Gmail doesn’t have a built-in address book button — but adding contacts is straightforward once you know where to look. This guide covers every method: from a received email, via Google Contacts, by importing a file, and on iPhone and Android.
- From a received email — open the email, click the sender's profile picture, select Add to contacts
- Google Contacts (desktop) — go to contacts.google.com, click Create contact, fill in details, click Save
- iPhone — visit contacts.google.com in Safari, tap Create contact, or add via the iPhone Contacts app with Gmail sync enabled in Settings
- Android — open the Contacts app, tap +, choose your Google account, tap Save
- Bulk import — go to contacts.google.com, click Import in the left menu, upload a CSV or vCard file
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to Add a Contact from a Received Email
- How to Add Contacts in Google Contacts
- How to Import Multiple Contacts into Gmail
- How to Import Contacts from Another Gmail Account
- How to Manage Contacts Directly in Gmail
Sounds good? Then let’s dive in.
How to Add a Contact from a Received Email
The fastest method for saving someone you’ve already emailed. Works on desktop and mobile.
- Open Gmail and find the email from the person you want to add.
- Open the email and click on the sender’s profile picture at the top.
- In the card that appears, click Add to contacts.
And voilà — the contact is saved to your Gmail contacts list automatically.
from:[email protected] in the Gmail search bar to filter emails from that sender. You can also search Gmail by date to narrow it down further.
How to Add Contacts in Google Contacts
On Desktop
- Go to Google Contacts.
- Click Create contact in the top-left corner.
- Select Create a contact (or Create multiple contacts to add several at once).
- Fill in the contact’s details — name, email, phone number, company, and so on.
- Click Save.
The contact now appears in Google Contacts and syncs with Gmail automatically.
On iPhone
Gmail’s iOS app doesn’t have a native add-contact button. The two best options are Google Contacts in your browser, or the iPhone’s native Contacts app if it’s synced to Gmail.
Using Google Contacts in your browser:
- Open Safari (or any browser) on your iPhone.
- Go to contacts.google.com and sign in with your Gmail account.
- Tap Create contact.
- Enter the contact’s details and tap Save.
Using the iPhone Contacts app:
- Open the Contacts app on your iPhone.
- Tap + in the top-right corner.
- Enter the contact’s details and tap Done.
On Android
- Open the Contacts app on your Android device (preinstalled on most Android phones).
- Tap the + icon to add a new contact.
- Tap the downward arrow next to your email username to choose which Gmail account to save the contact to.
- Enter the contact’s name, email, phone number, and any other details.
- Tap Save.
The contact syncs to your Gmail account and all connected devices automatically.
How to Import Multiple Contacts into Gmail
If you want to add more than a handful of contacts at once, importing a CSV or vCard file is the fastest method. Google allows up to 3,000 contacts per import.
- Go to Google Contacts.
- In the left-hand menu, click Import.
- Click Select file and locate your CSV or vCard file.
- Click Import.
Google will add all the contacts from your file to your Gmail account automatically.
How to Import Contacts from Another Gmail Account
- Sign in to your old Gmail account and go to Google Contacts.
- Click Export in the left-hand menu.
- Select the contacts you want to export, choose Google CSV as the format, and click Export.
- Sign out of your old account and sign in to your new Gmail account.
- Go to Google Contacts, click Import, and select the file you just downloaded.
And voilà — all your contacts are now available in your new Gmail account.
How to Manage Contacts Directly in Gmail
If you send a lot of emails and want to manage your contacts without leaving Gmail, Mailmeteor’s Gmail extension lets you do exactly that. The Contacts panel appears directly in your Gmail sidebar, so you can:
- See your saved contacts at a glance
- Edit a contact’s details without switching tabs
- Email a contact directly from the sidebar
It’s particularly useful if you’re running outreach or managing a list of clients — no need to jump between Gmail and Google Contacts.
✍️ Write better emails faster with Mailmeteor’s AI email assistant
🏷️ Auto-categorise incoming emails so your inbox stays organised
📬 Send personalised emails at scale with mail merge — directly from Gmail
🔁 Set up automatic follow-ups so important emails don’t get ignored
📊 Track opens and replies to see who’s engaging
Try Mailmeteor for Gmail today (it’s free!) and manage your contacts and campaigns from one place.
FAQs
How Do I Add Contacts in Gmail?
The quickest way is from a received email — open the email, click the sender’s profile picture, and select Add to contacts. To add someone new from scratch, go to contacts.google.com, click Create contact, fill in their details, and click Save.
How Do I Add Contacts to Gmail on iPhone?
Gmail’s iOS app doesn’t have a native add-contact button. The easiest options are: visit contacts.google.com in your iPhone browser and create a contact there, or open your iPhone’s Contacts app, tap +, and make sure contacts are synced to your Gmail account via Settings → Contacts → Accounts.
How Do I Add Contacts to Gmail on Android?
Open the Contacts app, tap +, choose to save to your Google account, enter the contact’s details, and tap Save. The contact syncs to Gmail automatically.
How Do I Add Multiple Contacts to Gmail at Once?
Go to Google Contacts, click Import in the left menu, and upload a CSV or vCard file with your contacts’ details. Google allows up to 3,000 contacts per import. For larger lists, split into multiple files.
How Do I Find My Contacts List in Gmail?
Your Gmail contacts live in Google Contacts at contacts.google.com. You can also access them from Gmail by clicking the Google Apps grid (⊞) in the top right and selecting Contacts.
How Do I Add Contacts to a Gmail Group?
In Google Contacts, select the contacts you want to group by checking their checkboxes. Click the Manage labels icon and create or select a label. You can then use that label as a group when composing emails in Gmail — type the label name in the To field and Gmail will address all contacts in that group.
How Do I Edit a Contact in Gmail?
Open an email from the contact, hover over their profile picture, and click Edit contact. A panel appears on the right where you can update their name, email, phone number, and more. Click Save when done.
How Do I Delete a Contact in Gmail?
Go to Google Contacts, find the contact using the search bar, click their name to open their profile, click the three vertical dots, and select Delete. Click Move to trash to confirm.
How Do I Export Gmail Contacts?
Go to Google Contacts, click Export in the left menu, choose which contacts to export and select Google CSV or vCard format, then click Export. See our full guide on how to export Gmail contacts.
Why Can’t I Save a Contact in Google Contacts?
The most common reason is hitting the storage limit — Google Contacts allows up to 25,000 contacts or 20 MB of data. Other limits: no more than 500 fields per contact, no more than 128 KB per contact profile, and no more than 1,024 characters per field (except in Notes).
