How to export contacts from Android and organize them in Excel

Transferring your mobile phone calendar to a spreadsheet is an excellent idea for backing up and managing it comfortably on your computer.Plus, if you work with different apps and services, having a CSV or XLSX file gives you a lot of flexibility to import, filter, and sort data without fear of losing information.

The big question is usually how to export all contacts (including names with Unicode characters) from Android to Windows and review them in Excel or other programsThe good news is that there are several reliable options: from dedicated Android management tools, to Google Contacts and specific apps like Contacts to Excel, to options built into Samsung phones.

Why it's worth bringing your contacts to Excel

Exporting to CSV/XLSX allows you to view the entire notebook in tabular format, detect duplicates, normalize fields, and save a backup outside of your mobile device.If you change your phone or need to share data with your company, this is the most universal way, as these formats open in Excel, Google Sheets, and a multitude of other applications.

If you are concerned about special character support (Unicode), the ideal flow is to work in CSV in UTF-8 encoding and open it in Excel with the import wizard. to choose the delimiter and format for each column. This will prevent commas, accents, or other items from getting in the way. Symbols.

Option 1: Coolmuster Android Assistant to export calendar to CSV

When contacts are on the SIM or internal memory, a management utility like Coolmuster Android Assistant makes extracting them much easier.It's a professional software that allows you to view, edit, and output your calendar to different formats: VCF, XML, HTML, BAK, and, most importantly for Excel, CSV.

Key Benefits of Coolmuster Android Assistant: In addition to exporting phones, it also dumps emails, company, address, and other fields; import vCard to your phone; sync with Outlook; delete, add, and edit contacts from your PC; and move text messages, apps, music, videos, and more between your phone and computer.

• Works with the vast majority of Android brands (Samsung Galaxy S24, Google Pixel 8, HTC, LG, Motorola and many more).
• Includes one-click backup and restore, useful to protect you against losses or changes in terminal.

How to export contacts to CSV with Coolmuster: Install the tool on Windows or Mac, connect the mobile by USB, turn on debugging if prompted, go to Contacts > All Contacts, select the ones you want, and tap Export > Export to CSV. Choose the destination folder and save.

The resulting file will include the essential contact fields and can be opened in Excel. to sort, filter and update your data with total comfort.

NotaThere's a video guide to this process in the original source; if you'd rather see the steps in action, it's a good visual companion.

Option 2: Google Contacts to export/import CSV and work with templates

Google is the nerve center of the agenda in Android, and its Google Contacts service allows you to synchronize, export and import CSV and vCardThis is the “cleanest” route if you already use your Google account on your phone.

Sync your phone with your account first: Settings > Google > Account Services > Google Contact Sync > Status, and confirm that Auto-sync is turned on.

• Export from computer: Go to contacts.google.com, select contacts (or all), tap Export on the left, and choose “Export as CSV.”
• Import from computer: In Google Contacts, click Import > Select File, choose your CSV or vCard (.vcf) and confirm with Import.

If you are missing any details after importing, check the contact's notes field in Google Contacts., since some data that does not fit into a standard field may be stored there.

Use the official template to create a flawless CSV

To ensure that every piece of information in your calendar falls into the exact field, Google offers a spreadsheet template.It's crucial not to delete the header row: those names guide column mapping during import.

Steps with the template:

1. Make a copy of the template in your Google Drive. If you're using another app (e.g., Excel), download the file from File > Download and open it in your favorite program.
2. Fill in only the columns you need; each row of data creates a new contact. Delete unused columns if you prefer.
3. Download as CSV from File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv) and save the file somewhere easy to remember.
4. Import the CSV in Google Contacts from the Import > Select File menu.

Compatibility TrickIf you see merged cells or unusual formatting when you open the CSV in another app, check that app's help to import the CSV correctly with the correct delimiter and encoding.

Google Contacts Template Fields: Names and Descriptions

These are the headers that help locate each data in its place during import. (we leave the field names as Google recognizes them and summarize their function):

Header name	Description
Name Prefix	Pre-name treatment (e.g., Dr., Prof.).
First Name	Name contact battery.
Middle Name	Middle name or additional.
Last Name	Last Name contact.
Name Suffix	Suffix (Sr., Jr., etc.).
Phonetic First Name	Pronunciation Of the name.
Phonetic Middle Name	Pronunciation of the middle name.
Phonetic Last Name	Pronunciation of the surname.
Nickname	Nickname contact.
File as	Name to file/sort the contact.

Contact fields (email and phone):

Header name	Description
E-mail – Label	Email Etiquette (Home, Work…).
E-mail – Value	E-mail (e.g., contact@gmail.com).
Phone – Label	phone etiquette (Home, Work…).
Phone – Value	Number with international prefix using “+”, optional spaces/hyphens/parentheses.

Address fields:

Header name	Description
Address – Label	Address label (Home, Work…).
Address – Country	Country of the address.
Address – Street	Street principal.
Address – Extended Address	Complement of the road (floor, portal…).
Address – City	City or locality.
Address - Region	Region/Province/State.
Address – Postal Code	Postal Code.
Address – PO Box	Postal mail.

Organization fields:

Header name	Description
Organization Name	Name of the company or center.
Organization Title	Role contact.
Organization Department	Department within the organization.

