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 choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in with the same Apple ID you used on your old phone, your new iPhone will pull down all your contacts automatically. This happens in the background while you finish setup — you do not have to do anything else.

This method works only if you have been backing up to iCloud on your old phone. If you are not sure whether backups are turned on, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on your old phone and check whether the toggle is green. If it is, your contacts are already stored there.

The trade-off: restoring a full iCloud backup also brings over your apps, photos, messages, and settings. If you want only your contacts and nothing else, use one of the methods below instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Restoring from an iCloud backup during new iPhone setup transfers contacts automatically if you use the same Apple ID on both phones.
  • If you want contacts only without restoring apps, photos, and settings, export your contacts to a file on your old phone and import them on the new one.
  • You can also use AirDrop to send contacts one at a time or in groups if you have both phones in the same room.
  • If your old phone is not available, you can recover contacts from a previous iCloud backup through iCloud.com on any computer or browser.

Export and import contacts as a file

On your old iPhone, open the Contacts app, tap "Groups" in the top left corner, and make sure "All Contacts" is selected. Then press and hold on any contact until a menu appears, tap "Select All," and tap "Share." Choose "AirDrop" if your new phone is nearby, or email the file to yourself.

The file arrives as a .vcf file (a standard contact format). On your new iPhone, tap the file in Mail or AirDrop, and your phone will ask whether you want to add these contacts. Tap "Add All" and they will appear in your Contacts app within seconds.

This method gives you control over exactly what transfers — only contacts, nothing else. The downside is that it works only if your old phone is still working. If the old phone is broken or lost, use the iCloud recovery method instead.

Use AirDrop to send contacts one by one

If you have both iPhones in the same room and only need to transfer a few contacts, AirDrop is the simplest approach. Open Contacts on your old phone, tap the person's name, tap "Share Contact," and tap "AirDrop." Select your new iPhone from the list, and the contact appears on the new phone instantly.

You can also select multiple contacts at once by tapping "Select" in the Contacts app, checking the boxes next to the names you want, tapping "Share," and choosing AirDrop. This is faster than doing them one at a time if you have more than a handful to move.

AirDrop requires both phones to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and they need to be within about 30 feet of each other. If AirDrop is not working, check that both phones have it enabled in Control Center.

Recover contacts from iCloud if your old phone is gone

If your old iPhone is lost, broken, or no longer available, you can still recover your contacts from a previous iCloud backup. Go to iCloud.com on any computer or web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and click "Account Settings." Scroll down to "Advanced" and click "Restore Contacts."

iCloud shows you a list of backup dates. Choose the date closest to when you last used your old phone, and iCloud will restore those contacts to your account. Once the restore is complete, sign into your new iPhone with the same Apple ID, and the contacts will sync automatically.

This process takes a few minutes, and iCloud will replace any contacts already on your new phone with the ones from the backup you chose. If you have added new contacts to your new phone that you want to keep, do not use this method — instead, export contacts from your old phone's backup through a computer using Finder or iTunes.

Transfer contacts using a computer and Finder

If you have access to your old iPhone and a Mac, you can use Finder to move contacts without restoring a full backup. Connect your old iPhone to the Mac with a USB cable, open Finder, click your phone's name in the sidebar, and click "Info." Check the box next to "Sync Contacts," choose which contacts to sync (all contacts or specific groups), and click "Apply."

Then disconnect the old phone, connect your new iPhone, and repeat the same steps. Finder will sync the same contacts to your new phone. This method is slower than iCloud or AirDrop but gives you precise control over which contacts move and leaves everything else on both phones untouched.

On a Windows computer, use iTunes instead of Finder. The steps are the same: connect the old phone, check "Sync Contacts," apply, then connect the new phone and repeat.

What to do if contacts are missing after transfer

If some contacts did not show up on your new iPhone, first check whether they are hidden. Open Settings > Contacts > Sort Order and make sure contacts are not filtered by a specific group. Then go back to Contacts and tap "Groups" to verify that "All Contacts" is selected.

If contacts are still missing, check your iCloud settings on the new phone. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and make sure the Contacts toggle is turned on. If it was off, turn it on and wait a few minutes for iCloud to sync.

If you transferred contacts using a file or AirDrop and some did not come through, try the process again. Occasionally a contact with unusual formatting or special characters will fail to transfer — in that case, you can add it manually or ask the person to send you their contact card again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my contacts transfer if I use a different Apple ID on my new phone?

No. Contacts stored in iCloud are tied to your Apple ID. If you sign in with a different Apple ID on your new phone, you will not see those contacts. Use the file export method instead, or sign in with your original Apple ID and then change it afterward if you need to.

Can I transfer contacts from an iPhone to an Android phone?

Yes, but not through iCloud. Export your contacts as a .vcf file on your iPhone, email the file to yourself, and open it on your Android phone. Android will import the contacts into your default contacts app. Some Android phones also let you sign into your iCloud account in Settings to sync contacts directly.

What happens to contacts if I do not back up before getting a new phone?

If you never turned on iCloud Backup on your old phone, your contacts exist only on that device. You will need the old phone to transfer them. If the old phone is gone, contacts cannot be recovered unless you had synced them to a computer using iTunes or Finder at some point in the past.

Do I need both phones at the same time to transfer contacts?

Not if you use iCloud. As long as you sign into your new phone with the same Apple ID, contacts sync automatically from iCloud. You only need both phones at the same time if you use AirDrop or want to transfer contacts using a computer and Finder.