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How to Import Contacts from Excel to Android Phone?

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Published By Ashwani
Tej Pratap Shukla
Approved By Tej Pratap Shukla
Published On March 15th, 2024

Those who handle spreadsheet data regularly will agree that it is not easy to import contacts from Excel to Android devices. The biggest hurdle is the absence of a direct way to add Excel contact data to mobile phones. So users might think that the only option is to type and save all contacts manually. However this is not feasible especially for large Excel files that contain thousands of rows.

excel to android phone book
Not to worry as you are here reading this writeup, you are already closer to a foolproof solution. Here we will tell you about an intuitive method that utilises a globally renowned utility. Before we start explaining it first take a look into the reasons for avoiding the traditional methods of transferring XLS contacts to Android mobile.

Table of Contents

Pro Tip: If you’re an iPhone user then, refer to this post to convert Excel spreadsheet to iPhone contacts.

Why Manual Excel to Android Contact Transfer Isn’t Ideal

If you have a Windows machine, manual transfer might be possible. There is an in-built application named Contacts that can help you. However, we don’t recommend choosing that route for the following reasons:

  • First, even the native Windows contacts app does not accept *.xls files as an input format. As a result, you have to spend extra time first to change the Excel file into its equivalent CSV data, and only then can you add contacts to Android from Excel.
  • Once the CSV contacts are available, they cannot be directly sent to your Android phone. As they are in a proprietary *.contacts file. This file format is not acceptable on any Android device. So again, you have to use the export option and transform these into the vCard.
  • However, you have no control over the VCF version you get out of this transformation. The problem is that the vCard format you get is in version 2.1. This is the oldest version, and thus there are chances that modern Android devices cannot make sense of the data present in such files.
  • The primitive vCard version is not just the only problem with this method of importing contacts from Excel to Android. Here every contact is put into its own separate VCF file. This makes file transfer more complex. Moreover, there is no option to merge all these contacts into a single VCF file.

Automatic Solution to Import Contacts from Excel to Android Device

In this section, we are going to describe the easy way of adding contacts from Excel to an Android mobile phone. The procedure is done in three simple steps:

  • Change Excel DataSheet to vCard (.vcf)
  • Bring vCard to the Android device 
  • Add vCard files to Android contacts

As there is no manual method to convert data to vCard format hence, we recommend you use a trusted third-party solution i.e., Excel Contacts to VCF Converter Tool. It is a completely secure tool to download and run. Also, it comprises a user-friendly interface due to which every technical, as well as the non-technical user, can use it without any hassle.

Important Note: This is a desktop-based utility and you cannot run it on your Android phones. Hence, before implementing the below steps to transfer Excel contacts file to Android phone, make sure that the Excel contacts file is stored in your system.

Here is list of advantages you get when you use vCard (VCF) over other formats to transport contacts.

  • VCF files are easily accessible from many applications (like Thunderbird, WhatsApp)) and devices
  • vCard gets synchronized with advanced technology-based devices
  • VCF files are small in size so easy to manage
  • vCard can contain more data items than an Excel sheet like the logo, image, digital signatures, etc.

Begin to Import Contacts from Excel to Android Phone

  • First, Download and Install the Software to convert Excel contact list to vCard
  • Launch the tool and Click on the Browse button to choose the Excel file. Then, click on Open to begin contacts conversion

Add Excel file

  • Once the Excel file is added, the software will display a preview of the whole content of the browsed file
  • Now, click on the Next button to continue contacts conversion

Preview all excel files

  • In the mapping option, you have to map the fields from the Excel spreadsheet to vCard. Choose one field from Excel Fields
  • Select another field from vCard Fields and add it to export Excel contacts

vCard contacts attributes

  • After matching the fields, hit the Add button and the software will display a list of matched attributes. Then, click on Next

matched attributes

  • Check the desired export option that you want to apply during the conversion of Excel contacts
    • Apply Empty Email Address to be Imported: Checking this option will enable software to export contacts with empty email address fields
    • Single vCard File for All Contacts: This option will generate a single VCF file for all contacts

