How to Change Default Account for Contacts on Android and iPhone

You can save new contacts on Android or iPhone to an account like Google, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, etc., or store them on the device itself. By default, the first account added to your phone will be the default account for saved contacts. However, if you have multiple accounts added to your phone, you can choose the default saved location for contacts. Here you’ll learn how to change the default contact storage on Android, iPhone, and Samsung Galaxy phones.

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What Does It Mean to Have a Default Account for Contacts?

Whenever you add an email account on your phone and enable the contacts sync feature for that account, all the existing contacts in that account will show up on your phone. Basically, you can view contacts from multiple accounts on your device. But your device will store new contacts to your default account unless you tell it otherwise (on Android). Note that you can have only one default account on your Android phone or iPhone.

Also read: How to Transfer Contacts From One Phone to Another

How to Change the Default Contact Account on Android

Most Android phones come with a proprietary Contacts app that will allow you to change the default contact account. Note that for a particular account to show up as an option, you need to have enabled the contact sync option for it.

1. Depending on your phone model, look for a way to access “Contacts Manager.” On a OnePlus, we tapped on the three dots in the upper-right corner to get to this option.

2. Select the “Account contacts” option.

3. You’ll notice a list of all the accounts where you’ve enabled contact sync. Tap on the “Default account for new contacts” and select the account you wish to make default.

4. Alternatively, add a new account, such as a Yahoo account.

Also read: How to Add a Contact to the Home Screen on Android and iPhone

How to Change the Default Contact Account from the Google Contacts App

You can easily change the storage location for new contacts from the Google Contacts app on your Android phone (if it’s set as your default contacts app).

1. Open the Google Contacts app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on your profile picture at the top and select “Contacts app settings.”

3. Tap on “Default account for new contacts” and choose an account from the list. All accounts for which you’ve synced contacts will appear, including non-Gmail accounts.

Also read: How to Hide Calls and Texts from Specific Contacts on Android

How to Change the Default Contact Account in Samsung Contacts App

1. Open the Samsung Contacts app.
2. Tap on the three-bar icon under your profile picture on the left and select “Manage contacts.”

3. Tap on “Set default storage location” and select the desired account. Once again, only accounts for which you’ve synced contacts will appear.

How to Change the Account When Adding Contacts on Android

You can decide where you want to save a contact when you are creating a new contact on Android. You can either go with the default account or choose another account.

1. Start the process of creating a new contact. For that, open the Contacts app on your phone. Depending on the Contacts app, you may need to take slightly different routes. For instance, tap on the floating (+) add icon in Google Contacts or press the (+) icon at the top in the Samsung Contacts app.

2. On the screen where you need to type the contact details – like name, phone number, etc. – you will see the default account listed at the top.

3. Tap on the default account to see the list of accounts on your phone. Select the account where you want to save the contact.

Also read: How to Import and Export Contacts on Android Device

How to Change the Default Contact Account on iPhone

By default, your new contacts are saved to your iCloud account, as it is the first account added to your iPhone. To save to Google or another account, follow these steps:

1. Open “Settings” on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Go to “Contacts.”

3. Tap on “Default Account” and choose the desired account to store new contacts.

Also read: How to Fix Contact Names Not Showing, Appearing as Numbers in iOS

Default Account Setting Not Showing Up on iPhone?

You won’t see the Default account option inside Contacts if no other account (Google, Outlook, etc.) was added to your iPhone. Also, it’s necessary to sync contacts from that account to your iPhone in order to make it the default account. We’ll show you how you can do both things so you can fix the “Default Account” not showing up in Settings.

Sync Contacts from an Existing Account

1. Go to “Settings → Contacts → Accounts.”

2. If one or more accounts other than iCloud have already been added, tap on the account you want to set as default and enable the Contacts toggle on the following screen.

3. Once enabled, go back to “Settings → Contacts.” If the “Default account” option appears, tap on it.

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Add a New Account

1. Go to “Settings → Contacts → Accounts.”

2. Tap on “Add Account,” select the account to add, and type in your credentials.

3. After the account is added, open “Settings → Contacts → Accounts.”

4. Tap on the account you want to set as default and enable the Contacts toggle on the following screen to sync the contacts.

5. Once contacts sync is enabled, go back to “Settings → Contacts,” and if the “Default account” option appears, tap on it and choose a different account.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I create a contact in a non-default account on iPhone?

Open the Contacts app and tap on Groups in the top-left corner. Uncheck all other accounts except the one where you want to save a contact. Go back to the main screen of the Contacts app and tap on the + (plus) icon to create a new contact. It will be saved in the selected account instead of the default account.

2. Will changing the default account affect old contacts?

Changing the default storage location will not impact your existing contacts. The old contacts will stay in the same account where they were originally saved. Learn how to organize contacts on Android.