How to Transfer BlackBerry Contacts to Android (Methods That Still Work)
Found an old BlackBerry in a drawer and want its contacts on your Android phone? In 2011 I moved from a BlackBerry Curve to a Samsung Galaxy Ace and learned that the easiest way to transfer BlackBerry contacts to Android was to sync them to my Google account first. That Google Sync app is long gone, and BlackBerry shut down its legacy services in January 2022. Here are the ways that still work in 2026.
Quick answer: First check whether your contacts are already in your Google account at contacts.google.com; if you ever synced the BlackBerry, they will appear on Android as soon as you sign in. Otherwise, send contacts as vCards over Bluetooth, copy them to the SIM card where the phone supports it, or export a backup with BlackBerry Desktop Software (older BlackBerry OS) or BlackBerry Link (BlackBerry 10) and import the .vcf or .csv file into Google Contacts.
Table of Contents
Method 1: Check Google Contacts first
Many BlackBerry users synced contacts to Gmail years ago. Open Google Contacts on a computer and sign in with the account you used then. If your contacts are there, simply sign in with that account on your Android phone and they appear in minutes. That is exactly how my transfer worked in 2011.
Method 2: Send contacts by Bluetooth
- Pair the BlackBerry and the Android phone over Bluetooth.
- On the BlackBerry, open Contacts, select a contact (or several on BlackBerry 10) and choose Send Contact Card, then Bluetooth.
- Accept the file on Android and open it to add the contact.
This is slow for hundreds of contacts but needs no internet or computer.
Method 3: Export a backup on a computer
- BlackBerry OS 7 and earlier: BlackBerry Desktop Software could sync contacts with Outlook or export them. From Outlook, export to a CSV file.
- BlackBerry 10: BlackBerry Link synced contacts with Outlook or the Mac Contacts app, which can export vCards.
Then go to Google Contacts on a computer, choose Import, select the .csv or .vcf file, and the contacts sync to your Android phone. These programs are no longer supported, so you may need an older Windows PC.
Method 4: Copy contacts to the SIM card
Some BlackBerry models let you copy contacts to the SIM. I could not find an easy way on my Curve, which stored everything in phone memory, but if your model supports it, put the SIM in the Android phone and import from SIM in the Contacts app. SIM cards store only names and one number each, so details may be lost.
Moving contacts between any phones today
- Android to Android: sign in with the same Google account, or use the phone maker’s transfer app.
- iPhone to Android: use the “Switch to Android” app from Google, or sync iCloud contacts to Google.
- Any phone: export a .vcf file and import it in Google Contacts.
Save every new contact to Google
The best lesson from my switch still holds: when Android asks where to save a new contact, choose your Google account, not the phone or SIM. Then a lost or broken phone never takes your contacts with it. For more privacy and security on Google, see how to secure your Google email account.
FAQ
Do BlackBerry phones still work?
BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 devices lost their data services in January 2022, so they cannot reliably sync or browse, but you can still open contacts on the phone itself.
What happened to Google Sync for BlackBerry?
Google retired Google Sync for BlackBerry years ago. Use one of the methods above instead.
Can I recover contacts from a BlackBerry backup file?
BlackBerry .ipd and .bbb backups need the old desktop software or third-party converters to read. Try the software on an older PC before buying converters.
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how can i move my whole data from BB to samsung phone?
Thnx. Its really very interested idea … please could u guide me how to install google sync in my blackberry mobile …
Blackberry stopped the support for this app, so you would be unable to install it and would have to install BIS instead to sync your contacts, calendar, etc.
As soon as I tried to download this application, my security app immediately flagged it a a major security risk. Not sure why, but I am sure my contacts from my BB won’t get spammed because of phishing or whatever else is causing this application download to launch my security RISK message.
FANTASTIC! I said if it worked it would be a lifesaver and my goodness it’s just completed a complete transfer of my contacts to googlemail! Brilliant I can’t thank you enough! Now when I get the android smart new phone it’ll be a doddle getting my contacts transferred!
If this works it’ll be a life saver!
fantastic way , getting rid of all the software and updating over notebook. pretty fast impressive , Thanks
i keep doing it, it says sync complete, but nothing appears on the pc!
Thanks for the tip, Google sync makes transferring contacts so easy, Curve contacts saved to my gmail account in a few minutes, now waiting for my new android phone to arrive :)
You must have been reading my mind because I was just looking into getting an Android phone to replace my Blackberry Curve and this post couldn’t have come at a better time :)
Glad it worked for you.
Using google sync is a nice and easy way of importing contacts. Really helpful one