Google: Import contacts into Gmail, Google Workspace and Co.

When using an email program, careful management of the address book has always been one of the most important tasks. If all of your important contact data is saved and readily at hand, sending private or professional messages is nothing more than a mere formality. In addition to the possibility of manually adding contacts, most email applications also come with a contact import function for this very reason. The import function is useful when integrating address data from a CSV document or from other email clients.

Gmail, Google’s email application, provides this type of extension. However, since 2018, importing contacts into Gmail is only possible by using the content manager app Google Contacts. We will show you how to use this function.

Users of Google services like Gmail and Google Workspace, for years, have managed their contacts via the “Contacts” program. Previously integrated into Gmail, the app is now available as an independent service. But since all contact information that has previously been saved in Google Contacts is transferred automatically to the entire Google account, including Gmail, this separation doesn’t pose a problem for importing Google contacts. Instead of using Gmail, you can now easily use the Contacts app for your import. Here is a summary of the basic steps involved:

1. Sign in with your Google account using your email (or phone number) and password.
2. Click on the button “Google apps” in the upper-right corner of the screen, next to the small profile picture for your account.
3. Click on the icon for the “Contacts” app.
4. Now click on the “Import” command in the left-hand side menu of the contact manager.
5. Click on “Select file” and select the location where the CSV document or vCard file with the contacts to be imported into Google Contacts or Gmail has been saved.
6. As soon as a file has been chosen, an “Import” command will appear. Select this to import the new Gmail contacts.

When your contacts have been imported into Gmail, a message will be shown at the bottom of the screen to confirm the successful import.

If you use Gmail on your smartphone or tablet, you can integrate contact data just as easily and as described in the previous instructions by using the browser version of Google Contacts. However, when you install the Google Contacts app on your device, you will have a convenient alternative, since the app includes an integrated function for importing contacts. Here is how to use this function:

1. Download and install Google contacts from the Google Play Store. On some smartphones, the app will have been pre-installed.
2. Sign in to the app with your personal Google account or with the account to which contacts should be imported.
3. Click on the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) to open the app’s main menu.
4. Click on the menu item “Settings”.
5. Scroll down to the section “Manage contacts” and click on “Import”.
6. Choose whether you would like to import contacts from a vCard file (.vcf) or from a used SIM card – other options, such as CSV, are not available in the Contacts app.
7. Finally, select the location where the data has been saved or choose the desired SIM card contacts, and then begin the import process.