In today’s world, smartphones have become an inevitable part of our lives. We use them for communication, entertainment, and work-related stuff. Among all the features, the contact list in your smartphone is very important. We certainly don’t want to lose any important contacts. That’s why people have started to backup their contacts on different devices. While backing up the contacts, some people might don’t want to use iTunes due to its complex steps and limited storage. Hence, in this blog post, we will learn how to backup iPhone contacts to PC without iTunes.
Video Tutorial:
Why You Need to Backup iPhone Contacts to PC without iTunes
Though iCloud is the inbuilt, efficient, and secure way to backup iPhone contacts, there are some reasons when people want to backup iPhone contacts to their PC without iTunes. Some of those reasons are:
1. Limited Storage: The first reason is limited storage space in iCloud. After all, space is the most significant reason for users to look for alternatives to back up their contact list.
2. Complex Process: Another well-known reason to avoid iTunes and hence look for alternative ways to backup iPhone contacts is its overly complicated and time-consuming process.
3. Compatibility Issues: If you’re on an older iPhone model or Windows devices, you may have compatibility issues with iTunes.
4. Privacy: Privacy concerns are also significant when it comes to backing up contacts. Users are generally more comfortable backing up contacts to local storage than cloud services that they don’t trust.
Method 1: Using iCloud.com
iCloud.com is a web-based platform offered by Apple for iOS and Mac users. It is a useful platform to access and manage your diverse iPhone data, including the contact list. Here are the steps to backup iPhone contacts to the PC using iCloud.com:
Steps:
1. Open iCloud.com and login with your Apple ID and password.
2. Click on the “Contacts” icon from the list of options available on the main home screen.
3. Select the contacts which you want to backup to your PC. You can select multiple contacts by holding the Shift key and selecting the contacts one by one.
4. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner and choose “Export vCard.”
5. Now open the downloaded archive and select all contacts in the folder.
6. Right-click on the contacts file and select "Copy" or "Cut".
7. Browse to a location on your PC where you want to store the contacts.
8. Paste the contacts file into the folder of your choice.
Pros:
– A simple interface on iCloud.com.
– Automatic sync with other iOS devices.
– Free to use.
Cons:
– A limited upload + share functionality, and Apple will compress the contacts file.
Method 2: Using Tenorshare iCareFone
Tenorshare iCareFone is a multi-purpose iPhone manager tool that can help you transfer various iOS files (photos, contacts, messages, videos, and more) in a safe, secure, and simple manner. Here are the steps to backup iPhone contacts to your PC without iTunes using iCareFone:
Steps:
1. Download and install Tenorshare iCareFone on your Windows PC.
2. Launch the tool and connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB cable.
3. The iCareFone app will detect your device. Now, click on the "Backup & Restore" tab.
4. From the list of available data types, select "Contacts."
5. You can select all the contacts or specific ones. Now, click on the "Backup" button.
6. Wait for the contacts to backup. Once done, you can view them in the “Contacts Backup” folder on your PC.
Pros:
– A simple interface with more transfer features than iTunes and iCloud.
– No data loss during transfer and restores.
– Free Trial Available.
Cons:
– Requires software installation.
Method 3: Using Google Contacts
Google Account is very popular for email, but fewer people know that it also offers a “Contacts” section to customers. Those who have synced the iPhone contacts with Google Accounts can export them without any worries. Let us see how to export the iPhone contacts to PC using Google Contacts:
Steps:
1. Open the Google Contacts website and sign in with your Google account and password.
2. Choose the contacts you want to backup to a PC. You can select individual contacts or all of them.
3. Click the “More” option in the left-hand sidebar menu and choose "Export".
4. Select “All contacts” and choose the export file type as Google CSV format.
5. Click on the “Export” button.
6. Save the file in the preferred location on your PC.
Pros:
– Free to use.
– Compatible with both Windows and MacOS.
Cons:
– The interface makes it difficult to navigate.
What to Do If You Can’t Backup iPhone Contacts to PC without iTunes
In some cases, users might encounter some common issues while backing up contacts. Here are some things you can do if you can’t backup iPhone contacts to PC without iTunes:
– Try upgrading your iPhone’s iOS to the latest version.
– Restart your iPhone and the PC, and reconnect your iPhone.
– Check USB cable, ports, and ensure that they work properly.
– Check the settings of “iCloud Backup” and ensure that “Contacts” are enabled.
– Disable and enable the iCloud sync, thereby restarting the sync.
– Remove Apple Mobile Device Services.
Bonus Tip
We recommend that you back up your iPhone data regularly and completely, including contacts. It’s a good habit to safeguard your iPhone data from accidental loss or damage, including theft and flaws.
5 FAQs
Q1: What is the easiest way to backup iPhone contacts?
A: The easiest way to backup iPhone contacts is using iCloud. You can use its inbuilt backup feature to automatically backup and sync your iPhone contacts on the cloud.
Q2: Can you use Google Drive to backup iPhone contacts?
A: No, you can’t use Google Drive to backup iPhone contacts. Instead, you can use Google Contacts to backup your contacts.
Q3: Can I backup contacts on an iPhone without iCloud?
A: Yes, you can backup contacts on an iPhone without iCloud. You can use other methods like iCareFone, Google Contacts or Outlook to backup iPhone contacts.
Q4: How do I backup contacts to my PC without iTunes?
A: You can backup contacts to your PC without iTunes using methods like iCloud.com, Tenorshare iCareFone, or Google Contacts. All these methods are secure and easy to use.
Q5: How do I transfer my contacts from one iPhone to another?
A: You can transfer contacts from one iPhone to another using the iCloud backup. Simply backup the contacts on your old iPhone to iCloud, then log in to your new iPhone with the same Apple ID and restore the backup on the iPhone.
Final Thoughts
Backing up iPhone contacts to your PC without iTunes is very convenient and effective. You can use any of the three methods mentioned in this post, i.e., iCloud.com, Tenorshare iCareFone, and Google Contacts, to backup your contacts quickly. It’s always a good idea to backup your contact data regularly as a precaution against accidental loss or damage to your iPhone.
