The issue of keeping a backup copy of the phone book of mobile devices is very important for many users. If synchronization with cloud services is disabled, as well as when subscriber information is saved to the phone's memory, and not to an external media or SIM card, it will be almost impossible to restore it. Therefore, you will have to decide for yourself the question of how to transfer contacts from your phone to your computer using universal formats. This is necessary in order to quickly restore them in the event of a breakdown or loss of the device.
How to transfer contacts from phone to computer using the simplest method?
There are several basic methods that allow you to quickly and easily export your phone book to various devices, including personal computers. At the same time, very many users very often forget about the universal method, which in a few seconds solves the problem of how to transfer contacts from the phone to the computer, preferring to transfer them wirelessly or by installing additional utilities.
In any modern smartphone and in some outdated models, in general, you can use a special export function for the entire contact list, which is stored in the device's memory or on a SIM card.
To do this, just go to the phone book and use this option. In most cases, a list of devices to which you can export is displayed. In this case, it is advisable to select a removable drive, on which, after confirmation, a special file in the VCF format will be saved, which is recognized by all computer and mobile systems. Upon completion of the process, all that remains is to find it in the device's memory and copy it to the desired location on the computer's hard drive.
Troubleshooting encoding issues
The above method, although it is the simplest, nevertheless, its main drawback is that the saved test file is encoded in UTF-8, and most Windows systems by default try to open it using the Windows 1251 standard, as a result of which, instead of the usual Russian letters incomprehensible icons are displayed.
To fix the situation, you can start writing special tags or use a small utility called Sublime Text, which is much easier. Even a portable version that does not require installation on a hard drive is perfect. In its file menu, it is enough to select the activation of the encoding process (Encoding) and specify the Cyrillic standard (Windows 1251) as the course. After that, the file will become readable in all applications used to open it.
How to transfer contacts to a computer from a Samsung phone using registration records
More relevant is the method that involves the use of accounts. In the case of Android systems, this is registration in Google services using Gmail, for Windows devices it can be Outlook registration or Microsoft account, for Apple gadgets - AppleID.
In any case, you need to enter the service for which the initial registration was made, find the contacts section there and use the export toolkit. The final format is selected depending on which device the phone book can be transferred to later. To simplify the work, it is better to use the universal vCard standard, which is recognized by absolutely all programs designed for this and most operating systems. But there are also pitfalls here. The same Gmail service, even with synchronization enabled on a mobile device, does not always display all entries in the phone book, let alone those numbers or contacts that are stored on the SIM card, but are not included in the phone's memory. Therefore, it is better to use other methods.
Transferring contacts using management utilities
But a rather interesting solution to the question, how, for example, to transfer contacts from a Samsung phone to a computer (or from any other model), is the use of specialized control utilities developed by a manufacturer of mobile equipment specifically for their devices.
So, for Samsung, the Samsung Kies application is used, for Sony gadgets - Sony PC Companion, for LG - LG PC Suite or LG Bridge, for iPhone - iTunes, etc. In any such program installed on a stationary computer or laptop, you can find a special function of saving a contact list in a selected location on a hard disk or on removable media.
To solve the problem of how to transfer contacts from a phone to a computer, you can also use unified utilities. The best option is the installation of the MyPhoneExplorer application, which can work with almost all models of mobile devices known today, including outdated phones without operating systems installed on them. True, you won't be able to create a list in any universal format, but nevertheless, the phone book can be exported to Word, Excel, or saved as an HTML page.
What to do with damaged devices?
It remains to add that it is impossible to transfer contacts from a broken phone to a computer, depending on the degree of damage. In the best case, you can use your account to which the contact list is linked. Advanced users can be advised to use the Android Debug Bridge protocol or ADB for short. But this technique can only be applied to those models of smartphones on which USB debugging was activated even before damage or breakdown. Otherwise, no effect should be expected.
Users of the device often have the question of how to download contacts from an android phone to a computer, is it real? In the article I will tell you how to do this.
