Contacts on Android 6.0.1

I've always transferred mine with a VCF file.
On your old device open the contacts app, go to settings. Should be one that says backup. Backup to local...
Once done, use a file manager to copy the file to Dropbox, Google Drive or some other cloud storage.
Using a file explorer, copy the file to the new device.
When you click to open the file you should then be given the choice to open it with the contacts app.

Done.

As long as you've not disabled syncing between your old phone and your online Google account, your entire contacts listing will just be automatically imported on your new phone when you set it it.

If you did disable syncing and your contacts list only exists on your old phone, that's a really, really risky thing to do. If anything happens to that phone (stolen, lost, or it malfunctions) and you don't manually backup your contacts, which it sounds like you do not, than you'll lose them.
Start up the Contacts app, and depending on which version it is, tap on the three dot icon in the upper right or find the settings menu, and then just use the Import/Export option in the app itself to export a backup file of your contacts listing. Now open up whichever email app you use, and send an email to yourself with that resulting .vcf file as an attachment. Then you can use that vcf file to import your contacts into the Contacts app on your new phone. Plus you'll have at least one static backup. But I'd still recommend you leave syncing to your online Google account enabled, it's an easy way to have your contacts backed up automatically and continuously, and you can access your contacts with or without your phone.

You can also use Samsung's Smart Switch utility to backup/restore not just the Contacts app data but all your saved data:
https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch/

Given the stated problems you're having, you might want to think about just to taking your phone to a service shop and have them do this for you, or have a more tech savvy friend migrate your data from one phone to the other.

As it's a Samsung, did you actually try Smart Switch? I have used that myself before now.

Also export/import to VCF should work, and it has worked and I do use that for every Android phone I've had. No idea why it doesn't on the Galaxy J7.

I don't actually use Google for my contact details myself.

mikedt said:

I don't actually use Google for my contact details myself.

Click to expand...

I don't use Google for anything more than I have to.

It's not that Google is targeting you and blocking you from doing any of this, for most people things are working much more seamlessly. Again, you might want to have someone more tech savvy look into this for you, it will lesson your anxiety and increase your quality of life if everything is set up correctly, there are literally millions of people who use this basic tech daily.

FYI you don't need a Samsung account to use Smart Switch, it can transfer data to another phone or a computer locally and directly, either USB, Bluetooth, or WiFi.

I do have access to all my contact data. And quite frankly it sounds like the problems you're having maybe specific to your J7, or it's pilot error?

Work around If all fail but it gets the job done, Go to your contacts and whatever and do a screenshot of all your contents on your device and transfer the pictures to a designated location. Now from that point you can view all that you want to save and put it in a file of it's on.

Ahhh, then given your trollish, negative stance on this you should not be using an Android device. Since everything Google does is a conspiracy to you, it's not good for your mental health to intentionally expose yourself to it.

If you don't like how it's done with Android, there's always the other side...Apple...and good luck with that.

JoeMammyBfammyTammy said:

Google is targeting everyone on the planet. That's how they get their money. They are indeed blocking us from accessing these folders. Otherwise it would be as easy to copy the contacts folder as it is to copy the images folder.

Click to expand...

(Not true) Only the ill-informed have issues with Google or its some type of software issue. But on a common everyday basics Google works perfectly bcuz I've never had any issues with it as long as I follow the rules of engagement interacting with Google apps.

maybe a blackberry is in your future. i have nothing to hide. i do understand privacy and your right to it. but i don't have any issues with google. i mean i would have more of an issue with amazon. the whole alexa listening to you and have what you say recorded is more creepy then anything google has done.

You can easily access your contacts: from the contacts app use the "export" option in its settings, then copy the vcf file anywhere and load it into any contact management app on any platform.

If it won't work for you that's either a very odd problem with your specific phone or you are somehow doing it wrong. Because it works on every other android device I've used or heard of.

And for what it's worth the reason why contacts are stored the way they are is that it allows you to control which apps can access them. Of course most people are so careless about permissions and privacy that they just allow any app that wants access to have it, but that's their fault. If contacts were stored the way you want then literally any app could access them without anyone knowing.

The Google app store was originally called the "Android Market", which most of us thought was a better name. Google rebranded it as "Play Store" when they started getting into selling video, books etc. At that point it was understandable why they replaced "Android" with "Google", since it wasn't necessarily about Android apps any more, but why they thought that "Play" was an appropriate word has puzzled some of us for a long time.

I do remember one member here complaining that his IT departmentl had blocked access to it because of the name, so you are certainly not alone in the impression it gives.

If you want to backup contacts on Samsung, we can backup to Google, or backup Samsung contacts to SIM card if SIM card has enough storage. Also we can use Eelphone Android Transfer to backup Samsung contacts to computer directly by selecting contacts as the backup data type.
Or we can transfer contacts from Samsung to new phone directly by connecting two phones to computer via USB cable via Eelphone Mobile Transfer.