5 ways to transfer contacts to new iPhone 13/12/11 (2023)

After reading this article you will learnfive ways to transfer contacts to new iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11 or earlier iPhones. Whether you want to AirDrop contacts or transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud, you can find the solution here.

Whenever you switch to a new iPhone, you will want to take the files, especially contacts and photos, from the old iPhone with you. In our previous article, we detailed how to do itTransfer photos from iPhone to iPhonein different ways. Here we will show you how to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone in five workable ways. (You can also transfer contacts from a computer to a new iPhone. If you want to do that, learn moreHere's how to transfer contacts from Mac to iPhone.)

How to transfer contacts to new iPhone 13/12/11 in 5 ways

The five methods below are all useful to help you transfer contacts to new iPhone. Some of them require a USB cable while others may require a network connection. Select the most suitable application method for your requirements.

Method 1. Transfer contacts from one iPhone to another at once

"How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud?" asked many users. One of the answers to the question is to use a reliable iOS data transfer software tool like iOSEaseUS MobiMover. EaseUS MobiMover helps you transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone at once or selectively without iCloud or iTunes. It is very helpful when you need to transfer contacts, photos, videos, messages and more to or from your iOS device.

How to transfer contacts to new iPhone 13/12/11 with EaseUS MobiMover:

Step 1.Connect your iPhones to your computer with two USB cables and launch EaseUS MobiMover. Unlock your iDevices and click "Trust" to trust your computer. To transfer contacts from one iPhone to another, click "Phone to Phone" and specify the transfer direction. Then click Next to continue.

Step 2.Select "Contacts" and click "Transfer" to start transferring contacts from your old iPhone to your new iPhone.

Step 3.After the transfer process is complete, open the Contacts app on your iPad/iPhone to check the transferred items.

Besides data transfer between two iOS devices, it also allows you to:

• Transfer data between a computer and an iOS device
• Download videos from sites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and others to your computer or iPhone/iPad
• Unlock an iPhone when you forget its passcode

Great, isn't it? Get it now and you will enjoy great convenience when doing iOS data transfers.

Method 2. Sync contacts from iPhone to iPhone using iCloud

If you want to copy all contacts from your old iPhone to new iPhone wirelessly, using iCloud is the best way for you. iCloud requires a Wi-Fi connection to work and can help you in two ways.

If you only want to transfer contacts to new iPhone, turn on "iCloud Contacts Only". If you are trying to transfer everything from your old iPhone to the new one, use iCloud Backup instead.

Option 1. Transfer Contacts from iPhone to iPhone

Step 1.Make sure both iPhones are using the same Apple ID.

Step 2.On the old iPhone, go to "Settings" > [your name] > "iCloud" and turn on the "Contacts" option.

Step 3.Repeat step 2 on the new iPhone. When asked what to do with the local contacts on your iPhone, click "Merge" if you want to keep them.

Option 2. Transfer All Data to New iPhone via iCloud Backup

This option is recommended if you have not yet set up the new iPhone. Or you may need to reset your iPhone by wiping all data and settings on the device.

Step 1.Make sure both iPhones are signed in with the same Apple ID and there is enough space in iCloud to backup your device.

Step 2.On the source iPhone, open Settings and click [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now.

Step 3.When the backup is complete, go to the new iPhone and set it up.

step 4When you see the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud Backup. In this way, you can transfer everything from your old iPhone to new iPhone including contacts.

Method 3. Transfer contacts to new iPhone with AirDrop

Another way to transfer contacts from one iPhone to another wirelessly is by using AirDrop. Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, AirDrop can help you transfer contacts, photos, videos, places, websites and more between two AirDrop supported devices. There is no doubt that you can AirDrop contacts to your new iPhone.

However, AirDrop only allows you to transfer contacts one at a time. The answer to the question "How do I delete all my contacts at once via AirDrop" is "No way". If you want to transfer all contacts to new iPhone at once, using EaseUS MobiMover or iCloud will meet your needs perfectly. If you only want to import a few contacts to the new iPhone, you can use AirDrop.

How to AirDrop contacts to new iPhone 13/12/11:

Step 1.Make sure the iPhones are within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range.

Step 2.Turn on AirDrop on both iPhones from Control Center.

Step 3.Go to the Contacts app on the old iPhone, tap the contacts you want to send to the new iPhone, then click Share Contact.

step 4Select "AirDrop" and click on the name of the new device.

step 5Then a notification will appear on your target iPhone. Click "Accept" to receive the contact, then verify it in the "Contacts" app.

Although it is easy to use AirDrop, you may encounter the problemAirDrop not working on iPhone. If you encounter the problem, try the solutions to fix it.

Method 4. Import contacts to new iPhone via SIM card

On an iPhone, you can import contacts from the SIM card to the device. Therefore, one of the ways to transfer contacts to a new iPhone is to import contacts from the old phone's SIM card to the new one, provided that your old contacts are stored on the SIM card. However, iPhone does not allow its users to save contacts on SIM card, which means you can only transfer contacts from Android phone to new iPhone.

How to import contacts from SIM card to new iPhone:

Step 1.Insert the SIM card into the new iPhone.

Step 2.Open "Settings" on iPhone and select "Contacts".

Step 3.Select "Import SIM Contacts" to import contacts from SIM card to your new device.

Method 5. Sync contacts to new iPhone with iTunes

Honestly, using iTunes is a viable way but not advisable as it is much more complicated than all the tips presented above. However, if you have iTunes installed and don't mind the complex steps, give it a try.

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone using iTunes:

Step 1.Download and install the latest version of iTunes on your computer.

Step 2.Connect the source iPhone to the computer and launch iTunes if it doesn't open automatically.

Step 3.In iTunes, click the Device tab and choose About > Sync Contacts.

step 4Click "Apply" to sync iPhone contacts to computer.

step 5When that is done, remove the source iPhone and connect the target iPhone instead.

step 6In iTunes, click the Device tab and choose About > Sync Contacts.

step 7Check the "Contacts" option in the "Advanced" section and click "Apply" to copy contacts to your new iPhone.

The final result

Now you know how to transfer contacts to new iPhone in five different ways. In addition to importing SIM contacts to iPhone, the other four methods show you how to transfer contacts from old iPhone to new iPhone. To help you make a better choice:

• EaseUS MobiMover can transfer all contacts at once or copy items selectively.
• iCloud syncs all contacts from one iPhone to another and requires the same Apple ID on the devices.
• AirDrop is free and easy to use, but can only transfer one contact at a time.
• To import SIM contacts to new iPhone, you need to save the contacts to SIM card, which iPhone does not allow. Hence, it is only applicable when you are trying to transfer contacts from Android device to new iPhone.
• iTunes works to copy contacts from one iPhone to another, but it requires more steps than other best tips.

Free Now? Run the one that best suits your needs.