How long does switching from Apple Contacts actually take?

An evening for most accounts. The export from Apple Contacts is the slow step - the import side runs in minutes once the field mapping is settled. Larger teams (50+ seats with custom field schemas) sometimes split it across two sessions: import first, reorganise the next day.

Will I lose data when I switch?

Nothing structural. The CSV/JSON export from Apple Contacts preserves the data: records, fields, history, and attachments come over intact. What doesn't transfer is anything tied to Apple Contacts-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved searches, in-app annotations) - those don't sit in the export, they sit in the source product's UI. Plan an evening to rebuild your most-used views once you're in.

What about my existing Apple Contacts subscription?

Run both side-by-side until you're confident, then cancel Apple Contacts from their side. We don't lock you in - export from Contact Book is one click in account settings, same as import.

Is the import path free?

The import button is open on every plan, including the free tier - we don't paywall the way out of a competitor. The data going in still has to fit your plan's per-type quotas (the free-tier caps are listed on /sales); paid plans raise those caps. If you're moving a large set, check the caps first or write to /support and we can advise.

Can I get help with the switch?

Yes. Write to /support - both founders see those threads directly. Reply within a working day. For the field-mapping itself we typically resolve things in one or two exchanges; if your dataset is unusually large or Apple Contacts's export shape is unfamiliar, we'll say so up front.

Contact Book

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Contact Book: the alternative to Apple Contacts

What moving from Apple Contacts to Contact Book actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

Personal CRM

Apple

Julia YukovichCo-Founder + CEO

·March 16, 2026·

1 min read

Contact Book is what people use when Apple Contacts stops fitting. Below is the honest side-by-side - same product surface, different posture: hosted in Germany, no third-party trackers, one honest price - plus the migration mechanics that decide whether the switch lands in an evening or in a quarter.

At a glance

Apple Contacts is excellent at the phone-book job: end-to-end encrypted with Advanced Data Protection, beautifully integrated with Apple's stack, free with iCloud. Contact Book sits one layer above - the relationship log, life events, gifts, cadences. Run both: Apple holds the dialer-grade directory; we hold the texture.

Switching

What moving from Apple Contacts actually looks like

The switch goes in three rough phases: export from Apple Contacts, import into Contact Book, and reorganise what came over. Most people allocate an evening for it. The export side is where the time goes - Apple Contacts hands you a CSV/JSON dump and the field mapping isn't always obvious; once that's resolved the import is a couple of minutes. We don't paywall the import path or pretend it's a pro-only feature, and you can run both side-by-side while you decide.

Contact Book vs Apple Contacts: feature comparison

	Ours Contact Book	Theirs Apple Contacts
Names + numbers + email
End-to-end encrypted (with ADP)
Conversation log
Life events + reminders		Birthdays only
Gifts tracker
Family / relationship graph		Limited
Stay-in-touch cadence
Cross-platform (Android / web)
Free tier

When to pick which

Pick Contact Book when

You're not exclusively on Apple devices.

You want a relationship layer above the phone book.

Pick Apple Contacts when

You're 100% Apple and only need the phone-book job.

End-to-end encryption inside iCloud is non-negotiable.

Step by step

Export from Apple Contacts

Find the export option in Apple Contacts's account settings. Most tools provide a CSV or JSON download. Save the dump locally - that's the source of truth for the next step.

Account settings → Export / Download data

Pick the broadest format the tool offers (usually JSON)

Map fields in Contact Book

Open the import tool in Contact Book. Apple Contacts's field names rarely match Contact Book' 1:1; the import flags any unmapped columns so you can pair them up before anything commits.

Account settings → Import

Resolve the mapping prompts the tool surfaces

Run the import

Run the import. Contact Book shows a preview of the first parsed rows in the import dialog so you can sanity-check the column mapping + a sample of records before anything commits. If you're nervous about a large dump, import a small subset first, verify it landed the way you expected, then run the full file.

Re-create your views, tags, saved searches

Apple Contacts-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved filters, in-app annotations) doesn't transfer with the data export. Spend an evening rebuilding the views you used most - usually a 30-minute job once you've done it once.

Cancel Apple Contacts when you're confident

Run both side-by-side for a couple of weeks if you want to be sure. When you're confident, cancel the Apple Contacts subscription from their side. Contact Book keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Apple Contacts

The five questions we get most often before someone moves their data over.

Start with Contact Book

Free plan, no credit card. We host in Germany. Export + delete are self-serve.

Written by

Julia Yukovich

Co-Founder + CEO

Julia is one of the Co-Founders. She handles design, product direction, and most of the support replies that arrive in the morning.

julia.yukovich at aicuflow dot comLinkedIn