They download contacts from an android phone to a computer, in order not to lose in case of breakdown or theft, and use the computer as a backup storage. After all, photos, videos, music, etc. we store them on a computer, why not store contacts in the same way?
There are times when there is no way to transfer contacts from device to device. For example, the touchscreen is broken or the screen is broken, that is, there is no way to control the phone. In this case, it remains only to connect the phone to the computer via usb and download the contacts.
An easy way to download contacts
The easiest way to start trying to download contacts is a function built into the Android operating system.
- We go to the smartphone menu and go to "Contacts"
2. Then you should click on the three dots in the upper right corner and click on the item "Import / Export"
3. On some models, the "Import / Export" item may be located in a different location. For example, for Samsung phones, you need to go to "Contacts", then you should click three dots and there click "Settings" and there you will find the item we need.
4. So, the section that can import and export is found. Let's get started. We find the button with the text “ Export to VCF file“, The text can change depending on the device and on the firmware. For instance, " Export to storage ".
5. The next step is to choose where we want to save our contacts. There are several options for where you can save contacts. You can save contacts on your phone, and only then upload them to your computer via usb, or you can save them to the Google Drive cloud storage. But we will save the contacts to the phone.
6. Specify the name of the file under which the contacts will be saved.
7. Now let's download contacts from phone to computer. We connect the phone via usb, we are looking for the saved file in the "Downloads" folder, you may have another folder, depending on where you saved it.
8. To restore the contacts that we downloaded, you need on a new device or on an old one, go to the same section from where we downloaded. This time you need to click " Import from VCF file ”.
Downloading contacts using a Google account
If your contacts are synchronized with your account, then you can download contacts even without a smartphone. This method is suitable if the device is not working.
Go to the page contacts.google.com. We are looking for the "Export" button and click on it. You may need to expand the menu by clicking on the "More" button.
We select the contacts we want to export, or select all and click on the three dots in the upper right corner, then “Export”.
Saving contacts using third-party programs
If for some reason the proposed methods above did not suit you, then you can resort to using third-party programs. But you need to be careful when choosing programs so as not to fall for scammers and not pick up viruses that will send messages to your contacts. The Airdroid program has proven itself well. To do this, you need to install the application on the phone, and on the computer it is enough to have an Internet connection. There is also a good program called MOBILedit. With it, you can download not only contacts, but also call log, SMS-messages and much more.
But sometimes it's easier to transfer the contact book to your computer. Here it will definitely be safe and sound, and at some point you will copy it to a new device. However, a question arises. How to copy contacts from Android to computer? Is it possible?
A computer is easiest to use as a backup storage. Many users regularly throw photos taken with the built-in smartphone camera at him. The stocks of music are also stored here. So why not save time to time to your PC and contacts? In the future, in the event of a breakdown or theft of the phone, all your contacts will not disappear anywhere.
It should also be remembered that sometimes it is impossible to transfer the phone book from one device to another over the air. For example, how do you do this if the screen is broken and the touchscreen does not respond to your touches? In this case, a computer comes to the rescue - you just need to connect a smartphone to it using a USB cable.
The easiest way
The easiest way to download contacts is using the tools built into the Android operating system. To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1. Go to the smartphone menu and open the application “ Contacts».
Step 2. Here you should click on the ellipsis located in the upper right corner, and then select the item " Import Export».
Step 3. On smartphones Samsung and some others, an intermediate action is required in the form of pressing the " Settings". This will take you to a separate menu, where you can easily find the item you need, dedicated to the import and export of numbers.
Step 4. By clicking on the corresponding item, you will see a pop-up menu. Here you should click " Export to VCF file". Depending on the phone model, this item may have a different name. For instance, " Export to storage».
Step 5. Next, you should select the location where the file with contacts will be saved. It is possible that here you will have cloud storage in the form of Google Drive. You can save the file on it - then you just have to open your account on your computer. But we will create a file with contacts in the folder " Downloads».
Step 6. Give the file a name.
Step 7. Connect your smartphone to your computer using a working USB cable. You can find the created file in the folder Download... You just have to copy or cut it.
