The fastest way depends on where your contacts are now

Moving contacts into Outlook works differently depending on whether they live in Gmail, Apple Contacts, a phone, or another email account. Gmail contacts move through Google Takeout and a CSV file. iPhone and Android contacts sync through your Microsoft account or upload as a file. Contacts from another email provider usually export as a CSV file that Outlook can read directly. The method takes between five and twenty minutes depending on how many contacts you have and which source you're moving from.

Outlook itself is the email and calendar program made by Microsoft. It runs on Windows computers, Macs, phones, and the web at outlook.com. When you move contacts into Outlook, they sync across all your devices if you're signed into the same Microsoft account.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail contacts export through Google Takeout as a CSV file, which Outlook can then read and import in one step.
  • iPhone contacts sync automatically if you sign into your Microsoft account in Settings, or you can export them manually as a VCF file.
  • Android contacts sync through your Google account or Microsoft account depending on which one you use on the phone.
  • Contacts from other email providers usually export as CSV or VCF files that you upload directly into Outlook.
  • Once imported, contacts appear in Outlook on all devices where you're signed into the same Microsoft account.

Moving contacts from Gmail

Gmail stores contacts in Google Contacts, a separate service from Gmail itself. To move them to Outlook, you export them from Google Contacts as a CSV file, then import that file into Outlook.

Go to contacts.google.com and sign in with your Gmail account. Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left. Select "Export" and choose "All contacts" or a specific group if you only want some contacts. Google downloads a CSV file to your computer. The file name will be something like "contacts.csv".

Open Outlook on your computer or go to outlook.com in a browser. In Outlook on the web, click the menu icon in the top left, then select "Import contacts". Choose the CSV file you just downloaded. Outlook reads the file and adds all the contacts. On the Outlook desktop app for Windows, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, select "Import from a file", choose CSV, and follow the steps to select your file.

Moving contacts from an iPhone

iPhones store contacts in Apple Contacts, which syncs through your Apple ID. You can move them to Outlook by signing into your Microsoft account on the phone, which tells the phone to sync contacts to Outlook, or by exporting them manually.

The automatic way is faster. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account. Choose "Outlook.com" and sign in with your Microsoft account (the one you use for Outlook). Turn on the "Contacts" toggle. Your iPhone now syncs all contacts to Outlook automatically.

If you want to export manually instead, open the Contacts app, select a contact, tap "Share Contact", and choose how to send it. You can email it to yourself or save it as a file. For all contacts at once, there is no built-in export button on iPhone, so the automatic sync method is usually faster. If you have already exported contacts as a VCF file from another source, you can open that file on your iPhone and it will ask whether to add the contacts to your phone.

Moving contacts from Android

Android phones sync contacts through your Google account or Microsoft account depending on which one you set up on the phone. If your contacts are in your Google account, you can sync them to Outlook by adding your Microsoft account to the phone, or by exporting them as a file.

The automatic way: Go to Settings > Accounts > Add account. Choose "Microsoft" and sign in with your Outlook or Microsoft account. Turn on "Contacts" sync. Your phone now sends all contacts to Outlook.

To export manually, open your phone's Contacts app (the name varies by phone maker — it might be "People" or "Contacts"). Look for a menu or settings option, usually three dots in the top right. Select "Export" or "Share" and choose to export as VCF or CSV. Save the file to your phone's storage or email it to yourself. Then open Outlook on your computer or at outlook.com and import the file the same way you would a Gmail export.

Moving contacts from another email provider

Outlook, Yahoo Mail, AOL, and other email services all let you export contacts as a file. The process is similar for each: find the contacts section, look for an export or read option, and save the file as CSV or VCF.

In Outlook.com itself, click the menu icon, select "Export contacts", and choose which contacts to read. In Yahoo Mail, go to Contacts, click the menu, and select "Export". AOL Mail has a similar option under the Contacts menu. Once you have the file, import it into your main Outlook account the same way you would a Gmail export: go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export on the desktop app, or click Import contacts on outlook.com.

If the file is in VCF format (a single file per contact) rather than CSV (all contacts in one file), Outlook can still read it. Some services export one format and some the other, but Outlook accepts both.

What happens after you import

Once Outlook reads the file, the contacts appear in your Contacts list. If you are signed into the same Microsoft account on multiple devices — your computer, phone, and the web — the contacts sync across all of them within a few minutes. You do not need to import the file on each device separately.

Duplicate contacts sometimes appear if you import the same file twice or if a contact already existed in Outlook. Outlook has a "Find duplicates" tool under the Contacts menu that can help you spot and remove them. You can also delete duplicates manually by selecting a contact and pressing Delete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move contacts from Outlook to another email service?

Yes. In Outlook on the web, click the menu and select "Export contacts" to read a CSV file. On the desktop app, go to File > Open & Export > Export. You can then import that file into Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Contacts, or another service using their import tool.

What if some contacts don't import?

Contacts with missing or unusual information sometimes fail to import. Check the original file to see if those contacts have a name, email address, or phone number. If a contact is completely blank, Outlook may skip it. You can also try importing the file again — sometimes a temporary error prevents the first attempt from working.

Do I need to delete the original contacts after importing?

No. Importing creates a copy in Outlook; it does not remove the contacts from Gmail, your phone, or the other service. You can delete them from the original location if you want, but Outlook keeps its own copy either way.

Will my contacts sync if I use Outlook on my phone?

Yes, if you sign into the same Microsoft account on your phone that you use on your computer or at outlook.com. Contacts sync automatically across all devices. If you use a different account on your phone, you will need to import the file manually on that device.

What's the difference between CSV and VCF files?

CSV is a spreadsheet format that holds all contacts in one file with columns for name, email, phone, and other details. VCF is a contact card format where each contact is often its own file. Outlook reads both formats, so you do not need to convert between them.