Import Contacts to WhatsApp: Tutorial Guide

Christina Wan
Wondershare Dr.Fone
7 min readApr 25, 2021

WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging app used by a vast number of users across the world. Over the years, WhatsApp has improved its features to meet users’ needs at their convenience. WhatsApp’s upgrades are valuable in enabling a sophisticated platform to exchange messages with various individual and group contacts.

While you are using WhatsApp features, you will realize some limitations to valuable functions. Users are forced to utilize third-party applications to achieve various tasks on WhatsApp. If you are a frequent WhatsApp user, you have likely experienced some failures in important aspects that eventually become annoying.

If you are an android user, you will need the contacts on your device synced to WhatsApp to make the most out of the app. While this is possible, you will also want to import contacts from your Google account to WhatsApp. These contacts should have registered an account on WhatsApp so that you can interact from the app.

Although WhatsApp seems an easy app to use, there are cases it fails to display contacts on the contacts section. If you encounter this problem, don’t worry because this article will address the situation and guide you through importing contacts into WhatsApp using different approaches.

Part 1: Import contacts to WhatsApp via syncing

Adding contacts on your android device to WhatsApp has never been easier with the syncing option. Actually, the sync option is automatically enabled on WhatsApp.

This means the app will automatically pull the contact details saved on the phone and Google account into the WhatsApp database. Provided the contacts are using WhatsApp, they will appear in the WhatsApp contact list. However, you must grant permission to allow WhatsApp to access the contacts on your device.

The following guide will assist in importing contacts to WhatsApp via syncing.

Step 1: Open the WhatsApp account settings

Unlock your android device and visit the settings section. Click on accounts and then select the WhatsApp option. WhatsApp feature should appear under accounts if the app is installed on the phone.

Step 2: click on the three-dot icon

Choose to sync WhatsApp data. Now your contacts should appear on the WhatsApp contact list.

If you still can’t see WhatsApp’s contacts, visit the phone settings and navigate to the ‘app permissions’ option. This section checks the app permissions for WhatsApp and ensures the app is granted access to the device’s saved contacts.

Besides, the contacts might fail to appear until you manually refresh the list from the WhatsApp contacts section.

To do that, launch WhatsApp and go to the contacts tab. Now hit the three-dot icon on the top to access listed items, including the ‘refresh’ option so that the contacts can appear on WhatsApp.

Part 2: Import contacts to WhatsApp manually

WhatsApp allows you to add contacts to your account manually. However, you should use this method to sync multiple contacts. The approach applies where you wish to add specific contacts to your WhatsApp account.

When you wish to import contacts to WhatsApp manually, first, you need to open the WhatsApp application on your android phone. Navigate the contacts icon on your version of WhatsApp.

This will show the contacts you already saved to that WhatsApp account. From this section, you can hit the add icon located on the top of the screen. A dedicated window will appear with empty fields where you can add specific contact details to WhatsApp.

Part 3: import contacts to WhatsApp from an excel file

You can choose to import contacts from an excel file to your WhatsApp account. However, you first need to import contacts on the excel file to your Google account before importing them to WhatsApp.

Later, you can sync the Google contacts to WhatsApp, and they will automatically reflect on the contacts section. The following guide will instruct you on how to import contacts from an excel file to your WhatsApp account.

Step 1: Create a CSV file

Before you begin, ensure you have saved all your contacts in an excel file. From the excel window, go to file>save and save the contacts in the CSV format.

Step 2: Import the contacts to your valid Google account

Visit the official website for Google contacts and log in using the Google account you want to import the contacts to. From another perspective, you can log into Gmail and find the contact feature from the Google apps listed. Find the section named ‘My contacts’ and click on the ‘more’ button, and import contacts.

A dedicated window will open from which you can browse the CSV file you stored on your computer. Navigate the file and import it to Google contacts by clicking on the import button. Wait for a short while as your contacts continue to be saved to your Google account.

Step 3: Sync the contacts on your phone

Once the contacts are saved successfully to your Google account, you need to visit your phone’s settings, find the accounts option, and click on Google. From here, activate the option to sync contacts with your phone. Upon doing this, WhatsApp will automatically sync the imported contacts.

Bonus tip: Import WhatsApp chats and contacts from one phone to another

If you are looking to upgrade to a new smartphone, you will definitely think about how you will transfer your WhatsApp data, including the contacts. Whether you switch from Android to iPhone, you can possibly transfer your WhatsApp data with ease with the Dr.Fone software.

Dr.Fone — WhatsApp transfer

The software comes in handy to assist you in backup and restore your WhatsApp chats without worrying about losing data. Every solution is provided with just one click and could take the shortest time possible.

The software comes with a friendly user interface with straightforward guides to help when you are stuck transferring your WhatsApp data.

1 click to start:

What differentiates Dr.Fone from other software out there is that you don’t struggle to navigate the options. The simpler interface makes it easier for everyone to use with minimal effort and achieve the best results.

Here are the features of Dr.Fone — WhatsApp Transfer:

· Transfer WhatsApp history effortlessly:

Dr.Fone allows users to transfer WhatsApp data in case of a phone switch selectively. It could be from iPhone to android or android to iPhone. The software is compatible with different OS firmware and runs on both Windows and Mac.

· Transfer WhatsApp and WhatsApp business in a simple way:

Dr.Fone can transfer important WhatsApp Business messages and attachments when you want to change to a new phone. Every bit of your data is safely transferred.

· Backup WhatsApp/WhatsApp business chat history and restore to android/iOS:

the software is basically designed to perform tasks that may seem impossible. You can create your WhatsApp backup in a much more accessible way than ever and then restore it to any of your iOS or Android device with one click.

· Backup Viber/LINE/Kik/WeChat on iOS:

Dr.Fone WhatsApp transfer is compatible with other social apps mentioned to backup all chat history and restores selectively or export to a computer.

Now, let’s see how you can use Dr.Fone — WhatsApp transfer to import WhatsApp data from one phone to another.!

· Download Dr. Fone’s toolkit from its official website.

· Choose the ‘WhatsApp Transfer’ module from the home screen.

· Select the WhatsApp tab from the left panel of the application and connect your smartphones to the computer using a working USB cable.

· Click the ‘transfer WhatsApp messages’ to transfer WhatsApp from android to android.

Once the devices have been detected on the app and are positioned correctly, click the ‘transfer’ button.

· You can change the source and target device on the program using the flip tool to ensure they are positioned correctly.

· Once the transfer is complete, you can go ahead to set up WhatsApp account on the new android device and check the WhatsApp messages there.

Conclusion

Importing contacts to WhatsApp can be challenging and required users to pay attention to detail when carrying out the task. You could use different approaches to import your contacts to WhatsApp. While some processes may seem extremely easier, ensure you do it right to avoid encountering problems when viewing your WhatsApp contacts.

Similarly, you can transfer your WhatsApp data, including the contacts, to another phone effortless using the Dr.Fone — WhatsApp Transfer. The app allows you to transfer the WhatsApp content you need without security concerns selectively. The software is a recommended option to help with WhatsApp transfer between phones running on android or iOS with just one click.

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