The Pluck blog
Practical guides for getting your iPhone contacts under control. Exporting, deduping, vCard, CSV, CRM imports, and the format quirks nobody warns you about.
How to export iPhone contacts to CSV
Three working methods and the gotchas with each: native Contacts on Mac, iCloud.com, and Pluck. Which one you use depends on whether you have a Mac, how many contacts you have, and what you're doing with the file.
How to export iPhone contacts to Excel
Excel can open a CSV directly, so the question is really how to get your contacts out of iOS in a clean form Excel won't mangle. Walkthrough plus what to do about leading zeros and country codes.
How to export iPhone contacts as a vCard (.vcf) file
vCard is the universal format for contact data. Here's how to produce a valid one from iOS, why the iCloud.com version sometimes breaks, and what to look for if you're going to re-import it elsewhere.
How to find duplicate contacts on iPhone
iOS 17+ added a built-in duplicate finder. It works for some duplicates but misses the ones that matter most: same person, two different number formats. Here's how to spot what iOS misses.
How to merge duplicate contacts on iPhone
Four merge strategies (keep first, keep most complete, merge fields, delete all) and the trade-offs of each. Includes what to do before you merge to avoid losing data you didn't realize you had.
How to back up your iPhone contacts without iCloud
If you don't trust iCloud, are out of free storage, or want a portable copy you control, vCard is the answer. Two ways to make one and where to actually store the file.
How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android
Apple's Move to Android app exists but doesn't always work. The reliable fallback is a vCard file you import into Google Contacts. Step-by-step including the format pitfalls.
How to group your contacts by country
If your contact list spans multiple countries, grouping by country code is the fastest way to make sense of it. Why iOS labels alone aren't enough, and how Pluck does it automatically.
How to convert a .vcf file to CSV
vCard out, CSV in. The format gotcha most converters get wrong: how multi-value fields like multiple phone numbers per contact map to a flat spreadsheet without losing data.
How to format phone numbers for a CRM import
HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive each have rules for how phone numbers should look. Strip country codes? Add them? E.164? Here's the right answer per CRM and how to get there in Pluck.
What is E.164, and why your CRM keeps asking for it
E.164 is the global standard for phone numbers (looks like +14155552671). Understanding it stops half the import errors people run into when moving contacts between systems.
How to remove contacts that have no phone number
Email-only contacts pile up over the years and clutter the address book. How to find them in iOS, decide whether to keep them, and bulk-delete safely if not.
How to import iPhone contacts into HubSpot
What HubSpot expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Salesforce
What Salesforce expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Pipedrive
What Pipedrive expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Zoho CRM
What Zoho CRM expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into monday.com
What monday.com expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Notion
What Notion expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Airtable
What Airtable expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Attio
What Attio expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into ClickUp
What ClickUp expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Close
What Close expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Keap
What Keap expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Copper
What Copper expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Freshsales
What Freshsales expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into Insightly
What Insightly expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to import iPhone contacts into ActiveCampaign
What ActiveCampaign expects from a CSV import, and how to produce that file from iPhone without breaking phone formats or losing fields.
How to format your contact list for Twilio
What Twilio expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Klaviyo
What Klaviyo expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Attentive
What Attentive expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for EZ Texting
What EZ Texting expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for TextMagic
What TextMagic expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Postscript
What Postscript expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for SimpleTexting
What SimpleTexting expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Textedly
What Textedly expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Salesmsg
What Salesmsg expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Emotive
What Emotive expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Vibes
What Vibes expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for SMSBump
What SMSBump expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Yotpo SMS
What Yotpo SMS expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Sendlane
What Sendlane expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format your contact list for Mobivate
What Mobivate expects in a CSV import, the E.164 normalization step iOS doesn't do for you, and the country-specific gotchas to watch for.
How to format United Kingdom phone numbers (+44)
United Kingdom phone numbers (+44). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format United States phone numbers (+1)
United States phone numbers (+1). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Nigeria phone numbers (+234)
Nigeria phone numbers (+234). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format India phone numbers (+91)
India phone numbers (+91). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format China phone numbers (+86)
China phone numbers (+86). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Europe phone numbers (varies)
Europe phone numbers (varies). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Germany phone numbers (+49)
Germany phone numbers (+49). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format France phone numbers (+33)
France phone numbers (+33). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Spain phone numbers (+34)
Spain phone numbers (+34). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Italy phone numbers (+39)
Italy phone numbers (+39). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Canada phone numbers (+1)
Canada phone numbers (+1). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Australia phone numbers (+61)
Australia phone numbers (+61). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Mexico phone numbers (+52)
Mexico phone numbers (+52). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Brazil phone numbers (+55)
Brazil phone numbers (+55). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Japan phone numbers (+81)
Japan phone numbers (+81). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Korea phone numbers (+82)
Korea phone numbers (+82). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Saudi Arabia phone numbers (+966)
Saudi Arabia phone numbers (+966). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format UAE phone numbers (+971)
UAE phone numbers (+971). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Egypt phone numbers (+20)
Egypt phone numbers (+20). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format South Africa phone numbers (+27)
South Africa phone numbers (+27). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Kenya phone numbers (+254)
Kenya phone numbers (+254). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Singapore phone numbers (+65)
Singapore phone numbers (+65). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Philippines phone numbers (+63)
Philippines phone numbers (+63). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Vietnam phone numbers (+84)
Vietnam phone numbers (+84). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to format Indonesia phone numbers (+62)
Indonesia phone numbers (+62). The leading-zero rule, mobile vs landline distinction, E.164 conversion, and what every CRM and SMS tool expects.
How to export iPhone contacts for a mail merge campaign
Mail merge campaign contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a wedding invitations
Wedding invitations contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a real estate CRM
Real estate crm contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a recruiter outreach
Recruiter outreach contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a political campaign
Political campaign contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a nonprofit fundraising
Nonprofit fundraising contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a event RSVP collection
Event rsvp collection contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a newsletter import
Newsletter import contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a WhatsApp Business broadcast
Whatsapp business broadcast contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a fitness coaching
Fitness coaching contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a real estate agents
Real estate agents contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a medical practice
Medical practice contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a law firm
Law firm contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a restaurant marketing
Restaurant marketing contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to export iPhone contacts for a small business CRM
Small business crm contact lists in five minutes: what fields the tools want, how to handle dupes, and the iOS export step that trips most people up.
How to import contacts into Google Contacts
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
How to import contacts into Outlook
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
iPhone contacts not syncing to iCloud. Fix it
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
How to delete all contacts on iPhone
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
iPhone contacts disappeared. Recovery steps
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
How to share multiple contacts at once on iPhone
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
CSV vs VCF: which contact format should you use?
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
iPhone contacts storage limit. What slows down at scale
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
How to recover deleted iPhone contacts
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
How to add contacts to iPhone from a CSV file
A step-by-step walkthrough including the source-of-truth and sync gotchas most fixes skip over.
The best contact export apps for iPhone in 2026
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
Mac Contacts export vs iPhone export. Which is easier?
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
iCloud vs third-party contact backup. The real differences
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
Pluck vs MobileSync. Which contact tool fits your workflow?
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
Pluck vs My Contacts Backup. Feature breakdown
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
Why exporting iPhone contacts to CSV is harder than it should be
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
What changed in iOS 26 for contacts. A developer's read
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.
How to export thousands of contacts from iPhone without timing out
Side-by-side breakdown across format coverage, phone-number handling, and privacy posture, so you can pick once and stop re-evaluating.