If you have contacts stored on an old phone, you can usually import them to your new Windows Phone. How you do it depends on the kind of phone you had.
This topic is about Windows Phone 8.1. If your phone is running Windows Phone 8, some options and icons may look a little different, and some features may not be available. Check to see which software version you have and find out if an update is available.
If your old phone uses a SIM card, you can often move it to your new phone to import your contacts. Depending on your mobile operator, your phone might not have a SIM card. Here's what a SIM card looks like:
On some phones, you can find the SIM card by removing the battery cover from the back of the phone. Other phones have a small SIM tray that pops out from the top or side edge of the phone. If you can't find your SIM card or aren't sure if your phone has one, check with your mobile operator or the phone's manufacturer.
Some phones use a standard-size SIM card, and some use a smaller "microSIM." If you're moving from a phone that uses one type to a phone that uses the other, talk to your mobile operator about options for moving your contacts over.
When you import contacts from a SIM card, they're automatically imported to your Microsoft account on your phone. They won't be deleted from the SIM card. If you haven't set up a Microsoft account, your contacts are saved to the phone's memory. If you set up a Microsoft account later on, the contacts on your phone will automatically be imported into it.
To import contacts from a SIM card
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Put the SIM card containing your contacts into your new Windows Phone.
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On Start , tap People
. -
Tap More
, and then tap Settings. -
Tap Import from SIM. If you have more than one SIM card, select the one you want under Import contacts from.
Under Save contacts to, select the account you'd like to store the contacts in, and then tap Next.
Do one of the following:
- To import all of the contacts on your SIM card, tap Import.
- If you want to select contacts to import individually, tap Clear, select the contacts you want to import, and then tap Import.
To import contacts from a phone with no SIM card
If your old phone doesn't use a SIM card, don't worry—you'll still be able to get your contacts from your old phone to your new one. Different mobile operators have different ways of getting this done, so you'll need your mobile operator to help with the transfer. Check the company's website, call the support number, or visit a store for help. Depending on what type of phone you're moving from, you might have some other options for moving your contacts.