3 Simple Ways to Back Up All Contacts on an iPhone

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Keep your contacts up-to-date and safe with this user-friendly guide
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Do you want to back up all your iPhone contacts for safekeeping? If you're worried about losing your contact information, you can easily sync it with iCloud . If you'd prefer to have an offline copy, you can back up your iPhone to your computer. This wikiHow teaches you how to back up the contacts on your iPhone using iCloud or a Windows or Mac computer.

Things You Should Know

  • Enabling Contacts syncing in your iCloud settings ensures your iPhone contacts are automatically backed up to the cloud.
  • With iCloud syncing , any changes you make to your iPhone contacts will instantly sync to your other devices.
  • If you prefer backing up to your computer, you can use iTunes for Windows or Finder on your Mac .
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using iCloud

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  1. This is the grey cog icon.
    • When you back up your iPhone contacts into iCloud, you can access them from other iOS devices, such as your iPad or Mac.
  2. Tap your Apple ID . It's the section at the top of the menu that contains your name and image, if you've added one. [1]
    • If you are not signed in, tap Sign in to (Your Device) , enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Sign In .
    • If you are running an older version of iOS, you may not need to do this step.
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  3. You can find this below Subscriptions .
  4. This will expand the list of available apps.
  5. The switch should be green.
    • Your iPhone contacts will be synced to iCloud . If you make any changes to the contacts on your iPhone, it will also reflect in iCloud.
    • If you have existing contacts in iCloud, you may be prompted to tap Merge to finish syncing.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using the Finder

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  1. Depending on your iPhone model, you'll need to use a USB to Lightning cable or USB to USB-C cable. [2]
    • To back up your iPhone using the Finder, you must have macOS 10.15 or later. For earlier versions, you'll need to use iTunes .
  2. Open the Finder . This is the blue and grey face icon.
  3. This will have an iPhone icon.
  4. You can find this at the top of the Finder window.
  5. This is in the middle of the window.
  6. Your iPhone will be backed up to your computer.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using iTunes

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  1. You'll be able to use iTunes to back up your iPhone along with the contacts. The iTunes icon looks like a pink-and-blue musical note in a white circle. [3]
  2. Depending on your iPhone model, you'll need to use a USB to Lightning cable or USB to USB-C cable.
  3. It may take a moment for it to appear.
    • If this is your first time connecting your iPhone, you may have to tap "Trust" on your iPhone's screen.
  4. You can find this below Backups .
    • Your iPhone will begin backing up to your computer. This process may take several minutes to complete.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I backup my iPhone contacts without iCloud?
    Mitch Harris
    Consumer Technology Expert
    Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University.
    Mitch Harris
    Consumer Technology Expert
    Expert Answer
    Use a different cloud provider! Apple communicates well with all different kinds. For instance, if you're a Google-oriented person, you might sync up your contacts with Gmail.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 2
  • Question
    How can you backup contacts from iPhone to computer?
    Mitch Harris
    Consumer Technology Expert
    Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University.
    Mitch Harris
    Consumer Technology Expert
    Expert Answer
    Create a hard backup by going to the iCloud website, or whatever your cloud host's site is.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 1
  • Question
    How do I copy the contacts from my phone to iCloud?
    Hamza Liaqat
    Community Answer
    Go to iCloud in Settings and make sure "Contacts" is turned on.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 52 Helpful 24
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/icloud/mm2e5b1c6686/1.0/icloud/1.0
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph3ecf67d29/ios
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/itunes/itns3280/windows

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Settings .
      2. Tap your Apple ID.
      3. Tap iCloud .
      4. Slide "Contacts" to the "On" position.
      5. Tap Merge , if prompted.

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      Reader Success Stories

      • A. Collins

        Mar 1, 2017

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