To sync your iPhone contacts to iCloud, open Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap See All (or Show All) under Saved to iCloud, and turn on Contacts. If your iPhone asks what to do with the contacts already on the phone, tap Merge to upload them to iCloud. From then on, any contact you add or edit on your iPhone appears on your iPad, Mac and at icloud.com, and the reverse.
Below are the full steps, how to check that your contacts actually uploaded, how to move contacts stored in Gmail or “On My iPhone” into iCloud, and what to do when syncing doesn’t work.
Before you start
- Sign in to your iPhone with your Apple Account. If you see Sign in to your iPhone at the top of Settings, tap it first.
- Connect to Wi-Fi or turn on cellular data.
- Make sure you have some free iCloud storage. Contacts use very little space, but syncing stops if your iCloud storage is completely full. Check it in Settings > your name > iCloud.
How to turn on iCloud Contacts on an iPhone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud.
- Under Saved to iCloud (or Apps Using iCloud), tap See All.
- Turn on Contacts.
- If asked, tap Merge.
Upload can take a few minutes for a large address book. Keep your iPhone connected and the Contacts app closed while it finishes.
Make iCloud your default contacts account
If you also have Gmail, Outlook or Exchange contacts on your iPhone, new contacts may be saved to one of those instead of iCloud.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Contacts. On iOS 17 and earlier, go to Settings > Contacts.
- Tap Default Account.
- Choose iCloud.
The Default Account option appears only when you have more than one contacts account turned on.
Check that your contacts are in iCloud
- On a computer, go to icloud.com/contacts and sign in with the same Apple Account.
- Check that your contacts appear and the count looks right.
- On your iPhone, open Contacts, tap Lists at the top left, and look at the iCloud list to see how many contacts are stored there.
Move contacts from “On My iPhone” or Gmail to iCloud
Contacts stored in another account don’t move to iCloud automatically when you turn on iCloud Contacts. Here’s how to bring them over.
Contacts listed under On My iPhone
When you turn on iCloud Contacts and tap Merge, contacts stored only on the iPhone are uploaded. If you missed that prompt, turn iCloud Contacts off (choose Keep on My iPhone), then turn it on again and tap Merge.
Contacts in Gmail, Outlook or another account
- Export them from the other service as a vCard (.vcf) file. In Google Contacts on a computer, select the contacts and choose Export > vCard (for iOS Contacts).
- Go to icloud.com/contacts, click the + button, choose Import Contact, and select the file.
- To avoid seeing the same people twice, turn off contacts for the other account in Settings > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts.
Contacts on a SIM card
Some iPhones can import from a SIM. Go to Settings > Apps > Contacts > Import SIM Contacts and choose iCloud as the destination.
If iCloud Contacts isn’t syncing
- Check the Apple Account. All your devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account. Compare the email address at the top of Settings on each one.
- Turn Contacts off and on. Turn off Contacts in iCloud settings, choose Keep on My iPhone, wait a minute, turn it back on, and tap Merge.
- Check iCloud system status. Apple’s System Status page shows whether Contacts is having an outage.
- Look at Lists. In the Contacts app, tap Lists and make sure All iCloud is selected, so iCloud contacts aren’t hidden.
- Restart and update. Restart your iPhone and install updates in Settings > General > Software Update.
- Free up iCloud storage. If iCloud storage is full, delete old backups or large files, or upgrade your plan.
What iCloud Contacts syncs
| Synced | Not synced |
|---|---|
| Names, numbers, email and street addresses | Contacts stored in Gmail, Outlook or Exchange accounts |
| Contact photos and Contact Posters | Recent calls and call history (synced separately) |
| Birthdays, notes and custom labels | Blocked numbers list (synced separately) |
| Contact lists (groups) you create | Favorites order in the Phone app on some versions |
Related: stop syncing iPhone contacts to iCloud.
Related: back up iPhone contacts to Gmail.
Frequently asked questions
Does iCloud Backup include my contacts?
If iCloud Contacts is on, your contacts are stored in iCloud itself and aren’t duplicated in your iCloud backup. If it’s off, your contacts are included in your iPhone backup.
Will syncing to iCloud create duplicate contacts?
It can if the same people are saved in two accounts. The Contacts app can find and merge duplicates, and you can turn off the extra account.
Can I see my iCloud contacts on a Windows PC?
Yes. Go to icloud.com/contacts in a browser, or install iCloud for Windows to sync contacts with Outlook.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.