How to Sync Contacts Across iPhone, Android, and Google

To sync contacts across your devices, pick one account to hold them, such as Google or iCloud, and turn on contact sync for that account on every phone and computer you use.

• Android: contacts saved to your Google Account sync automatically. Check under Settings > your profile > All services > Google Contacts sync.
• iPhone with Google Contacts: go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts > Add Account > Google, sign in, and turn on Contacts.
• iPhone with iCloud: go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > See All and turn on Contacts.
• Outlook: export your contacts as a CSV file and import it into the account you chose.

Once sync is on, a contact you add or edit on one device appears on the others. The detailed steps are below.

Choose one home for your contacts

Most sync problems come from keeping contacts in several places at once: some on the phone, some in Google, some in iCloud, and some in Outlook. Choose the account you use most:

How to sync Google Contacts on Android

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap your profile picture or icon, then All services.
3. Under Backup and restore, tap Google Contacts sync.
4. Select your account.
5. Tap View settings and turn on Sync to this device.

To sync right away, open the Contacts app and pull down on the contact list.

Contacts saved only to the phone may be labelled Phone, Device, or Local. They aren't in your Google Account until you move or back them up. Google's sync help for Android has the details. It also warns that turning off Google Contacts sync removes the contacts from the device, and changes that haven't reached Google are lost, so sync manually before you turn it off.

How to sync Google Contacts with an iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Contacts.
3. Tap Add account. If a Google Account is already set up, tap Accounts, then Add account.
4. Tap Google and sign in.
5. Choose which Google apps to sync. Turn on Contacts.
6. Tap Save, then open the Contacts app.

If contacts don't sync, go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts, tap your Google Account, and check that Contacts is on. Google also recommends checking Account > Advanced > Use SSL, then adding the account again if needed. See Google's sync help for iPhone and iPad.

How to sync iCloud contacts across Apple devices

1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
2. Tap See All (or Show All), then turn on Contacts.
3. On a Mac with macOS 15 or later, go to System Settings > [your name] > iCloud, click See All next to Saved to iCloud, and turn on Contacts.

Sign in with the same Apple Account on every device. If a device isn't signed in, or Contacts is off on it, it can't show your iCloud contacts. See Apple's Set up iCloud Contacts.

How to move Outlook contacts to Google or iCloud

Classic Outlook can export contacts to a CSV file:

1. In classic Outlook, select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
2. Choose Export to a file, then Comma Separated Values.
3. Select the Contacts folder you want to export and save the file.

Microsoft's Import or export contacts in Outlook using a .csv file covers the details, including new Outlook. Then import the file into Google Contacts with our guide to importing contacts into Google.

An export is a one-time copy, not a sync. After you import, choose one place to edit contacts from then on.

Fix duplicate contacts after syncing

Duplicates are common after you combine lists. In Google Contacts on a computer:

1. Open contacts.google.com.
2. Click Menu > Merge & fix.
3. Click Merge on a suggestion, or Merge all.

You can't merge contacts saved in different Google Accounts. See Google's Merge duplicate contacts.

When contacts still don't sync

• Check the account the contact was saved to. A contact saved to the phone or to another account won't appear in Google Contacts.
• Check that sync is on for that account, using the Android or iPhone steps above.
• Sync manually. On Android, pull down on the contact list in the Contacts app.
• Remove and add the account again if one device still won't update.

Use your contacts for sales follow-up

A synced address book tells you who someone is. It doesn't show where a deal stands or who on your team is following up. If you sell from Gmail, Sales CRM by Tooling Studio can import your Google Contacts and add organizations, deal stages, owners, notes, and tags, so the team shares one view of each customer. See the Google Contacts CRM guide for the setup.

Before a big import or merge, export a backup of your contacts. See how to export contacts from Gmail.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my contacts not syncing between my iPhone and Google?

Usually the Google Account isn't added in iOS Settings, or Contacts is turned off for it. Go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts, tap your Google Account, and turn on Contacts.

Can I sync iCloud contacts with Google Contacts automatically?

Neither Apple's nor Google's help describes automatic two-way sync between iCloud and Google Contacts. Choose one as the main account and use it on every device.

Will syncing create duplicate contacts?

It can, especially when the same people are saved in two places. Use Merge & fix in Google Contacts after the first sync.