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How to Import Excel Contacts to iCloud?

  author
Rollins Duke   
Published: May 10th, 2024 • 7 Min Read

This blog explores the reasons to import Excel contacts to iCloud and the solutions you can use. Keep reading the blog. The arrival of smartphones has changed the way we communicate with each other. Combining telephonic and computing functions, smartphones have made our lives easier. Along with smartphones, digital storage has helped us store our data online securely and immensely. You must have a list of contacts in an Excel sheet waiting to be added to your iCloud (Apple’s cloud storage) account.

Talking about smartphones and digital storage isn’t possible without mentioning Apple and its advanced products. And we will briefly introduce you to iCloud, Apple’s digital storage service. Let’s begin!

Table of Content Hide
  1. About iCloud
  2. 5 Steps to Import Excel Contacts to iCloud Quickly
  3. Manual Method to Import Contacts into iCloud from Excel
  4. Use Software to Import Excel Contacts to iCloud
  5. Conclusion

About iCloud

iCloud is Apple’s cloud service (or digital storage service in simple words) launched in 2011, helping users store data and sync it across Apple devices. Users can store contacts, messages, and media files and access them across all Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iMac, and MacBook. iCloud offers 5 GB of free storage that can be upgraded to 50 GB, 200 GB or 2 TB through paid plans.

Now let’s move ahead and discuss the solutions to import contacts into iCloud from Excel Workbook stored in XLS or XLSX file extension.

5 Steps to Import Excel Contacts to iCloud Quickly

  • Step 1- Open your Excel contact file.
  • Step 2- Use the Save As option to save Excel to CSV.
  • Step 3- Import CSV contacts to your Gmail account.
  • Step 4- Export Gmail contacts to vCard format.
  • Step 5- Import vCard contacts to iCloud, it’s done.

There is no direct method to import Excel contacts into your iCloud. Hence, you need to follow above mentioned 5 steps to complete this task. If you face any problem while importing Excel contacts to your iCloud account, then follow below mentioned instructions in detail.

Recommended: Easiest Methods to Import Excel Contacts to iPhone

Complete Manual Method to Import Contacts into iCloud from Excel

The manual method for importing Excel contacts to your iCloud account involves converting the Excel file to the vCard format using the following steps:

Step 1- Save Excel Contacts to CSV Format

  1. Open the Excel contacts file.
    excel contacts
  2. Go to File and select Save As. Select the destination location and choose CSV as the file format in the Save As Type menu.
    save as
  3. Click Save to save the file in the CSV format.
    select csv with utf 8
  4. You have comfortably converted the Excel file (XLSX or XLS) into a CSV one.
    csv contacts

Step 2- Convert CSV Contacts to vCard Using Gmail

Now, convert this CSV file into a vCard file since iCloud accepts only the vCard format for uploading contacts. And in vCard, iCloud accepts 3.0 and 4.0 formats.

To convert CSV contacts to vCard file, we have to use Google Contacts, and the following steps describe the method to convert the CSV file:

  1. Open Gmail in your system’s web browser.
  2. Next to the profile icon on the extreme right of the top side, click the Google Apps icon.
  3. Select Contacts from the Apps menu.
    gmail contacts option
  4. The Contacts webpage will open. Click Import Contacts and select the CSV file.
    import option
  5. After clicking the Select File blue box and browse the file from your pc.
    select file
  6. After, choosing a file, click Import and import the CSV file.
    import button
  7. The contact list will be updated after the addition of the CSV file.
    importing contacts
  8. Thereafter, Click the Export icon.
    export contacts
  9. Select vCard (for iOS contacts) as the export format under the Export Contacts option.
    export vcard contacts
  10. The vCard will be downloaded to your system.
    resultant vcf contacts

Step 3- Import vCard Contacts to iCloud

The last step is to upload this vCard file to your iCloud account. Follow these steps to complete these last steps.

  1. Open iCloud in the browser and enter your Apple ID and password to log in.
    login to icloud
  2. Select the Contacts icon from the App list on the home screen.
    select contacts
  3. Click the Settings icon and select Import vCard from the options.
    import vcard
  4. Select the saved vCard file and click Open to start the file import.
    select vcard
  5. vCard file is importing to iCloud, please wait.
    how to import excel contacts into icloud
  6. You can easily access them anytime.
    imported successfully

And this wraps up the manual method to import Excel contacts to iCloud. But this method is least preferred due to many reasons like time-consuming, data duplication, missing or mismatched contact details, and data loss possibility. Hence, using the automated solution is highly preferable.

Recommended: Two Ways to Import Excel Contacts to Android Phone

Use Software to Import Excel Contacts to iCloud

Since the manual method for importing Excel contacts to iCloud is lengthy and less preferred due to many steps, the best solution is to use an automated tool to convert the Excel file directly into a vCard file. We will discuss one automated tool to complete this task named BitRecover Excel to vCard Converter.

This tool has many features, some of which are:

  • Single-panel software interface helps perform every file conversion action in a single window.
  • The auto-mapping feature helps you to set the field names of the resultant vCard files automatically.
  • The tool converts the Excel file into vCard in just a few minutes, requiring no technical expertise.

How to Import Excel Contacts into iCloud?

  1. Install the tool in your system and open it after installation. Add the Excel file using the Select option.
    select button
  2. Click Save As to select the destination folder for the resultant vCard file. Check the Save all contacts in one VCF file box to make a single vCard file for all Excel contacts.
    save as option
  3. The tool automatically detects the available contact fields in the Excel file.
    excel csv fields
  4. Use the Select button beside the vCard Field button to map the contact fields.select vcard field
  5. Map the contact fields as per your preference.
    complete contact field mapping
  6. Recheck the contact fields after the field mapping and encode the Excel file into vCard by checking the Set vCard Encoding box.
    see contact field mapping completed
  7. To start the file conversion process, click Convert.
    import excel contacts to icloud
  8. Go to the destination folder to access your single or multiple vCard file(s).
    import contacts to icloud from excel

Use the file importing steps mentioned at the end of the manual method to import the converted vCard file into your iCloud account.

import vcard

Conclusion

Smartphones have changed the way we communicate with each other. They have also changed our data access method with the arrival of cloud storage. iCloud is Apple’s cloud service, helping users store and sync data across Apple devices. This blog explored the solutions to import Excel contacts to iCloud. The manual method involves converting the Excel file to CSV, importing the converted file to your Gmail account, exporting it as a vCard file, and then importing the vCard file to your iCloud account. These steps make the manual method time-consuming and prone to data loss, duplication, and missing contact details.

On the contrary, the automated method involves directly converting the Excel file into the vCard format and importing it to your iCloud account, saving time and not requiring technical expertise.

Recommended: Instructions to Import Excel Contacts to Mac Address Book