Step 8. When buying a new smartphone, you have to follow all the steps in reverse order. That is, you will copy the file to the phone memory, and then select the item " Import from VCF file».
Saving contacts with a Google account
If you have enabled contact synchronization with Google servers in your device settings, then you can do even easier. You can transfer contacts without involving your smartphone. This is especially true when the device is broken.
Step 1. Go to the page contacts.google.com... Here you should click on the button " Export", Expanding the tab" More».
Step 2. The new version of the service does not support exporting contacts (as of summer 2016). Google proposes to switch to the previous version of this page.
Step 3. Here, select all contacts, and then click the button " More"And select" Export».
Step 4. In the pop-up menu, specify which contacts you want to save and which format you want to use. When you have done this, press the blue button " Export».
Using third-party programs
If necessary, you can use some third-party programs. For example, Airdroid performs well. He will help to throw off the numbers by air. At the same time, the corresponding application is installed on the smartphone, and on the computer it is enough to use any Internet browser.
You can also save contacts from Android to your computer using MOBILedit... We have already talked about this computer program. It serves to copy the phone book, call log, SMS messages and much more.
25.05.2017 21:27:00
After purchasing a new phone, the user inevitably has the question of how to transfer contacts from the old gadget. In the case of photo and video files, everything is simple - the data is simply copied to the SD card. But what about the hundreds of numbers in the phone book?
Manual rewriting of numbers is unlikely to work here. This is too long, and there is a possibility that you will be mistaken in one figure or another. In case of transferring contacts, a computer or laptop will come to the rescue. But how do you transfer contacts from your phone to your computer? You will find the answer in our article.
There are three main ways to move contacts to a PC:
Method 1. Via Google account
Each user of an Android smartphone must have a Google account, through which applications are installed and updated. Through your account, you can copy numbers in two stages.
Before you can transfer contacts from your phone to your computer, you need to sync:
- Enter smartphone settings
- Select "Accounts"
- Click on the Google item or add it using the command in the list
- Put the switch opposite the "Contacts" item
- Click on the menu in the upper right corner
- Click "Synchronize"
 |
 |
 |
After that, you can proceed directly to copying the numbers. This happens using the settings of the "Contacts" system application. This program includes the function of export and import. All numbers are packaged into a vcf file, which can then be sent via email:
- Launch internet on smartphone
- Open "Contacts"
- Click on the dropdown menu
- Select Import / Export
- Specify a SIM card or internal memory as the export source
- Select email address
- Specify contacts to transfer
 |
 |
 |
 |
After a few seconds, all contacts will be dumped to the mail. They can be left in the electronic box or transferred to the PC memory.
By the way, the numbers from the phone book in the form of a vcf file can be copied to an SD card, and then transferred to the hard disk of a computer through a card reader. In this case, it is important that no applications are installed on the card, which will be removed after removing it.
Method 2: How to transfer contacts from the phone via a computer using USB
If you need to transfer contacts from your phone urgently and you don't have time to sync with your Google account, you can copy the phone book to your PC via USB. To do this, you first need to move all numbers to the memory of the mobile device:
- Open Contacts in Android settings
- Choose import / export
- In the field "source" select a SIM card
- Assign phone memory as storage location
Now contacts from the phone memory can be transferred to the SD card as a vcf file. Make sure the copying was correct and connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable:
- In the USB startup menu on your phone, schedule a file transfer
- Open the folder with disks on your PC
- Find your phone in the list
- Go to internal memory
- Copy the vCard file to the PC memory
Method 3: How to copy contacts through third-party programs
The "Applications" section of the Play Store contains hundreds of programs with which you can copy phone numbers to your computer. Despite the difference in settings and interface, all these applications have one thing in common - the principle of creating a vcf file, in which contacts are packed to be sent to a PC.
Having tried several programs for transferring contacts, we decided to recommend to our readers the AirDroid service, which allows you to remotely control your phone from a PC. An account in this service is created in three steps:
- Open the official website of the service and register
- Install the AirDroid app on your mobile device
- Sign in to your account
Smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of the daily life of most of the population. To communicate with another user, just go to "Contacts" and in a few clicks call or send a text message to the subscriber.
