How to transfer contacts from android to another android

Bought a new phone? One of the first things you should do is transfer your contacts list.

Not only will it mean you can still easily get in touch with friends and family, but you won't lose the vital details of trusted plumbers and labourers.

In this particular guide we catering to Android users who want to transfer phone numbers to another Android phone, or to an iPhone. There are several ways to do get your contacts across, none of which require any special knowhow. We’ll outline each of the methods in turn.

Follow these steps and we’ll help you transfer your contacts as painlessly and quickly as possible.

Haven't chosen your new phone yet? Take a look at our pick of the best deals on new phones at our handset comparison page.

Need some help choosing a new phone? Take a look at our smartphone reviews section.

1) Transferring your contacts via Google Cloud

The simplest way to transfer your contacts from your current Android phone to another handset is to take advantage of the very reliable Google Cloud back-up service, which is available on all Android devices.

The great advantage of transferring your contacts this way is that once you’ve set up Google Cloud you won’t have to worry about transferring contacts again in future.

That’s because going forward, they’ll be synchronised with any of your Android devices in which you have signed in with your Google account.

If you’re already signed in with your Google account, it’s likely that the contacts are already synced.

If you’re unsure, go to Settings > Accounts > Google and check that Contacts is switched on:

How to transfer contacts from android to another android

If it's not, activate it and in a few minutes all your contacts will be synced to your Google account.

If you use Gmail, the contacts should also appear there, complete with telephone numbers.

If you’re switching to another Android phone, you’ll be prompted to enter your Google details when you first set it up.

If that's not the case, go to Settings > Accounts > Add new + and choose Google.

In a few minutes, all your contacts will appear on your new Android phone

If you’re switching to an iPhone (or iPad), open the Settings app. Select **Accounts > Add Account > and select “Google”.

Your Google contacts will be synced in the Contacts app.

How to transfer contacts from android to another android

Latest iPhone deals

2) Transfer your contacts by saving them to SIM

If you’re not happy with linking all of your contacts with your Google account, or you don’t plan to set up a Google account on your new phone, you can use the old-fashioned method of storing your contacts on your SIM.

First of all, make sure the SIM card from your previous phone fits into your new handset.

This is critical, because if it doesn’t fit you won’t be able to transfer your contacts using this method.

Checked the SIM fits? It does, you say? Good news. The next step is to take your old phone and open the Contacts app and find the settings menu.

This may look different depending on your phone, but it is generally located on the top right of your main Contacts screen.

How to transfer contacts from android to another android

Your next move is choose Import/Export(or just Export on some phones), then “Export to SIM card”

Now you can transfer your contacts into your new phone using your old SIM.

If you’re transferring to a new Android phone, insert the old SIM and open Contacts, then Settings > Import/Export > Import from SIM card.

If you’re transferring to a new iPhone, go to Settings > Contacts and then Import SIM contacts.

Once the transfer is complete you can swap the old SIM with the new.

3) Switching from Android to an iPhone? You can use Apple's Move to iOS

How to transfer contacts from android to another android

Apple's extremely handy Move to iOS app is probably the best tool to help with you switch from an Android to an iPhone.

As well as transferring contacts, this neat app also syncs all your messages, photos, calendars and even suggests iOS alternatives to your existing Android apps.

Download Move to iOS for Android.

Need some help transferring your phone number to a new network? You'll find all the help you need with our one-stop guide.

Want help choosing a new provider? Or need some international roaming tips? Or ways to get the most out of your phone? Take a look at our mobile guides.

Latest iPhone deals