Export contacts in Gmail

To add your contacts to another email account, first download them as a CSV or vCard file. To clear up storage, export and then delete contacts you don’t need.

  1. Go to Google Contacts.
  2. Select one of the following:
    • A single contact: Check the box next to the contact name.
    • Multiple contacts: Check the boxes next to all the contacts you want to export.
    • All contacts: Check the box next to any contact and in the top left, click Selection Actions and then All.
  3. In the top left, click More actions and then Export.
  4. To back up your contacts, select Google CSV.
  5. To save your file, click Export.

Tip: If you use Google Contacts for work or school, you can’t select all contacts in the Directory.

Edit a contact

  1. Go to Google Contacts.
  2. Click a contact’s name.
  3. At the top right, click Edit .
  4. Edit the information.
  5. Click Save.

Tip: You can’t change details that automatically come from:

  • Your contact’s Google profile
  • Your contact’s work, school, or organization
  • Google Maps, if your contact is a business

Delete contacts

  1. Go to Google Contacts.
  2. Select one of the following:
    • A single contact: Check the box next to the contact name.
    • Multiple contacts: Check the boxes next to all the contacts you want to delete.
    • All contacts: Check the box next to any contact. At the top left, click the Down arrow Down Arrow and then All.
  3. At the top, click More  and then Delete and then Delete. Your contacts will be moved to Trash, where they’ll stay for 30 days before they’re deleted forever.
    • To delete a contact permanently, go to “Trash,” select the contact, then click Delete forever.

Recover deleted contacts

If you deleted a contact in the last 30 days, you can move it out of your Trash.Tip: Contacts deleted from your “Other contacts” won’t show in Trash. You can recover them if you undo all the changes within the past 30 days. Learn how to undo changes to your contacts in bulk.

  1. Go to Google Contacts.
  2. At the left, scroll down.
  3. Click Trash.
  4. Select an option.
    • A single contact: Check the box next to the contact name.
    • Multiple contacts: Check the boxes next to all the contacts you want to recover.
    • All contacts: Check the box next to any contact. At the top left, click Selection Actions and then All.
  5. At the top, click Recover.

Undo changes to contacts

You can undo all the changes you made to your contacts during the past 30 days, all at once.

Important: Contacts deleted permanently from your Trash cannot be recovered.

  1. Go to Google Contacts.
  2. At the top right, click Settings  and then Undo changes.
  3. Choose a time to go back to.
  4. Click Confirm.

Tip: When you restore contacts to a certain time, such as one week ago, any contacts added after that time won’t show up. Learn how to export your current contacts and add them back later.