How to copy iCloud contacts to Google Contacts using iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC

This handy tutorial shows you how to copy iCloud contacts on your iPhone or Mac to Google Contacts.

Copy iCloud Contacts to Google Contacts

Why export iCloud contacts to Google/Gmail?

Most people moving from Android to iPhone look for ways to get Google contacts on iPhone. However, if you’re planning to sell your iPhone and move to Android, you must know how to have your iCloud contacts on Google so that they can appear on your Android phone.

Secondly, if you use Google Contacts for work or business, you might also want to have your iCloud contacts on it. This ensures everything is in one place.

Finally, your contacts are safely backed up and stored in iCloud. But to have them stored in a second location as well, you can copy iCloud contacts to Gmail. This way, if you accidentally delete one or all contacts from iCloud and can’t restore them, you still have a copy on Google.

How to copy iCloud contacts to Google

You have the same iCloud Contacts on all your Apple devices as they sync via iCloud. Therefore, depending on your choice, you can use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to transfer them to Google Contacts. If you ask me, I prefer using my Mac.

On iPhone or iPad

Here’s how to copy iCloud contacts to Google on iPhone or iPad:

1) Get the Exports Contacts app and allow it to access your contacts.

2) Make sure vCard is selected, and tap Continue.

3) Once the app gets the file ready, tap Export.

4) Choose Save to Files from the iOS Share Sheet, select a folder, and tap Save.

Export Contacts app at work on iPhone

5) Go to contacts.google.com and sign in with your Google account if you aren’t already.

6) Tap the three lines button from the top left and choose Import.

7) Choose Select file and pick the contacts.vcf file you saved in step 4 above.

8) Select Import.

Import vCard to Google Contacts on iPhone

Google Contacts will now import your iCloud Contacts and save them safely here. You can access these contacts anytime on contacts.google.com. Alternatively, if you add this Google account to your iPhone or Android phone, these contacts will automatically appear in the iOS or Android Contacts app.

On Mac

Copying your iCloud contacts to Google is effortless on your Mac, and you have two quick ways to do that.

Drag & drop inside the macOS Contacts app

Here’s how to have your iCloud contacts on Google using the Mac’s Contacts app:

1) Open the Contacts app and press Control + Command + S to show the groups sidebar. Here, do you see your Google account? If yes, move to step 3. If not, follow step 2.

Google account added to Mac Contacts app

2) Click Contacts > Accounts from the top menu bar. In the System Preferences window that opens, ensure your Google account is added, and Contacts is checked. If not, click the plus icon > Google and add your Google account to your Mac. After that, return to your Mac’s Contacts app.

Google account added to Mac

3) From the left sidebar, select All iCloud, which will show only your iCloud contacts.

4) Click any contact and then press Command + A to select all your iCloud contacts. If you want to select just a few, press and hold the Command key and click the desired contacts.

5) Now, drag the selected iCloud contacts onto your Google account shown in the left sidebar.

Drag iCloud Contacts to copy it to Google in Mac Contacts app

That’s it. You have copied your iCloud contacts to Google. To confirm, click your Google account in the left sidebar, and it will show the contacts. After about a minute, visit contacts.google.com and sign in with this Google account. You will see all your iCloud contacts here, which signifies that your contacts are now uploaded and stored on Google.

Export and import vCard file

If you don’t want to add your Google account to your Mac, you can use the Contacts app to create a vCard (VCF file) of your iCloud contacts and then import that file to Google Contacts. Here’s how:

1) Open Mac’s Contacts app and press Command + A to select all your iCloud Contacts.

2) Control-click or right-click and choose Export vCard. You can also look at the top menu bar and click File > Export > Export vCard.

Export vCard Mac Contacts app

3) Select a Finder location and click Save. Your iCloud Contacts are now saved as a VCF file.

4) Visit contacts.google.com and make sure you’re signed in using the Google account of your choice.

5) Click Import > Select file. Now, pick the file you created and saved in steps 2 and 3 above and click Open.

Import in Google Contacts on web

6) Finally, click Import.

Google Contacts will upload the VCF file, read all the contacts in the file, and save them to your Google account.

Note that Google Contacts may fail to import all contacts if you have a huge number of contacts in a single VCF file (like above 700 contacts). In that case, try again or create several smaller vCard files.

On Windows PC

If you use a Windows PC, simply head over to iCloud.com in Microsoft Edge or Chrome and sign in with your Apple ID. After that, follow these steps to export iCloud contacts and import them to Google:

1) Inside iCloud, pick Contacts.

2) Select all your iCloud contacts by pressing Control + A.

3) Click the gear icon from the bottom left and choose Export vCard.

Export vCard from iCloud on PC

4) Once you have your iCloud contacts downloaded to your PC, follow the same steps as above to import them to Google Contacts.

How to use only Google Contacts on iPhone (and not iCloud)

If you often switch mobile phones across platforms (iOS and Android), it would help to sync your contacts only to your Google account, which can be used on both platforms with ease.

Follow these steps to stop using iCloud Contacts on your iPhone and sync your contacts only to Google:

1) First, follow one of the above methods to export your iCloud contacts to Google.

2) After that, open iPhone Settings and tap your name from the top.

3) Tap iCloud and switch off Contacts. From the slide-up alert that appears, you can tap Delete from My iPhone. This will only remove the contacts from your device but keep them saved to iCloud and your other Apple devices. Plus, as these contacts are already in your Google account (step 1), you will see them on your iPhone again in step 5 below.

Delete from My iPhone in iCloud Contacts on iPhone

4) From the first page of the Settings app, tap Contacts > Accounts and make sure your Google account is added and Contacts enabled. If not, tap Add Account > Google and sign in with your account.

Google Contacts on iPhone

5) Once everything is set, open the Contacts app, and you should see all your phone numbers here.

You’re now only using Google Contacts on your iPhone and not iCloud Contacts. Any new contact you save will be stored in your Google account. Plus, if you delete a contact from your iPhone, the same will also disappear from Google and your Android phone or iPhone where you’re using this Google account.

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