Move Your Contacts from Google to iCloud

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If you use Android devices and Google services, this is simple: just use Google Contacts. It’s integrated into everything Google, and works like a charm. This is also ideal if you use a mix of Android and iOS devices, since Google Contacts can sync with pretty much any platform.

If, however, you use exclusively Apple devices, you have a choice: use Apple’s iCloud, or use Google Contacts. iCloud is designed to work seamlessly with iOS devices, and if you use iCloud or Apple’s Mail app everywhere for your email, it’s the obvious choice. but if you have an iPhone and/or iPad and use Gmail on the web for your email, it may still be a good idea to use Google Contacts—that way, your contacts are synced between your phones, tablets, and your web-based email.

Alright, here’s how to sync your contacts with either service.

If you’ve decided to move away from Google Contacts and are now all about that iCloud life, getting contacts from one service to another isn’t actually as easy as it should be. One would assume that if you have both your iCloud and Gmail accounts set to sync contacts on your iPhone that the two will stay in sync with each other, but that’s not how it works. At all.

In fact, I incorrectly assumed for months that my Google contacts were also syncing to iCloud…until I actually checked my iCloud contacts. Turns out, no.

If you want to move your Google contacts over to iCloud, you’ll have to do it manually from your computer. It’s the easiest way.

First, log in to your Google Contacts account on the web. If you’re using the new Contacts Preview, you’ll need to switch to the old version before proceeding.

From there, tap the More button at the top, then choose Export.

On the Export screen, choose vCard, then click the Export button. Save the file.

Now log in to your iCloud account and choose Contacts.

Click the little cog icon in the bottom left corner, then select Import vCard. Choose the vCard you just downloaded from Google.

Give it a few minutes to import, a poof—all your Google contacts are now in iCloud.