Event fields:

Header name	Description
Birthday	Birthday parties in DD-MM-YYYY format or DD-MM if there is no year.
Event – Label	event label (e.g., Anniversary).
Event – Value	Event Date with the same format.

Other useful fields:

Header name	Description
Relation – Label	Relationship tag (Brother-in-law, Cousin…).
Relation – Value	Associated name to that relationship.
Website – Label	Website etiquette (Profile, Blog…).
Website – Value	URL of the site.
Custom Field – Label	Custom field label for non-standard data.
Custom Field – Value	Custom field value.
Notes	Free notes about contact.
labels	Tags separated by “:::” (e.g., Friends ::: Family ::: Project11).

Tip:: If a contact has multiple emails or phone numbers, add additional columns following the numbering pattern to capture them all.

Option 3: “Contacts to Excel” or “Contact to Excel” mobile apps

If you prefer to do it entirely from your mobile, there are specific apps that export any number of contacts to Excel (XLSX), CSV, PDF or VCF. Two popular names are Contacts to Excel and Contact to Excel.

What they allow: Export your entire address book to CSV/XLSX/PDF/VCF; in some cases, import from XLSX to your phone (specifically, importing is usually limited to XLSX). They also often offer an unlimited Pro version.

1. Install the app and, in settings, check the fields you want to include in the output file (phone, email, company, address, etc.).
2. Choose the format desired (CSV, XLSX or PDF) and press Export contacts.
3. Grant permissions to the app to access contacts and storage when I request it.
4. Open the file with a spreadsheet app on your mobile or send it to your computer for editing in Excel.

Advantage: You'll have your contacts in a perfect format for your PC, and you'll be able to manage them with more screen space and advanced Excel features.

Option 4: Export to CSV from the Samsung Contacts app

On Samsung phones, the Contacts app includes the option to directly export a CSV file.It is fast and requires no external tools.

1. Open Contacts on your Samsung.
2. Menu (three dots) > Import/Export contacts.
3. Export to device storage to generate the CSV.
4. Connect your mobile to your PC and copy the CSV to your computer.
5. Open in Excel from File > Open to view and edit the data.

Remember- If your model exports VCF instead of CSV, you can import that VCF into Google Contacts and then export it back as CSV.

Create and edit your CSV in Excel with good practices

You can create your Excel sheet from a CSV of Google Contacts and fill in new rows with more contacts.Some workflows recommend placing the name in column A, placing phone numbers in specific columns (in some templates, the phone number is far away, for example in column AE), and respecting the headers so that Google assigns them correctly.

When saving, use “Save As” and choose CSVIf Excel warns you about possible formatting loss, confirm this, as CSV doesn't support styles, but it does support the plain data we're interested in.

Import the CSV into your Google account (Import menu in Google Contacts) and then sync your phone to see the changes reflected on Android.

Activate synchronization on AndroidIn Settings, find your Google account and make sure Contacts is green. You can tap Sync Now to force an update.

CSV vs. VCF: Which Format to Choose?

CSV (comma separated values) is ideal for tabular data and editing it in Excel or SheetsWhile VCF (vCard) is the contact card standard, designed to share and exchange contacts between devices and apps directly.

If you are looking to organize and cleanse data, CSV is more practical.If you want to move contacts between phones or apps without touching columns, VCF is convenient and widely recognized.

How to open a CSV in Excel without scrambling fields

If you see moved columns or strange characters when opening a CSV, the problem is usually the delimiter or the encoding.The solution is to use Excel's Text Import Wizard.

1. in Excel, open the text import wizard (or Data > From Text/CSV).
2. Choose type “Delimited” and select comma as separator.
3. Defines the format of each column (Text, Number, Date) and confirm to see the table properly aligned.

Extra: Select UTF-8 as the encoding if your contacts include accents, tildes, or other Unicode characters so they display correctly.

Limits and troubleshooting when importing to Google

Google Contacts imposes certain limits that you should be aware of. to avoid errors during import.

• Don't import more than 3.000 contacts at a time.; if you have more, split the list into multiple CSVs.
• The maximum total is around 25.000 contacts. per account; if you reach it, you won't be able to add more until you free up space.
• Only CSV or vCard files are supported.; convert to one of those formats if your source is different.

If something goes wrong, check the template headers, the delimiter (comma), and that you have not deleted the title row.

Export with the system Contacts app (depending on the manufacturer)

Many Androids allow you to export from the Contacts app.: Open the app, menu (three dots), Import/Export, Export to file/storage, choose CSV if available or VCF if not available.

1. Select all or part from your contacts as needed.
2. Save the file in the folder I indicate (often “Contacts” or “Exports”).
3. Locate the CSV/VCF with the file manager and share or move it to the PC.

If your app only exports VCF, remember that you can pass it by Google Contacts to easily convert it to CSV.

Recover lost contacts before (or after) export

If you have deleted contacts by accident or after a reset, tools like FoneDog Android Data Recovery can help you recover them. before creating the CSV copy.

1. Install FoneDog on Windows or macOS and connect the mobile via USB (activate debugging).
2. Choose “Android Data Recovery” and select Contacts (and other types if applicable).
3. Scan and preview recoverable contacts; select the ones you want and press Recover.
4. Save the results in a folder on your computer for safekeeping.

FoneDog's guide (updated in 2023) also explains how to export contacts to CSV using the Contacts app or Google Contacts., in case you want a combined recovery and export flow.