Somewhere in August, I sold off my three-year-old iPhone to one of my friends. Since I hadn’t used it to take any memorable photos, I just wanted to export all my contacts to my PC in CSV format so that I could open the file with Microsoft Excel and many other applications.
I know very few things about iOS. Even though I knew that I could back up all my contacts and data to my Windows 10 and 11 PC with the help of iTunes software, I wanted to use a better way as I wanted to back up nothing but my contacts. Moreover, as far as I know, iTunes can’t export contacts saved on iPhone in CSV format.
A quick search on the web revealed that backing up iPhone contacts task is not as easy as importing photos from an iPhone Windows PC. While there are plenty of applications out there to back up or export iPhone contacts, most of them either are paid or don’t support exporting a large number of contacts in the free version.
After searching the Store and installing a couple of apps, I finally came across a nice, free app that can backup or export all contacts saved in iPhone in CSV format.
My Contacts Backup is a free app for iPhone to quickly backup your contacts without the help of iTunes or any other software. Just install My Contacts Backup and then follow the given below instructions to export your iPhone contacts in CSV format.
Do note that My Contacts Backup is completely free but make sure that you’re installing the right version, as a Pro version of My Contacts Backup is also available.
Backup iPhone contacts in CSV or vCard format
Step 1: Open My Contacts Backup app.
Step 2: If you want to export your contacts in CSV format, tap the settings icon and then change the export type to CSV from the default vCard. And if you are fine with the vCard format, skip to the next step.
Step 3: Tap the Export button to back up all contacts first. Once the backup is completed, you’ll see the Email button.
And, if you have skipped Step 2 to backup contacts in vCard format, you’ll see the Email option instead of Export.
Step 4: Tap the Email button, enter the mail address to which you want to send the CSV file containing contacts, and finally, Tap the Send button.
Step 5: Sign in to your email account on your PC, open up the message containing the CSV file as an attachment, and then download the same to your PC. That’s all!
Easy Contacts Backup is another good app to back up contacts to your email.
Jose Mancera says
Very clear and thorough article. Now that it is may 2020, I see that there have been no updates to the app in several years, including the non Pro version. Maybe that is why there are many disappointments. IT DIDN’T’ WORK FOR ME. I got it to do everything up to the emailing of the list. But in the 30 minutes since then, I haven’t received my emails. on my PC nor my iPhone. I did a test email to myself, and I got it within a few seconds. I tried the Send all contacts with CSV format, then the vcard format. No emails still. It has excellent user interface, and one improvement, apart from no getting my email, IN CASE THE DEVELOPERS ARE STILL IN EXISTENCE AND READ THIS, please add the ability to save on our iphones. we only have the option to email. the app also gives you the option to get reminders per week or month. It also removes duplicates, but I recommend that the developer provide more information as to what info one contact has that the other doesn’t. So I recommend to those that have this working, to only send yourself all your contacts without deleting duplicates. Good article. Thanks, but it is the developers problem now. Jose, Torrance CA, Good health to all.
Billb says
Didn’t export all data. Some contacts listed in csv but not email or phone for them but my iphone had email and phone for them. Tried it twice following same procedure,
k.Tib says
‘Weird symbols’ in the csv file:
Choose ‘Data’ > ‘From Text’ in excel then select and load the csv file. Then you can choose the proper character encoding.
k.Tib says
If ‘My Contacts Backup’ does not send the mail. >>
– Download AnyTrans for iOS (7 day trial). Connect your phone then run software.
– Scroll down in anytrans then choose ‘Apps’,
– Select MCBackup then ‘View’.
– In the form showing up, you can download the .csv file generated by ‘My Contacts Backup’.
miriam says
Hi, Thanks for your advice. I downloaded the app and emailed the csv file to myself. The only problem is that I am getting weird symbols in my phone columns and I’m wondering if there is any way to fix this? I tried converting it to excel and then downloading the v card file and converting that to excel also, always with the same results. Any tips?
Patrick OMalley says
They don’t tell you until you try to mail it that you have to pay
Ron says
What I need to know is can I edit the csv file and then replace my iPhone contacts with the edited file? And can I do this without using iCloud because iCloud already contains my Mac contacts and I don’t want to mess with that just yet.
D says
Simply great – works smoothly and perfectly, thank you for sharing!