How To Add Contacts to Gmail (From an Email or Directly)

Updated February 3, 2023

Gmail is a popular email tool used by both businesses and individuals. Adding contacts to Gmail can be easier when you understand how Gmail saves your contacts to your Google account. In this article, we explain how to add contacts in Gmail from an email or directly and we answer some frequently asked questions.

How to add contacts to Gmail

If you want to add a new contact to Gmail, there are two ways to add contacts: from an email message or directly to your Google contacts page. Here are two methods for adding contacts to Gmail, with four steps for each:

Adding contacts from an email

You can add Google contacts from an email message you receive or a text message on your mobile device. Adding from a message can be a quick and simple way to add or change existing contact information. Follow these steps:

1. Open your Gmail account

Navigate to Gmail's login page and enter your email address and password. Navigate to the home page on your Gmail account and find the email with the contact you plan to add. If you want to add multiple contacts, you can add them one at a time.

Related: Tips for Using Google Calendar

2. Open the email and hover the cursor over the new contact's name

When you open an email, Gmail displays the sender's name. Typically, this includes only a first name but may include a first and last name. This name is in bold font at the top of the message above the subject line of the email. Move your cursor over to the name and hover over the text. A pop-up window appears when you do this and in the right-hand corner you’ll see the option to add to contacts. If you don’t see this option, then the person is already in your contacts. You can also click on “open detailed view” and again you’ll see an icon in the right corner that allows you to add to contacts.

3. Edit the information as needed

When you add a contact through an email, you can also edit some of the information you're adding. For example, if you want to add a nickname or phone number, or delete certain information, you can navigate to that information in the small pop-up window after the "add to contacts" step. You can edit or delete any information before you click the "save" button.

Adding contacts directly to Google Contacts

Google Contacts is a tool that's accessible directly from any web browser using your Google account. Adding contacts directly to Google Contacts saves a step and allows you to see all of your contacts at once. You can edit, delete or rename contacts as needed from this page. Here's how to add directly to Google contacts:

1. Navigate to Google contacts

Open a web browser on your phone or computer and navigate to the Google Contacts homepage. For Android users, you can use the Google Contacts application to navigate directly to your contacts list. Most Android devices can sync Google contacts so you don't have to store contacts separately. Google Contacts also serves as a backup for all of your contacts if something happens to your mobile device. Ensure you're choosing the right contacts app on your Android device. Most devices come with a standard contacts application that isn't synced to Google.

2. Click the "create contact" button

If you're using a web browser, you can see a button with a plus sign that says "create contact" in the left-hand corner of your screen. If you're using the mobile app, you can see a plus sign in the bottom right-hand corner of the application. Click this button to create a new contact. This navigates you to a new pop-up window that shows the Google Contacts form. You can enter all of your contact information here, including emails, phone numbers, names and addresses.

3. Save your information

After you ensure all of your contact information is correct, you can click the save button in the bottom right-hand corner of the contact form. This saves the contact permanently to your Google contacts list and syncs it across all of your connected devices. If you forget to save, you might lose the contact information. You can also set up automatic synchronization on your devices so that any contacts apps attached to your Google account sync with your Google Contacts.

4. Update your contacts

You can update any contact by navigating to the same URL or through the app. Choose a contact and click their name to open their contact form. An "edit" button should appear, typically on the right-hand side of the contact form. Click this button to edit names, phone numbers or email addresses. After you finish editing, click the "save" button and close the contact. You can keep contacts updated through Google Contacts across all of your devices.

FAQs about adding contacts to Gmail

Here are some frequently asked questions about adding contacts in Gmail:

How do I delete a contact from Gmail?

To delete a contact from Gmail, navigate to your Google contacts list either through a web browser or the Google Contacts app. Click on the contact you want to delete. Click on the button at the top of the contact form with three vertical circles. This displays several options, including "delete." Press delete, then confirm when the prompt appears.

How do I sync my Google contacts across my devices?

Google contacts are accessible through the Google Contacts app, built-in mobile contacts apps for phones and devices or through the web browser. To sync across your devices, sign in to all of your Android devices with your Google account. You can also download Google apps on iOS devices. After you sign in successfully, all of your contacts sync any changes with each device connected.

How do I share Google Drive files with my contacts?

Google Drive is one of many Google tools that sync across multiple devices. To send Google Drive files to your Google contacts, navigate to Google Drive via the application or through a web browser. You might need to sign in to your Google account on the browser if you didn't sign in already. Right-click the file in your browser or press and hold on to the file in your app and move to the "share" button. Then, type in the name of the contacts you want to share the files with and change permissions on the file as needed.

Please note that none of the companies or products mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

How To Add Contacts to Gmail (From an Email or Directly)