[2 Ways] How to Backup iPhone Contacts to iTunes

Why Backup iPhone Contacts to iTunes?

It’s important to backup iPhone regularly in case of unexpected data loss. The contacts on your iPhone help you get in touch with other people and it’s very difficult to rebuild the contacts if you lose them.

especially for iPhone 14 users. Apple has removed SIM slot on iPhone 14 replaced with eSIM. So if you bought iPhone 14 and keep contacts on SIM card, you can backup iPhone contacts to computer before you transfer contacts from SIM to iPhone 14 in case of data loss.

iTunes is the official application developed by Apple to manage our iOS device, so you tend to backup iPhone contacts with iTunes. Although the unfriendly design and complicated operations often drive people crazy, it’s a way worth having a try.

How to Save iPhone Contacts to iTunes

There are two ways to backup iPhone contacts to iTunes. You can make a whole backup for your iPhone including the contacts or only sync contacts to computer with the help of iTunes. Before getting started, please make sure you have installed the latest iTunes on your computer to avoid errors like iTunes won’t recognize iPhone problem.

Part 1. How to Backup iPhone Contacts to iTunes

This method will help you make a whole iPhone backup: it will backup your iPhone data and settings including your contacts. You cannot only backup contacts and the backup files are not readable. Besides, you should be careful when restoring the iTunes backup because the exited data on your iPhone will be replaced by the backup.

If you want to backup contacts only, check the backup files anytime and also no data loss after the restore, iTunes is not a good choice. In this case, you can try one third-party tool named FoneTool, which provides an easy & safe solution.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer and usually, iTunes will run automatically. If not, open iTunes by yourself.

Step 2. Click the Device tab > Select backup to This Computer > Click Back Up Now.

Please do not unplug your iPhone until the backup process is finished.

Part 2. How Sync iPhone Contacts to iTunes

Besides making a whole backup, iTunes also offers a way to sync iPhone contacts to computer and then you can also try to export the contacts to CSV file which can be opened with a spreadsheet app like Microsoft Excel.

Step 1. Launch iTunes and plug in your iPhone.

Step 2. Click the Device tab > Click Info.

Step 3. Check the box “Sync Contacts with” > Select “Windows Contacts”.

Step 4. Check All Contacts > Click Sync at the bottom of the screen.

To check the transferred contacts, you can click Start and type your username > find and open the username folder and then you should see the Contacts folder.

To export contacts to CSV format: open the Contacts folder > click Export > CSV (Comma Separated Values) > Export to make it.

An Easier Way to Backup and Transfer iPhone Contacts

From the above, you can see that backing up iPhone contacts to iTunes is not the best solution. It does not offer you selective backup and restore. To make things easier, you can try one professional iPhone backup and transfer software named FoneTool.

This tool can help you backup all contacts in one click or only backup the contacts you need. You can check the backup contacts anytime. What’s more, you can selectively restore contacts to your iPhone and it will not do any harm to your existing content.

● You can transfer contacts to computer in CSV or VCF format. In this way, you can check and organize your contacts via Excel or other tools.
● You can also choose to make an image backup of the contacts, which will occupy a smaller space. And you can check the contacts within the tool.

It has a clear and user-friendly device which makes it easy enough to complete the backup task. The tool is compatible with every leading iOS device, including the new iPhone 13 with the latest iOS version. Download FoneTool now and follow the steps below to backup your iPhone contacts.

How to Transfer iPhone Contacts to Computer

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer via the USB cable.

Step 2. Choose Phone Transfer. Locate the iPhone to PC. Click Start Transfer.

Step 3. Select the contacts you want to transfer > Click OK to continue.

Step 4. Click Start Transfer. On the Transfer Settings, choose a path to save your contacts (local folder, USB flash drive, external hard drive) and Select the format > Click Transfer to make it.

Conclusion

You can choose to sync iPhone contacts to iTunes but it has many limitations as you can see. Compared to iTunes, FoneTool is a better choice. It lets you backup contacts only and also restore the contacts selectively without erasing data.

By the way, if you also want to backup and transfer other iPhone data like messages, music, videos, etc. FoneTool can also be your assistant. Download FoneTool and discover more!