How to Sync Contact from iPhone to Mac

Manually trying to replace and transfer your contacts from your iPhone to your Mac can turn out to be a big headache since most of us have hundreds of phone numbers and other contact information stored on our phones.

However, there is an easier way to do this, which isn’t nearly as laborious as the previous option. 

Wondering how? iCloud is the answer to all your problems; we’ve compiled a list of steps you should follow to sync your contacts from your iPhone directly to your Mac or any other Apple device you want. 

How to use iCloud to Sync Contact from iPhone to Mac

The entire ecosystem of Apple is built around iCloud, which streamlines all of your data, including your phone number, emails, addresses, and other details. Moreover, when you edit, delete or save a new number or some additional information, all of it gets updated on every single Apple device that uses the same iCloud account. 

This system-wide integration is beneficial as it eliminates a lot of work that would otherwise need to be done by the user manually. 

Before starting this process, make sure you’re logged in to iCloud with the username and password that you’ve used on other devices. 

• Locate Settings on your device and open it. Once inside it, you’ll see your name on the top. Select it and go to iCloud.

• You’ll see a long list of apps with toggles on the right-hand side, locate the Contacts app and toggle it on. 
• A new window will pop up; press Merge when you see it.

• Now let’s move on to the other part, login to your Mac and click the Apple logo on the Menu bar located on the top left-hand side. 
• Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu. 

• Click on Apple ID, which will be located on the right-hand side of the System Preferences window. 

• You will find the iCloud tab in the new window. 
• Tick the box beside the Contacts option to turn on sync. 

Your contacts should now be syncing onto your Mac; check to see if all of the information has been transferred correctly or not. 

We have also collated a bunch of problems and their solutions if you can’t sync your contacts to your Mac even after following all these steps. 

Read How to Connect AirPods to Mac and iPhone at the same time

Still can’t sync your contacts?

There could be various reasons why your contacts aren’t showing up on your Mac. We’ve managed to narrow them down to three specific causes why this might be happening. You can read these out and try fixing them by yourself and try these methods again to sync the contacts between the two devices.

1. Independent accounts

This is one of the most common yet often overlooked factors when using Apple devices; you have to make sure you use the same Apple ID you’ve used on your iPhone on your Mac for it to sync your information correctly. 

All your contacts and other info are stored on iCloud, so you need to use the same account on your Mac to see your contacts on it. 

2. Storage issues 

Your iCloud storage might be completely full and cannot store any more data; check if you have free space on your iCloud. If not, consider clearing out unnecessary items from your phone. 

3. Issues with the settings 

You might have forgotten to toggle the option on. Double-check that the Contacts option is switched on in your iCloud, both on your iPhone and Mac. 

Read How to Share Wifi Password from Mac to iPhone

Is there another way to sync your contacts?

Yes, indeed there is. If you do not use iCloud for any reason, there are two other ways you can share your contacts to your Mac. Keep in mind, that if you do not use iCloud and instead choose one of these methods to transfer your contacts, you’ll need to repeat this process every time you update or add a new contact and want it transferred to your Mac.

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How to Manually Sync Contact from iPhone to Mac

You can connect your iPhone to the Mac to update or transfer your contact list; just remember you will need to do this every time you want to change the saved contacts on your Mac. 

1. Log in to your Mac and connect your iPhone using the cable. 
2. Open the Finder from the dock. 
3. If your device is connected correctly, its name will pop up in the menu on the left-hand side of the Finder. 
4. When a new window opens up, click on Info which should be at the right end of the window. 
5. Now check the first option, which says Sync contacts onto “your name” iPhone. 
6. Below that, there should be another option, Sync; besides that, select All groups; this will transfer and replace all the contacts from your iPhone to your Mac. 

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Using AirDrop to Transfer your Contacts 

You can AirDrop to sync contacts from iPhone to Mac if you don’t want to transfer all the information. There are times when you need to send certain contacts to or use them for some purpose. In such situations, AirDrop is the best way to go.

• Find Contacts on your iPhone. 
• Scroll until you find the number you want to AirDrop onto your Mac. 
• There should be an option called Share, press that.

• Make sure you turn on the AirDrop option from the Menu Bar on your Mac.

• Now select your Mac from the options list. 

That’s it, pretty easy, right? This is a quick way to transfer whatever you want to a nearby Apple device. 

How to Sync Contacts From Mac to iPhone

You can sync contacts from your Mac to your iPhone in several ways. All Mac devices use iCloud as an anchor point for all sync-related features. This means if you have sync turned on your Mac and iPhone and you use the same Apple ID to log in to your devices. All your contacts will automatically be synced along with other things like photos and files.

How to Sync Contacts From Mac to iPhone Using iCloud?

Syncing contacts from your Mac to your iPhone is a pretty straightforward process. When you connect your iPhone to your Mac, the Mac will check whether your Mac or the iPhone has the latest information and then send it over to the other device. Read the instructions provided below. 

• Click on the Apple icon on the top-right corner of the desktop
• Now, open System Preferences
• Open the Apple ID options in the top-left of the window.
• Select iCloud from the left-hand menu option.
• Now, on the right, check the box beside Contacts.

Let us head over to your iPhone and enable the same set of settings as above.

• Open Settings on your iPhone.
• Tao on your name a the top of the screen.
• Now, click on the iCloud option and look for contacts.
• Toggle the button beside Contacts.

Here you need to make sure that both your iPhone and Mac are using the same Apple ID or iCloud in order to make this work.

What to Do If Your iPhone is Not Detected When Connected to a Mac?

There might be several reasons your iPhone isn’t showing up in the Finder’s side menu. Here are some of the most common causes. 

• Your wire isn’t connected properly to your iPhone or Mac or might be damaged. When a device connects successfully to a Mac, it should start charging automatically. 
• Try unlocking the phone and keeping the phone on the home screen. 
• The last option is that something is wrong with your Finder preferences preventing your iPhone from being detected. Read the fix given below for this issue. 

Check Finder Preferences 

Connect your iPhone to the Mac and then follow the steps given below. 

• Power on and sign in to your Mac. 
• Open a Finder window. 
• Move the cursor over to the Menu bar and click on Finder. 
• Select Preferences from the list that drops down. 
• Subsequently, you can also use the Command-Comma shortcut to do the same. 
• Select the Sidebar tab from the new pop-up window. 
• Under the Locations section, ensure the CDs, DVDs and iOS Devices option is ticked. 
• Now switch back to a Finder window and check if your iPhone appears on the sidebar. 

How to Mute Conversations On Mac?

Suppose you don’t want to receive notifications from a particular conversation. In that case, all you need to do is select the conversation in the sidebar, click on the Details button in the window’s upper-right corner and select Hide Alerts. 

The Focus feature automatically tells senders about your status on macOS Monterey if you do not wish to be disturbed. To set this up, click on the Apple logo on the Menu bar and select System Preferences from the drop-down window. Select Notifications & Focus from the pop-up window and select the Focus tab.

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Conclusion

That’s about it, folks; we hope this article helped you understand how you can transfer your contacts from your iPhone to your Mac using various methods. Keep in mind that you can always use third-party software to transfer your information. 

One of the applications that we’ve tried and tested is; WonderShare Mobiletrans which helps you transfer your data safely and securely across all your devices. This is a paid application, but it works pretty well. If you have the budget, it can be perfect for not just this but multiple other aspects as well for iPhone and Mac.