How to Sync iPhone Contacts with WhatsApp

To chat with your family and friends in WhatsApp, you need to sync contacts to WhatsApp from iPhone in advance. Follow this guide to know how to sync contacts from iPhone to WhatsApp.

Demi by Demi Updated March 4, 2024
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You're probably using Whatsapp to communicate with your contacts via texts, videos, images, and voice messages. Because WhatsApp relies on your previous contact list, your iPhone contacts must also be added to your WhatsApp chat contacts.

WhatsApp icon

You can sync contacts to WhatsApp from iPhone automatically or manually. You can finish the sync process with no effort. Keep reading this guide to make it.

Part 1. How to sync iPhone contacts with WhatsApp

You are given both automatic and manual ways to sync iPhone contacts with WhatsApp. The automatic way syncs all contacts to WhatsApp in the background, while you can also manually add needed contacts to WhatsApp. Follow either instruction below to meet your demands.

Enable WhatsApp sync contacts on iPhone

Make sure your iPhone is connected to a stable network connection, and follow the steps to enable WhatsApp sync contacts on iPhone.

Step 1. On your iPhone, go to the Settings app > Scroll down to locate and tap Privacy.

Step 2. In the Privacy settings, tap Contacts > From here, you need to grant permission to WhatsApp by toggling on the button next to it.

sync contacts to whatsapp

Then, wait patiently for all your iPhone contacts to be synced to WhatsApp.

Manually add contacts to WhatsApp on iPhone

If you wish to leave your privacy settings unchanged and manually add selective contacts on WhatsApp. Follow the instructions outlined below.

Open WhatsApp on your iPhone > Select the Contacts tab from the bottom > Tap + icon > Add the contact details, and finally, hit Done.

manually add contacts to WhatsApp

And that’s it. The process is slightly time-consuming if you have a large number of contacts to type in.

Part 2. How to fix WhatsApp not syncing contacts with iPhone

If you are facing the issue WhatsApp not syncing contacts with iPhone, there may be something wrong with your iPhone or iPhone settings. Here are some quick troubleshoots you can try to get out of it.

Fix 1. Check network connection
A stable network connection is required throughout the whole contacts sync process. You can open a web page to see if your iPhone is connected to stable Wi-Fi. You can also reset network settings to avoid any network errors.

Go to Settings > Tap General >Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Tap Reset Network Settings > Enter your passcode to confirm.  

reset network settings

Fix 2. Update or reinstall WhatsApp
Chances are that WhatsApp may be corrupted like any other app, and it may cause problems. If there is a newer version of WhatsApp, just update it from the App Store on your iPhone. If not, you can try uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.

Warm tip: It is suggested to backup WhatsApp chat in iPhone in advance, or you may lose some chat history after reinstall WhatsApp.

Fix 3. Force restart iPhone
A force restart can help fix many minor glitches on your iPhone. It may also be helpful when it comes to WhatsApp not syncing contacts with iPhone.

To force restart iPhone with Face ID, quickly press and release the Volume Up button > Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.

Finally, press and hold the Side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button.

force restart iPhone

Bonus: Sync WhatsApp contacts/chats with ultimate WhatsApp tool

To keep WhatsApp contacts, chat history, and media files safe, you’d better backup WhatsApp. Although you have got in-app backup feature in WhatsApp to backup WhatsApp to iCloud, you must be required to pay for more iCloud space.

Here you are given a WhatsApp backup tool called FoneTool to save your WhatsApp backup to PC locally. Whats also differs from iCloud is that FoneTool offers offline backup service, enabling you to finish the backup process in a short time.

Free download FoneTool, and follow the steps below to know how to backup WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud.

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Step 1. Launch FoneTool > Connect your iPhone to PC via USB > Tap Trust on your iPhone to let your computer access your iPhone data.

Step 2. Click WhatsApp Manager > Choose WhatsApp > Click Get Started under Backup WhatsApp.

backup WhatsApp

Step 3. Optionally, enable backup encryption and select a storage path > Click Start Backup.

start backup WhatsApp

When the backup is complete, you can tap View button to check the WhatsApp chats. You can also go to the Backup History page to browse, delete, and restore WhatsApp backup.

restore backup

Final words

In conclusion, you can be free to sync iPhone contacts with WhatsApp automatically or manually by following detailed instructions in this guide. If you are concerned about WhatsApp data security, just try the powerful iOS data backup tool to backup your iPhone WhatsApp. If this guide helps you, please share it with others.

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