How to sync iCloud contacts with Google Contacts

You save a new contact on your iPhone, and it goes to iCloud. Later you open Google on a laptop, and the contact isn't there.

Why iCloud and Google Contacts don't sync

Apple keeps your contacts in iCloud. Google keeps them in your Google account. Each one syncs your contacts to its own account and its own apps. By default, neither syncs with the other.

An iPhone can show contacts from both accounts in one list. That is a view, not a sync. Each contact is still stored in one account.

Option 1: add your Google account to your iPhone

This puts your Google contacts in the iPhone Contacts app, next to your iCloud contacts.

1. Open Settings, then Apps, then Contacts.
2. Tap Contacts Accounts, then Add Account.
3. Choose Google, sign in and turn on Contacts.

The menu names differ a little on older versions of iOS.

Then choose where new contacts go, under Settings › Apps › Contacts › Default Account. A new contact is added to the default account, iCloud or Google, and only to that one.

This shows both accounts in one list. It doesn't copy contacts from one account to the other.

Option 2: copy your contacts once with a file

This is the right tool for a one-time move, such as when you stop using iCloud. It is free.

1. On a computer, open iCloud.com and open Contacts.
2. Click Actions and choose Select All Contacts. Then click Share and choose Export vCard.
3. Open Google Contacts and click Import.
4. Choose the file you exported and import it.

Google lists the import steps. To keep a backup of your iCloud contacts first, see how to export a vCard from iCloud.

A file is a copy from the day you export it. When you edit a contact in iCloud later, the change doesn't reach Google. When Google already has some of the same people, check for duplicates after the import. Here is how in Google Contacts.

Keep iCloud and Google Contacts the same with ContactZapp

ContactZapp keeps one contact list across Google, Microsoft, Apple and CardDAV. For iCloud and Google, it sends changes both ways and finds the same person in both accounts.

1. 1

   Connect your Google account

   Choose Google and sign in. ContactZapp reads the account and sends changes to it.

2. 2

   Connect iCloud

   Use an app-specific password, not your Apple Account password. Create one at account.apple.com, under Sign-In and Security › App-Specific Passwords. ContactZapp shows these steps when you connect. A new password can take a few minutes before Apple accepts it.

3. 3

   Choose how often to sync

   Choose hourly, daily or only when you ask. It starts on manual.

4. 4

   Check the first run

   The Sync log shows each run and its result. Every change is kept for 12 months, and you can undo it.

From then on, an edit in iCloud or in Google goes to the other account at the next sync. You don't need an app on your iPhone. It gets the contacts through the account it already syncs with.

ContactZapp takes a backup of each account before it first writes to it. To copy from iCloud without changing it, make the account read-only. ContactZapp reads a read-only account and never writes to it.

The short version

Apple and Google don't sync contacts with each other by default. Adding your Google account to an iPhone shows both in one list. A vCard file copies your contacts once. To keep iCloud and Google Contacts the same after that, use a sync that finds duplicates and lets you undo what it did.

For duplicates inside iCloud, see how to remove duplicate contacts on iPhone, Mac and iCloud. For the same person in both accounts, see how to merge contacts across accounts.

FAQ

Does iCloud sync with Google Contacts? Not by default. Apple syncs your contacts to iCloud and Google syncs them to your Google account. They don't sync with each other.

How do I sync my iPhone contacts with Google? Add your Google account in Settings and turn on Contacts. Your iPhone then shows your Google contacts. To copy your iCloud contacts to Google, export a vCard from iCloud.com and import it in Google Contacts. To keep both the same after that, use a sync such as ContactZapp.

Can I sync iCloud and Google contacts for free? Yes. The free plan has 2 accounts, no time limit and no card. It syncs 100 contacts between your accounts, and it works with an address book of any size. The pricing page lists the paid plans.

Do I need an app on my iPhone? No. ContactZapp is a web app. Your iPhone gets the contacts through the account it already syncs with.

What happens if I delete a contact? If you delete a contact, we delete it from all your accounts. You can restore it for 12 months.

Will syncing create duplicates? ContactZapp finds the same person in iCloud and Google by name, email, phone and address. If you want to merge by hand, we show the contacts side by side and suggest the values to keep. A merge keeps every phone number, email and address.

Is it safe to connect my iCloud account? We back up each account before the first change. You can undo any change or merge for 12 months, and you can make an account read-only. Your contacts are encrypted and private.