slow to handle.

Contacts that sync automatically through your Apple ID

If you've been using iCloud Contacts on your old iPhone, your contacts are already stored in Apple's servers under your Apple ID. When you sign into your new iPhone with the same Apple ID, those contacts appear automatically without any extra steps — you don't need to restore a backup or import a file.

To check whether your contacts are syncing to iCloud on your old phone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and look for "Contacts" in the list. If it's toggled on (green), your contacts are already in the cloud. When you sign into your new phone with that same Apple ID, toggle iCloud Contacts on there too, and they'll sync within a few minutes.

Transferring contacts from an Android phone

If you're switching from Android, the easiest route is to use Google Contacts. On your Android phone, open the Contacts app, tap the menu (three horizontal lines), go to Settings > Export, and choose "Export to file". This creates a file of all your contacts. Email that file to yourself or save it to Google Drive.

When you set up your new iPhone, you'll see a screen asking about restoring data. Choose "Migrate Data from Android" and follow the prompts — you can upload that contacts file there. Alternatively, sign into your Google account on your new iPhone (Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security > Password), and your Google contacts will sync automatically.

If your Android phone is a Samsung, you can also use Samsung Smart Switch during iPhone setup, which handles the transfer directly without needing to export a file first.

What happens if you skip contact transfer during setup

If you finish setting up your new iPhone without transferring contacts, you can still add them later. The simplest way is to sign into your Apple ID in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and toggle "Contacts" on — any contacts stored in iCloud will appear within minutes. If your contacts were only on your old phone and never backed up to iCloud, you'll need to go back to that phone and export them as a file, then import that file on your new one.

This is why backing up to iCloud before you switch is worth the extra minute — it means you can recover your contacts even if your old phone is lost or damaged later.

Contacts stored only on your SIM card

Some older phones store contacts on the SIM card itself rather than in the phone's memory. If your old iPhone has contacts on the SIM, you can move them by putting that SIM into your new iPhone — the phone will ask if you want to import SIM contacts, and you can add them all at once. However, most iPhones store contacts in iCloud or the phone's storage, not on the SIM, so this applies mainly if you've specifically saved contacts to your SIM in the past.

After you import SIM contacts into your new iPhone, they'll be stored in the phone's memory and synced to iCloud if you have iCloud Contacts turned on. The SIM card itself doesn't need to stay in the phone for the contacts to remain accessible.

Troubleshooting contacts that don't appear

If you've restored from backup or signed into iCloud but some contacts are missing, check whether they're hidden. Open the Contacts app, tap "Groups" in the top left, and make sure all contact groups are selected (not just a subset like "iPhone" or "Work"). Sometimes contacts are organized into groups that are toggled off by default.

If contacts still don't show up, sign out of iCloud on your new phone (Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out), wait 30 seconds, then sign back in. This forces iCloud to resync. If you're migrating from Android and contacts aren't appearing, check that you've signed into your Google account in Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security, and that Google Contacts is toggled on in that account's settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer contacts without using iCloud?

Yes. Export your contacts as a file from your old phone's Contacts app, email the file to yourself, then open it on your new iPhone and tap "Add All". You can also sign into your Google account on your new iPhone if your contacts are stored in Google Contacts, and they'll sync automatically without needing iCloud.

What if my old iPhone is broken and I can't turn it on?

If you have an iCloud backup from before the phone broke, restore from that backup during new iPhone setup and your contacts will return. If you don't have a backup, contacts are lost unless you had them synced to Google Contacts or another service. This is why regular iCloud backups matter — they're your safety net if the phone itself fails.

Do I need to delete contacts from my old phone after transferring them?

No. Transferring contacts copies them; it doesn't remove them from your old phone. You can delete them manually if you want to clean up the old device, but it's not necessary for the transfer to work.

Will duplicate contacts appear if I restore a backup and also sign into iCloud?

Not usually. If you restore from an iCloud backup and sign into the same Apple ID, the system recognizes that the contacts are the same and doesn't create duplicates. However, if you import a contacts file and also have iCloud Contacts turned on, you may end up with duplicates — in that case, open Contacts, tap "Edit" in the top left, and manually delete the duplicates.

How long does it take for contacts to sync after I sign into iCloud?

Usually a few minutes, but it can take up to 15 minutes on a slow connection. Make sure you're connected to WiFi and that iCloud Contacts is toggled on in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. If contacts still haven't appeared after 20 minutes, try signing out of iCloud and signing back in.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.