How to Transfer Contacts From One Apple ID to Another

By Alena Sham

Updated Oct 7, 2026Published Oct 19, 20227 min read

To transfer contacts from one Apple ID to another, sign in to iCloud.com with the old account, select all contacts and choose Export vCard, then sign in with the new account and use Import Contact. Apple renamed Apple ID to Apple Account in 2024; the same free method works, and third-party tools such as FoneTool are optional.

Can you transfer contacts to a different Apple ID?

Yes, contacts can be moved to a different Apple ID. People often need a new Apple ID (now called an Apple Account) when they switch to a new iPhone, separate a shared family account, or hand back an account that belonged to someone else.

After creating the new account, most people want to bring their contacts with them. Apple’s own iPhone-to-iPhone transfer features work within one Apple Account, but Apple also offers free ways to copy contacts between accounts: a vCard export and import on iCloud.com, and keeping contacts on the iPhone when signing out. Those methods are explained below, after the third-party option the original article covered.

Third-Party Option: FoneTool for Windows

Contacts can also be moved to a new Apple ID with FoneTool, a Windows program that its developer markets as iPhone transfer software.

FoneTool can export contacts from an iPhone to a computer and then copy them to another iPhone signed in with a different Apple ID. It also offers a second option: a direct transfer of everything from the old iPhone to the other one.

Features listed by FoneTool’s developer:

• The developer describes the transfer speed as fast; real-world speed depends on the cable, the computer and how much data is moved.
• You can transfer all contacts or selectively transfer contacts to another Apple account.
• Support exporting contacts to CSV or Vcard for editing your contacts or printing contacts from iPhone.
• Besides contacts, FoneTool is also able to transfer photos, videos, messages, and so on.
• As of October 2026, the FoneTool website lists support for iPhone 17 and iOS 27, alongside older models such as iPhone 14/13/12/11 and iPhone 5/6/7/8. The original article said it works with all iPad models; confirm current iPad support on the developer’s site.

How to Transfer Contacts to a New Apple ID With FoneTool

The steps below show how to transfer contacts to a new Apple ID with FoneTool, and how to transfer everything (including contacts) from one iPhone to another. FoneTool has a free version; menu names may differ slightly in newer releases.

Steps to transfer contacts to another Apple ID

Step 1. Connect your iPhone with a computer and tap “Trust” on your iPhone. Download and install FoneTool. Select “Phone Transfer” on the left pane. Move the cursor to the iPhone to PC and click “Start Transfer”.

Step 2. Click the plus icon and choose contacts you need. Then transfer the selected contacts to your computer, you can choose a path on Transfer Settings.

Step 3. Disconnect the old iPhone and connect the new iPhone. On the FoneTool interface, go to “Phone Transfer” > “PC to iPhone”.

Step 4. Choose the Contacts app from the top app list. Then add the Contact you just saved on your computer. Click the Start Transfer button to the target iPhone.

Then you can go to the Contacts app to see if all the contacts are transferred.

Transfer everything to new Apple ID

Connect both iPhones to your computer. Follow the steps to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone after setup.

Step 1. On the FoneTool, go to “Phone Transfer” > “iPhone to iPhone”.

Step 2. Make sure your iPhone is listed in the right place. You can encrypt the process if you need. Then click Start Transfer to transfer everything from one Apple ID to another Apple ID.

Note:

1. To transfer private data like Keychain, Health data, you may need to encrypt the transfer process.
2. If you don’t have a second USB cable, you can choose “Phone Backup” > “Full Backup” to backup iPhone to Windows 10/8/7 computer. Then restore everything to the other Apple ID.

Conclusion

Contacts hold phone numbers, names, birthdays and other details that keep people in touch with friends and colleagues, so they are worth moving carefully when you get a new Apple ID. The free iCloud.com vCard method works for most people; FoneTool is one Windows-based alternative for moving and merging contacts from one Apple ID to another.

How Do You Transfer Contacts Between Apple IDs for Free?

The free method uses iCloud.com on a computer or tablet. Apple’s iCloud User Guide describes the export and import steps as follows.

Step 1: Export contacts from the old Apple ID

1. Go to iCloud.com/contacts and sign in with the old Apple ID.
2. Select the Actions button, then choose Select All Contacts (or Command-click on a Mac, Control-click on Windows, to pick only some).
3. Click the Share button, then choose Export vCard. Apple notes that multiple contacts are saved as one vCard file, which also works as a backup.

Step 2: Import contacts into the new Apple ID

1. Sign out, then sign in to iCloud.com/contacts with the new Apple ID.
2. Select the Add button (the plus icon), then choose Import Contact.
3. Choose the vCard file you saved. According to Apple, each person in the file becomes a separate contact in the All Contacts list.

Once the new account is signed in on the iPhone with Contacts turned on in its iCloud settings, the imported contacts sync to the phone. Apple’s guide notes that Contacts on iCloud.com needs a tablet or computer.

How to Keep Contacts on Your iPhone When Changing Apple ID

An iPhone can keep its contacts while you switch accounts. Apple’s support article on signing out explains the path: open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out, then choose Sign Out But Don’t Erase instead of Erase This iPhone.

Apple lists Contacts among the data that stays on the device after Sign Out But Don’t Erase. Apple also says that when an account signs in on a device that already has data, the data on the device merges with that account’s iCloud data and syncs to its other devices. Check that your contacts appear on iCloud.com under the new account before relying on it, and export a vCard first as a safety copy.

How to Export Contacts on a Mac

A Mac signed in to the old account can create the vCard file too. In Apple’s instructions, open Contacts, select All Contacts, click a contact, choose Edit, then Select All, then File, Export and Export vCard, and save the file. Import that file into the new account on iCloud.com as shown above.

Apple points out that a vCard export copies the contacts but not your contact lists (groups). To keep lists, archive the whole Contacts database on the Mac instead.

Which Method Should You Use?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing Erase on sign-out: Erase This iPhone removes the data from the phone; pick Sign Out But Don’t Erase to keep contacts.
• Skipping the backup file: export a vCard before changing accounts so contacts can be restored if a sync goes wrong.
• Expecting groups to move: a vCard does not carry contact lists, per Apple.
• Forgetting other contact accounts: contacts stored in Gmail, Outlook or another account are not part of iCloud and stay with that account.

For related help, see how to access an iCloud backup, how to reset an iCloud password if you cannot sign in to the old account, and this guide to iPhone security. Switching from Android instead? Read about ways to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone, and before passing an old phone on, check what buyers of a used iPhone look for.

Written byAlena Sham

Alena Sham has published 174 articles on Justwebworld since 2021, mostly covering Business, Tech and Digital.

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