Select vCard version

Note: The Excel tool is compatible with all versions of vCard i.e., v 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0

  • Next, hit the Convert button to begin the conversion process and let the process completed successfully

Click on convert button

  • After completing the import Excel contacts to Android process, the tool will display a confirmation screen, click on Yes

completed process

  • Now, the Excel file converts to the vCard format.
    converted

Step 2 of How To Transfer Contacts from Excel to Android Phone Directly

As the files currently reside on your PC, the next step is to send them over to your Android. Fortunately, there are multiple ways this task can be done, after which you can import contacts from Excel to Android. We are laying out the instructions for some of them. You can use anyone and complete this phase of the task to add contacts to Android from Excel spreadsheet.

Mail the VCF file:

  • Open any email service on your desktop
  • Compose a new email with an appropriate subject.
  • In the recipient section, add the same mailing account that is on your Android phone
  • Attach the vCard file(s).
  • Hit the send button.

Add it to Cloud Storage:

  • Open any cloud storage application that is available on both computers and mobile devices.
  • Upload your VCF contacts to the drive.
  • Turn on device sync.

Transfer data via Bluetooth:

  • Enable Bluetooth on both devices
  • Make sure both devices link to and recognize each other.
  • Start the file transfer from the source desktop to the destination Android.

There are other methods like using a USB cable, custom FTP, etc. It doesn’t matter what you use as long as you successfully shift the files from one device to another.

Third Step: Add vCard File to Android Phone

As the Android phone supports vCard file format hence, we have converted Excel files into vCard. Now, we have to move Excel Contacts file to Android Phone. Below are the guidelines for the same:

  • First, Open your Android phone

Open your Android phone

  • Select the Contacts icon

Select the Contacts

  • Doing this will display your contact list here, click on the three vertical dots icon

click on the three vertical dots icon

  • You will get a menu list from which you have to click on the Import/Export option

click on the Import/Export option

  • Select Import from .vcf file option for importing Excel to Android phone book

Select Import from .vcf file

  • Navigate to the location where you saved the vCard file

saved the vCard file

  • Choose the .vcf file that you have converted in step 1 to import Excel contacts to Android

Choose the .vcf file

  • ‘All contacts .vcf will be imported shortly’ pop-up will prompt now

vcf will be imported shortly

  • After completing the import contacts from spreadsheet to Android process, ‘Finished importing vCard .vcf’ notification will display

Finished importing vCard

  • Now, you can access the vCard contacts from your Android phone

access the vCard contacts

  • Select and open any contact to get more information about it

open any contact

  • You can also save the exported contacts in your Google account for further use. For this select the Gmail account to import your contacts

select the Gmail account

  • Then, go to the location where the vCard file is saved and select the file

select the file

  • Finally, vCard will be successfully saved in your Gmail account and you can access its contacts from everywhere via your Gmail id.

vCard will be successfully saved in your Gmail account

Summing Up

Many users are searching for a solution on how to import contacts from Excel to Android phones. Thus, considering the needs of users to we have come up with this editorial. Here we have discussed an easy and cost-effective technique to add contacts to Android from Excel spreadsheet. Moreover, the method mentioned is safe and minimizes the technical expertise required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to transfer contacts from Excel to Android phone directly?

Ans. To add contacts to Android from Excel, you have to convert the Excel file to vCard (VCF) format following the listed steps:

  • Download and Launch the tool on your Windows OS
  • Add the file and preview the data on the software panel
  • Match the Excel Fields with vCard Fields for mapping
  • Choose the vCard version and create a single vCard file if needed
  • Hit Convert to complete the procedure.
Q. How do I convert Excel to VCF manually?

Ans. You can import Excel files to your Windows Contacts using the Import option and then, Export Windows Contacts in VCF file format.

Q. Can I access Excel contacts from mobile contacts?

Ans. Yes, after converting an Excel file to vCard format, you can import and access Excel contacts from mobile/ phonebook contacts easily.

Q. What is a vCard file?

Ans. A vCard (VCF) is a Virtual Business Card or Electronic Business Card used to save contact information. Moreover, it is the standard file format to manage contact info.