6 Easy Ways to Backup Android Contacts [Step by Step]

The possibility of losing critical Android data is always present. To prevent suddenly losing critical Android contacts, you should make a habit of regularly backing them up. We’re going to offer three basic and straightforward ways for backing up contacts on Android phones in this article.

Method 1. Back up Android contacts to your SIM card

The newest Android smartphones complicate the process of storing contacts on the SIM card. Google’s official Contacts app now supports just SIM card-based contact imports, but not exports. Similarly, you can no longer add contacts to your SIM card separately via such app. This may be because this procedure is seen unneeded in the modern day, since more convenient options exist.

Some of you may be utilizing manufacturer-provided Contacts applications that enable you to move contacts to your SIM card. This is true of Samsung’s Contacts app. If you’re using Samsung’s app, just touch the three-line menu button, go to Manage contacts, tap Import/export contacts, choose Export, select SIM card, and tap Export. The procedure may be similar for non-Google contacts applications.

Method 2. Back up Android contacts using an SD card or USB storage

Certain individuals prefer to do things the old-fashioned way or are skeptical about the cloud. This is why backing up Android contacts to external storage is another important method to ensure the safety of your numbers. This may be accomplished with an SD card or any other USB storage device.

• Launch the Contacts app.
• Navigate to Settings by clicking the three-line menu button.
• Click on Export.
• Specify the location of your contact files. It would be located on your SD card or USB storage device in this instance.
• Obey all instructions and store your storage device in a secure location. Additionally, you may save it in your cloud service and retrieve it as required.

Method 3. Back up Android contacts using the Google Contacts app

Before we get into exporting contacts and other data, it’s worth mentioning that if you store your phone numbers to the Google Contacts app and have your account configured to backup and sync to Google Drive, they will be automatically saved in the cloud. Additionally, it may generate entries from contacts saved in other applications, provided they are not stored on your SIM card or are already synced to cloud services (the example being Exchange).

Due to the fact that most Android phones come with several contacts apps, the one you want is named Contacts and has the symbol of a white silhouette within a blue circle.

Any information you provide inside this app will be saved on Google servers and may be readily recovered if you switch devices, as long as you check in with your Google account.

Step 1. Open Contacts and touch on the three lines in the upper left corner. Select Settings > Contact sync settings from the menu that opens. You’ll be given with two options: Automatically sync Google contacts and Back up and sync device contacts.

Step 2. Select Manage settings and then enable the Automatically backup and sync device contacts option. You’ll need to authenticate your Google account, but once done, you’ll see your Backup Account mentioned on the Back up & sync page, and any contacts on your smartphone should now have Google Contact doppelgangers (with the exceptions stated above).

Step 3. Returning to the Contact sync settings page, select Manage options under Automatically back up and sync device contacts, and then toggle the Automatically sync option on.

Step 4. Open the Settings app on your phone and go to Google Settings > Backup. Ensure that the option to backup to Google Drive is enabled.

Method 4. Back up Android contacts using Google Account Manually

When you sign in to your Google account on a new phone, it immediately syncs your data. If you wish to sync your contacts manually or export them to a different file, you may upload them to Google.

Step 1. Sync Contacts to a Google Account Manually

1. Navigate to the Settings menu on your smartphone.
2. Navigate to Accounts.
3. If you have more than one account, choose the one you want to update.
4. Choose Account sync > More (three vertical dots) > Sync now from the menu.

Note: Manual synchronization updates your account data for all Google applications, even those that do not use auto-sync.

Step 2. Back Up Contacts on Android by Exporting Them

You may export the contacts saved on your device’s hard drive or SIM card to a.vcf file. This allows you to transfer your contacts to a new phone.

1. On your Android phone, open the Contacts app.
2. Navigate to Menu > Preferences > Export.
3. If you have several accounts, choose the one from which you’d want to export your contacts.
4. Click Save to save the.vcf file.



5. Once you’ve obtained the.vcf file, save it securely, either on removable media such as a SIM or memory card, or in the cloud through services like as Google Drive or Gmail.

Step 3. Import Contacts from a VCF File

To transfer your previously saved.vcf file to a new phone:

1. Select Settings > Import >.vcf file in the Contacts app.
2. Select the Menu icon in the Downloads manager and go to the location where you stored the file (such as Google Drive or an SD card).
3. After you choose the.vcf file, Google imports the data to your phone automatically.

Method 5. Back up Android contacts using AirMore

Install the tool ‘AirMore’ from the Google Play store. Run this application on your phone. Then scan the QR code using the "Scan to connect" button. Connect your PC and phone to the same Wi-Fi network.

When you press "Accept" on your mobile device, the message "Requesting to connect" appears. This manner, the phone’s primary information becomes accessible on the PC screen.

Select "Contacts." Select the contacts you want to backup. Select "Export" and your contacts will be backed up to your PC.

Method 6. Back up Android contacts using MobileTrans

MobileTrans – Backup is an incredible one-click data transfer utility for many phones. Android, iOS, and Windows Phone are all included. Contacts may be moved between any of these devices using our Android contacts backup application.

1. Simple procedure requiring just a click-through.
2. Transferring data across devices running different operating systems, for example, from iOS to Android.
3. Transfer contacts and a variety of different kinds of files.
4. Compatible with ZTE, Motorola, Huawei, Google, Sony, LG, HTC, Samsung, and Apple, amongst others.
5. Compatible with all major carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.
6. MobileTrans’s contact backup for Android is very simple:

How to Use MobileTrans to Backup Android Contacts

The next section details the step-by-step procedure for backing up contacts between any two phones.

Step 1. Connect devices in the first step. Connect both Android and iOS devices. Then, under MobileTrans, select "Phone transfer." The transmitter and receiver positions of devices may be switched.

Step 2. Choose which contacts/files to transmit. Select the contacts and files that you want to backup. Select "Start". You may ‘Check’ at the destination device to determine if data on the destination device needs to be deleted. The data transmission process will begin. Allow it to continue till it is completed.

Step 3. Review and verify. The process of backing up chosen contacts/files is visible in progress.