Adding contacts in bulk to WhatsApp can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have hundreds of contacts to add. The good news is, there is an easy way to import all your contacts from an Excel spreadsheet directly into WhatsApp in one go. In this article, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of how to add bulk contacts to WhatsApp using Excel.
Things You’ll Need
Before we dive into the steps, here are some of the requirements and tools you’ll need:
- An Excel spreadsheet with all the contacts you want to import into WhatsApp. The sheet should have names and phone numbers in separate columns.
- WhatsApp account set up on your phone.
- Your phone number should be added to WhatsApp.
- The Excel spreadsheet should be saved on your computer first.
- A computer with Excel installed.
- A USB cable to connect your phone to your computer.
Step 1 – Format Excel Sheet
The first step is to make sure your Excel contact list is formatted properly for importing into WhatsApp.
Here are the key things to check:
- The contacts should be arranged with one contact per row.
- There should be two columns – one for Name and one for Phone Number.
- The Name and Phone Number headers should be in the first row.
- The phone numbers should be in international format (with country code). For USA, it would be +1xxxxxxxxxx.
This ensures WhatsApp can accurately pick up the names and numbers during the import process. Here is an example formatting:
| Name | Phone Number |
|---|---|
| John Doe | +11234567890 |
| Jane Smith | +1987654321 |
Step 2 – Export Contacts as .CSV File
Once your Excel contacts sheet is formatted properly, the next step is to export it as a .CSV (Comma Separated Values) file.
Here is how to do it:
- Open the Excel sheet and click File > Save As
- Under Save as type, choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)
- Give your CSV file a name and save it.
This prepares the file for importing into WhatsApp. The .CSV format separates all the data by commas so WhatsApp can read it.
Step 3 – Transfer CSV File to Your Phone
Now that you have your contacts list saved as a .CSV file, you need to transfer it to your phone:
- Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
- Locate the .CSV file on your computer and transfer it to your phone’s internal storage or SD card.
- You can also upload the .CSV file to cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox and download it directly on your phone.
- The .CSV file needs to be stored on your phone before you can import it to WhatsApp.
Step 4 – Import Contacts to WhatsApp
We’re now ready to import our Excel contacts into WhatsApp. Here is how to do it:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone and tap the 3-dot Menu > Settings > Chats > Import Contacts.
- It will prompt you to give WhatsApp permission to access your contacts. Grant the permission.
- Tap Import to look for the .CSV file on your phone’s storage.
- Select the .CSV file containing your Excel contacts.
- The app will now import all the contacts from the .CSV into your WhatsApp contacts.
- You can click OK when it finishes to complete the import process.
All your Excel contacts will now be visible within your WhatsApp contact list. You can start messaging them right away!
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips in case you run into any issues while importing Excel contacts to WhatsApp:
- Confirm the Excel file is formatted correctly with separate name and number columns.
- Make sure to export and save as .CSV file type before transferring to phone.
- Double check permission is granted for WhatsApp to read contacts.
- Try re-exporting the Excel sheet and transferring the .CSV again.
- Restart WhatsApp and clear cache if issue persists after import.
Advantages of Importing Contacts
Here are some key benefits you get when adding contacts to WhatsApp via Excel import:
- Saves Time – Importing hundreds of contacts takes seconds versus manual adding.
- Avoids Typos – Importing avoids erroneous typos that can happen with manual number entry.
- Easy Editing – You can update the Excel sheet easily if contacts change.
- Sync Contacts – Useful for syncing your Excel address book with WhatsApp.
- Smooth Transfer – migrating contacts from old phones is easy.
Conclusion
Importing bulk contacts into WhatsApp from an Excel spreadsheet is a simple and convenient process. Just make sure to format your sheet properly, export as .CSV, transfer to your phone, and use the WhatsApp import option. This saves huge amount of time versus adding contacts one by one manually. With hundreds or even thousands of contacts, being able to import them in one go via Excel is a major help. So next time you need to migrate your contacts list over to WhatsApp, use this easy Excel import method!