How to Sync Contacts from iPhone to Address Book on a MacOS

Mac address book is used for easily managing your current address book and it is also known as Contact app. With this app, you can enter all the information that you want about a person, including multiple phone numbers, email addresses, pictures and more. This app also allows you to chat, email or visit contact’s website directly from there. Many users don’t know or have problems to sync contacts from their device to Mac address book. If you are working with iPhone and Mac, it is necessary to sync your iPhone contacts so you will never worry about losing contacts. This is an ideal way to backup your contacts. In this article, we will show you how can you do this with several methods.

Method #1. Use iCloud to synchronize your contacts from iPhone to Mac address book.

Most likely you have an iCloud account, if you don’t have please create one before starting to transfer your contacts, because this method requires one.

  1. Make sure your iPhone is connected with Wi-Fi.
  2. Open Settings. Find and tap iCloud.
  3. Make sure that you are signed in with your Apple ID and tap Contacts On.
    Contacts from iCloud
    Contacts turned on
  4. For the next step choose one of the two options.

Option 1: Save iPhone contacts to Mac as a vCard file. Go to iCloud.com from your Mac and sign in with your Apple ID. Open the Contacts icon and then open the settings at the bottom left and then select Export vCard. The process will save all your iPhone contacts to Mac as a vCard file.

Option 2: Synchronize your iPhone contacts to Mac address book. Install and enable your account. Then click the apple icon on the top left of your screen, choose System Preferences, select iCloud, and choose Contacts that you want to enable. Then you’ll see the all your iPhone contacts synced to your Mac address book.

Method #2. Use AirDrop to synchronize your contacts from iPhone to Mac address book.

AirDrop is a service that allows you to transfer files wirelessly and fast from one device to another. It creates a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between the devices using Bluetooth. The connection is secured by a firewall that the two devices had created, and the sent files are encrypted.

  1. Sign in to iCloud. If you want to share your contacts or any file with AirDrop you must be signed in to iCloud.
  2. Turn on AirDrop on your iPhone. Open Control Center by sliding up from the bottom on your screen. You will see the AirDrop icon and you can turn on, off or give permissions to Contacts only or to everyone. The best option is to share files with the Contacts Only. You need to choose Contacts in order to share them with another device.
    AirDrop
    Turn AirDrop On
  3. On your Mac find and open AirDrop. You can use “Allow me to be discovered by” settings in order to receive files from everyone instead just from your Contacts.
  4. Save iPhone contacts to your Mac. All the contacts that you are sending to the Mac will be automatically accepted and saved.

Method #3. Use iTunes to synchronize your contacts from iPhone to Mac address book.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Choose Contacts.
  3. Tap Import SIM Contacts.
  4. Choose On My iPhone. Every contact on your SIM card will be store to your iPhone which will be synced with your Mac.
  5. Connect your iPhone to the Mac.
  6. In iTunes click on your iPhone to open it.
  7. Choose the Info tab.
  8. Check Sync Contacts box and click Apply. It will start a process that will transfer your iPhone contacts to your Mac.
    iTunes Contacts
    iTunes Sync Contacts

Method #4. Use another software to synchronize your contacts from iPhone to Mac address book.

Also, you can use different software to sync your contacts and we should mention that they may not be free. We will just mention some of them and explain briefly the steps.

  1. Cisdem
  2. iMazing.
  3. MobiMover.
  4. AnyTrans.

All the software listed here have similar steps.

  1. Install the software that you want to use.
  2. Scan your iPhone.
  3. Preview and select all the contacts from iPhone to Mac.
  4. Import contacts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.