Gadgets based on the Android operating system have a built-in function that allows you to synchronize contacts. However, not many people know about this, and therefore, smartphone owners often face such a problem as how to save contacts from Android to a computer or another phone.
What is contact sync and what is it for?
It's no secret that theft of smartphones has become more frequent in recent years. Also, many can simply lose the gadget. Sometimes, in the course of unforeseen situations, the phone can be seriously damaged. In such cases, it can be difficult to restore all contacts, since almost no one uses the notebook anymore.
To avoid such problems, you need to prepare in advance and learn how to save contacts from Android to your computer. Due to the fact that the Android operating system was developed by Google, it is quite easy to synchronize contacts.
All data is uploaded to the cloud storage where the user can view and edit it. In addition, data can be accessed from any device: smartphone, tablet, computer.
This function is useful when changing a gadget, just connect a Google account to your smartphone, and all contacts will be automatically restored.
How do I sync on my smartphone or tablet?
Synchronizing contacts on your smartphone is pretty straightforward. Further information is provided on how to save contacts from "Android" to a computer step by step.
In order for the data synchronization to be successful, you must be registered with the Google system. Then:
- Open the "Settings" menu in your smartphone.
- Go to the "Accounts and sync" tab.
- Click on the item "Add account".
- Select "Add a new account" from the list provided if you need to register with Google. Or "Link already existing" if the mailbox is already registered.
- Enter your account details.
- Exit the "Settings" menu and go to "Contacts".
- Open the setup menu and select the "Import / Export" item.
- From the drop-down list, select the location from which the data will be copied: SIM card, phone memory or memory card.
- After choosing the location of the contacts, you must mark the account with which the data will be synchronized.
- Select the desired contacts and click "Copy".
How to save contacts from Android to a computer?
Synchronization of contacts is complete. It remains to learn how to save contacts from Android to your computer. Now you can view all contacts transferred to the cloud storage from your computer. To do this, you need to log in to the Google system through any browser.
You can view the data in the "Google Contacts" tab, which is located on the e-mail page. Thus, you can not only view all contacts, but also perform several actions. Data can be edited, copied and deleted. The service allows the user to combine identical contacts.
It remains to figure out how to save contacts from Android to a computer and vice versa. In the case of a smartphone, you just need to enter your account details and they will be displayed in the phone book. Copying data to your computer is easy. Necessary:
- Go to the "Contacts" tab.
- Select the "Additional" item.
- In the menu that appears, click on "Export".
- Select the format in which the data will be saved (vCard, CSV for Outlook and Google CSV).
- Click "Export".
Synchronizing data without an internet connection
You should not despair, you can create an additional copy of your contacts using a backup. After that, you don't have to worry about how to save contacts from Android to your computer. They will be transferred via USB to secure storage in a few minutes.
Transferring data from a computer to an Android device
After all the contacts have been synchronized with the account in the Google system, and then exported to the hard drive, the owner of the smartphone needs to figure out how to transfer the information back to the phone.
There are several ways to transfer data:
- Via USB connection. Thus, it is necessary to transfer the contacts file from the computer to the phone memory.
- Transfer a file via bluetooth.
But the easiest way to restore contacts is to add a Google account to your smartphone.
Transferring contacts from an Android device to an Android or iPhone
You can transfer contacts from one smartphone to another without using a computer.
In order to copy data to another Android device, Internet access is not required. Necessary:
- Go to the "Contacts" menu.
- Select "Import / Export".
- Save data to memory card.
- Transfer a file via Bluetooth or insert a memory card into another smartphone and import data from a file.
Unfortunately, this method may not work when transferring data to an iOS device. Different operating systems support different data formats. The safest way is to use synchronization through your Google account.
It takes several minutes to synchronize contacts with your Google account or save the data to a separate file. But this action will help protect yourself from losing all contacts in the event of an unforeseen situation.
