PHONES GUIDE
How to export contacts from an iPhone
Exporting creates a separate copy of contact information. Before choosing a method, check which account holds the contacts you need: exporting iCloud contacts will not automatically include every other list visible on your iPhone.
Choose the contacts you actually need
Open Contacts and review its lists or accounts. Separate personal contacts from a work directory or another provider's address book. Decide whether you want one list, selected people or every contact held in a particular account.
Check several important entries for phone numbers and email addresses. A list of names without the fields you need is not a complete migration. For work-managed information, confirm permission before exporting it to a personal device or account. Contact information belongs to other people as well as to you.
Export a list directly from the iPhone
Following Apple's iPhone export guide, open Contacts and tap Lists. Touch and hold the list you want, choose Export, select the fields to include and finish the selection. Then use the offered method to save or send the exported contact cards.
Choose a destination you control and can open away from the handset. Double-check the recipient if sharing privately. Export a suitable list rather than assuming that sharing one person's contact card creates a full address-book backup. Menu availability can depend on the installed software.
Use iCloud.com for contacts stored in iCloud
On a computer or tablet, sign into iCloud Contacts with the correct Apple Account. Select the contacts, or use the actions menu to select all, then use the share menu's Export vCard option. Apple's iCloud guide explains the current controls.
A multi-contact export produces one vCard file containing the chosen entries. Check that the contacts you expected were present on iCloud before exporting. Contacts held only by a separate provider need that provider's own appropriate export or sync route.
Verify the file before changing accounts or phones
Keep a secure copy and inspect it with a trusted contacts application where practical. Check names, telephone numbers, email addresses and any additional fields that matter to you. Compare a few records from the original and exported lists rather than relying only on the filename.
Read the receiving app's import instructions and consider duplicates before importing repeatedly. Avoid uploading a private address book to an unknown conversion service. If you need another format, use a trusted application or provider's supported process and review the output before discarding the original.
Keep exporting separate from preparing a phone for sale
An export does not remove the original contacts or clear the phone. Apple's archiving guide explains keeping copies of iCloud information. Confirm that the copy works before any destructive preparation.
For a handover, follow our iPhone reset guide after checking your retained information. Do not send your contact file or account credentials to EXE. A selling enquiry needs the phone's model, storage and condition, rather than its personal contents.
Sources and further guidance
Follow the official instructions for your own device and software version.
support.apple.com — iossupport.apple.com — icloudsupport.apple.com — 108306Tell us what you have.
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