Tech Tips

How to Share a Contact on iPhone or Android

3 min read September 24, 2026

Learn how to safely share a saved contact from an iPhone or Android phone using Messages, email, AirDrop, Quick Share, or another app.

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Sharing a contact is a quick way to send someone’s phone number, email address, and other saved details without copying each item into a message. The recipient receives a contact card that they can open and save directly to their phone.

Here’s how to do it on an iPhone or Android phone.

Before You Share a Contact

Open the contact first and check the information it contains. A contact card may include more than a phone number—it can also hold email addresses, home or work addresses, birthdays, notes, and other personal details.

Only share information the recipient should have. On an iPhone, you can choose which fields to include before sending. Options on Android vary by phone and Contacts app, so you may want to edit the contact or create a simpler contact card before sharing it.

How to Share a Contact on an iPhone

  1. Open the Contacts app. You can also open the Phone app and tap Contacts.
  2. Tap the name of the person whose information you want to share.
  3. Scroll down and tap Share Contact.
  4. Select the contact fields you want to include, then tap Done.
  5. Choose how you want to send the contact, such as Messages, Mail, or AirDrop.
  6. Select the recipient and send the contact card.

The recipient can tap the contact card in the message or email, review the details, and add them to their contacts.

Share Your Own Details with NameDrop

If both people have compatible, updated Apple devices, NameDrop provides another convenient way to exchange contact information in person:

  1. Hold the top of your iPhone near the top of the other person’s iPhone.
  2. Wait for the NameDrop screen to appear.
  3. Choose Share to send your contact information, or Receive Only if you only want the other person’s details.

NameDrop is useful for sharing your own contact card. To share a different person’s details, use Share Contact in the Contacts app.

How to Share a Contact on Android

The exact button names can vary slightly among Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and other Android phones, but the general steps are the same:

  1. Open the Contacts app.
  2. Tap the contact you want to share.
  3. Tap the three-dot menu or Contact settings in the upper-right corner.
  4. Tap Share contact or Share.
  5. If prompted, choose the details or file format you want to share.
  6. Select an app or sharing method, such as Messages, Gmail, WhatsApp, or Quick Share.
  7. Choose the recipient and send the contact.

If you use Google Contacts and want to share your own information, open Contacts, tap Your info, and then tap Share.

Android usually sends contact details as a VCF or vCard file. The recipient can open that file and choose to save it in their Contacts app.

How the Recipient Saves the Contact

After receiving the contact card, the recipient should:

  1. Tap the attached contact card or VCF file.
  2. Review the information.
  3. Tap Create New Contact, Add to Contacts, or Save.

If the person is already in their address book, the phone may offer an option to add the new details to the existing contact instead.

If the Share Option Is Missing

Try these quick fixes:

  • Make sure you opened the full contact card rather than selecting the contact from a search suggestion.
  • Look for a three-dot menu, More, or Contact settings.
  • Update the phone’s operating system and Contacts app.
  • Try opening the contact in the phone’s default Contacts app.
  • If an app will not accept the contact card, share it through Messages or email instead.

A Quick Privacy Reminder

Before tapping Send, review both the contact details and the recipient. A shared contact card creates a separate copy, so later changes to the original contact usually will not update the copy on the recipient’s phone. If the information changes, share a new card or send the corrected details.

The Bottom Line

On either iPhone or Android, sharing a contact takes only a few taps: open the contact, select Share Contact, choose a delivery method, and send it. Taking a moment to review the included fields helps ensure you share the right information—and nothing more.

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