How to Import and Export Your Contacts on a Mac
Moving contacts about is an integral part of managing your digital information. Contacts can contain vital information we need personally and professionally. And thanks to Apple’s Contacts app, it has never been easier to do so on a Mac.
Contacts allows you to edit, add, and remove your contact cards while letting you import and export them in vCard format. Here, we’ll show you how to import and export your contacts on your Mac so that you can easily move them online and offline.
When to Use Imports and Exports
But why would you need to use imports and exports? Especially since you can just log in to your accounts and sync your contacts.
First, consider that cloud-based services aren’t infallible, and you may need to access your contacts offline. Exporting could be a reliable backup for your contacts.
Another reason may be that you would like to share some of these contacts with another device. You can share contact exports with another device using a different Apple ID from the one with the contacts. If you want to figure out how to do this for your mobile devices, you should check out our guide onhow to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android.
How to Import and Export vCards on Your Mac
The Contacts app saves contacts on your Mac as vCards (virtual contact cards), and they are the standard file format for saving contact details across various platforms and devices. Thanks to vCards, you can easilycreate a virtual business card on your Mac. They also make it easy to import and export your contacts, and here are some primary ways to do so on your Mac:
Finder serves as the default location to access documents stored on your Mac; simply exporting a contact will save a vCard file on Finder. Then you’re able to use an external storage device to download it and move it to another device.
Here’s how to export from Finder:
If you want to export contacts in bulk, follow these steps instead:
After moving this vCard to an external storage device, if you ever want to import them into the Contacts app on another Mac, then follow these steps:
Of course, this method applies to attaching the vCards in an email or through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
If you want to transfer a vCard from your Mac to another Apple device (Macs, iPads, and iPhones), you can use AirDrop to do it easily.
Follow these steps to AirDrop a contact:
If you’re new to using AirDrop and run into issues, be ready to follow sometroubleshooting steps to fix AirDrop on your device.
If you’re on the receiving end and you want to add a contact on your Mac through AirDrop, follow these steps:
If you’re signed in to your Apple ID and would like to send a contact to someone you have on iMessage, you can do so with the Messages app on your Mac. Access to iMessage is one reasonwe recommend you use an Apple ID on your Mac.
Here’s how to send a contact in Messages:
Only contacts whose names appear in blue have access to iMessage. If your target contact appears in green, they may not be able to receive your vCard message.
If you’re receiving a contact card on Messages instead, here’s how to save it:
Macs Make Sharing Contacts Easy
Maybe it’s because of how interwoven the Apple ecosystem is, but it’s easier to share contacts on a Mac than other similar alternatives. The UI is straightforward, and the process is quick and simple. These features make contact management on Macs the preferred choice.
Send and receive your contacts through Messages and AirDrop, or export and import them through Finder; there are multiple methods, and it’s easy to find one that works perfectly for you.
But importing and exporting aren’t all Contacts offers; this app lets you easily edit your contact cards, making it an ideal contact management solution.
Surprisingly enough, it’s easier to manage your contacts on a Mac than on an iPhone. Here, we’ll teach you how to do it.
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