How to Export Contacts from Gmail: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Your contacts are more than a list of names — they're a digital address book built from years of emails, calls, and collaborations. This guide covers every method for saving that list from Google: on a computer, on a phone, and on any device.

Why export your contacts from Gmail?

Most people want to export their contact information for one of these reasons:

Switching providers. Moving to Outlook or Yahoo means your contacts don't follow automatically. You have two options: start from scratch, or take everything with you manually. The easiest way is to pull your list of contacts out first — the whole process takes under two minutes.

Loading into a CRM. A contact list from Google is the fastest starting point for any sales tool. Instead of adding email addresses one by one, you add a file and your entire network is ready.

Creating a backup. Accounts get compromised and devices fail. A downloaded copy gives you a safety net.

Cleaning up your data. Pulling contacts into a sheet is the most efficient way to find duplicates, categorize them by relationship, and update outdated details.

Sharing contacts. Sometimes you just need to hand someone a structured file they can work with right away.

How to export contacts from your Gmail account on desktop

Getting your contacts off a computer gives you the most control — Google Contacts lets you choose which records you pull and what file type you save them as. Follow these steps to get started.

Step 1: Open Google Contacts. Click the nine-dot grid in the top-right corner, then click the Contacts option from the dropdown. This takes you to contacts.google.com, where you can view, edit, and manage your records.

Step 2: Choose what to save. In the top-left corner, click Select to highlight your entire contact list at once, or hover over individual profile pictures to tick each checkbox. If you want to save only a specific group or label, jump to the dedicated section below.

Step 3: Open the save options. Click the three vertical dots at the top of the list and choose Export. A dialog panel appears asking which contacts you want to include and in what file type.

Step 4: Select the format. Select either Google CSV, the Office CSV option, or vCard from the panel. See the file-type guide below for help choosing.

Step 5: Save the file. Click the button to start. The file lands in your downloads folder with a default file name. Rename it if needed and store it in your chosen location.

How to export contacts from Google on Android

You don't need a computer. The Contacts app on your Android device handles everything in under a minute.

Step 1: Open it on your Android phone.

Step 2: Tap Fix & manage at the bottom.

Step 3: Tap Export to file.

Step 4: Choose the account you want to pull contacts from.

Step 5: Tap Export to .VCF file.

Your contacts on your phone are saved as a VCF file to device storage. From there, you can share it by email, add it to Google Drive, or open it with another platform. When using Google on your device, contacts added to your account stay current across all your signed-in devices. This works the same on any phone or tablet.

How to export Gmail contacts on iPhone

This process works differently — you first connect your contacts to iCloud, then save them from there. This also works on any iOS device, such as iPad.

Step 1: Open Settings on your device.

Step 2: Tap Contacts, then Accounts.

Step 3: Tap Add Account and choose Google.

Step 4: Sign in and turn the Contacts toggle on. Tap Save.

Step 5: Open Contacts to confirm your records have appeared.

Step 6: Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud. Toggle Contacts on.

Step 7: Sign in to your iCloud account at iCloud.com. In the main panel, open the Contacts section.

Step 8: Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner, then choose Export vCard. The VCF file this creates is compatible with most providers, CRM tools, and contact managers.

How to export a specific group from your Gmail contacts list

If you've organized your contacts using labels — "Clients," "Leads," "Partners" — you can save just one group rather than the full list. This is useful when you need to manage your contacts by segment without including records you don't need.

Step 1: Open Google Contacts on your computer.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click the label you want.

Step 3: Use the top checkbox to choose all contacts in that label, or tick each record individually.

Step 4: Click the three vertical dots and choose Export.

Step 5: In the panel, confirm Selected contacts is chosen, then pick the file type and click Save.

You can also learn how to import contacts back into the same or a different account once you've cleaned up the file.

Which format should you use to export Google contacts?

When you save your contacts, you need to pick the file type that matches where they're going. The wrong choice can cause fields to drop or fail on import. Here's what each option does.

Google CSV

Google CSV stores all the contact details that Google Contacts holds — names, phone numbers, and notes — in a comma-separated file. Use the Google CSV format to move contacts from one Google account to another, or to open and edit the list in Google Sheets or Excel.

Everything comes through cleanly — every field maps correctly, nothing gets dropped.

Best for: Moving between Google accounts, editable backups, Google Sheets.

Moving contacts between two accounts? No third-party tool required.

Outlook CSV — transfer contacts to Microsoft Outlook

This is a comma-separated file built for the Office contact system. It maps your data to the fields that Hotmail and various other apps expect — making it the right pick whenever you're heading to Office 365 or a similar service.

Best for: Outlook contacts, Exchange, and any service that accepts standard CSV files.

Need this for another provider? This file type works with most email services.

vCard (VCF) for mobile devices and iOS

VCF is the universal contact file type for mobile products and platforms. It stores names, phone numbers, and photos in a compact file type that most address books and contact managers recognize. Choose this option when saving contacts to your phone or any platform that supports this standard.

Best for: iCloud, CRM tools.

Quick comparison:

How to import, transfer, and sync your Gmail contacts

Getting the file is only half the job. Here's what to do with it.

Upload and import contacts into a new email account

Most platforms — Thunderbird and others — have a built-in import tool. Look for an Import option in the settings or contacts section of your new provider. Go to the saved file, click Next, and follow the prompts. Your contact list appears within seconds.

Use Office CSV when moving to Office products, and VCF for any address book service.

Sync and upload your Gmail contacts list to a CRM

This is where it really pays off. When you export your Gmail contacts and bring them into a CRM, you transform a scattered inbox into a structured, searchable database.

If your CRM is built inside Google Workspace — like NetHunt CRM — the process is seamless. Google Contacts are available directly inside your inbox, so you can view, edit, and act on records without switching tabs. You can add your contact list as CRM records and immediately start tracking deals, logging notes, and sending follow-up sequences.

Transfer and clean up contacts from Outlook and other platforms

A saved CSV file is the fastest way to tidy a messy list. Open the CSV in Sheets, sort by name or email, and look for duplicate entries, missing fields, or outdated details. Once clean, re-add the records to your CRM or account.

This is especially useful when consolidating from multiple sources. Save each list separately, merge them in one file, and bring everything into a single account.

Frequently asked questions

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