A lot of people ask us how to send a mass text to a list in a csv or excel file so we made the definitive guide on how to do just that. Here we cover how to import a csv, outlook, CRM export, and Excel doc into iCloud and Apple Contacts on your iPhone for sending with Hit Em Up! In this guide we will make a group on your computer (Mac or PC are fine) via your iCloud account which will automatically sync with your contacts on your phone! We also provide a file below to make the process super easy! So let's get started:
Step 1. Download this blank .csv file:
Download Blank CSV for use With Google Contacts
Step 2. Copy the contents FROM YOUR csv / excel file's contents TO the file you just downloaded, matching the title fields on the downloaded file (contained in the first row) with your corresponding data and save it. Make sure you DO NOT DELETE OR ALTER THE FIRST ROW TITLES.
Step 3. Go to https://contacts.google.com/ and tap "Import" in the bottom left corner.
Step 4. Click import from the side menu, click "Select file," and upload your file using the file picker (the file you downloaded above, with your data in it).
Step 5. Find the newly imported list on the side menu and ensure the contacts look right. Then navigate to the "Export" button on the left.
Select the newly imported list from the drop down and select "Export As vCard (iOS)"
Step 6. Navigate and sign into your iCloud account which is on your iPhone here: www.iCloud.com and click "Contacts."
Step 7. Press the plus under the side menu and create a new group called whatever you like such as "Hit Em Up Sender Group"
Step 8. Click your new group and drag and drop your vCard you downloaded from Google.
Step 9. Open Hit Em Up Personal Mass Text on your iPhone and select your group which should now be imported and press "Next" in the upper right to start Sending to your freshly imported group! If you don't see the group yet you can press import from the menu of Hit Em Up and ensure that you're signed into iCloud on your device!
Tap to Open Hit Em Up and Start Sending
Comments 15
Ok, so I have contacts saved as csv, and when I try to copy it over in the first column of the google csv file I downloaded from here, it copies it as one row instead of multiple like it should. What else should I try?
Author
Hi Ivy!
Are you saying that when you copy your first column of data from your csv it pastes it into one cell in Excel? You may want to select the whole | column | and try pasting and see if that helps. If you can clarify a bit more and perhaps attach an image (redacted of personal information) we can help more (or fill out a support ticket and we’ll contact you back if it’s more comfortable).
Best,
Zak
Well I can’t figure out how to attach an image to this comment, so I’ll explain differently. I downloaded the blank csv with “fake person” in there. I then went to my excel sheet (also in csv form) and copied the whole column as you did in your video, tried to paste it in by clicking on the B column and apple/c’d in there. It copied the first names in the B column but as one row, so all as one giant ‘1’ row in the B column. Make sense?
Edit: I mean apple/v’d it in there…
Oh my word….I was trying to copy it online. I hadn’t yet downloaded it. Problem solved. Never mind. Going to crawl in a hole now…after I text my people.
Author
No worries! I’m glad you figured it out 🙂 Let me know if we can help you further.
Best,
Zak
Hi thank you for this. What if I already have most of the contacts IN my iCloud BUT not in groups. Can I still used this method?
Author
Hi Stephanie,
Yep and you can skip to the end of the video where you can just start grouping people into groups in iCloud 🙂
Best,
Zak
What do you do if you already use google and you already have thousands of contacts in there? I couldn’t find any way to sort out the contacts that I’d just imported.
Author
Hi Raylene,
We automatically sync with your contact book on your iPhone. If you have google syncing with your iPhone, then Hit Em Up will sync with them too. However, when you grant access to the contact book on iOS, it does not recognize / share with us Google’s Contact-book Groups – only groups created with iCloud which Hit Em Up can sync with for you.
Do you offer this feature for the Android?
Author
Yes— it works with Google Groups / Labels. Just follow it to the 13-minute mark roughly 🙂
This is a bit new to me so I apologize if these are stupid questions.
1) If I use the above method, will it affect the existing contacts already on my iPhone? I certainly don’t want to add hundreds of names/numbers…most of whom I will never contact again to my phone.
2) Can I designate another cell number to receive the replies (spouse, sales manager, etc.)?
Author
Hi Jon,
To answer your questions:
The end of this video shows how to separate personal and imported contacts using iCloud’s built-in group features to avoid cluttering your contact app 🙂
No— the app sends and receives messages to your default texting app at this time.
Ok… I am considering using the service, just making sure I understand. I have an android and do not have icloud and don’t want it. Am I needing to get an iCloud account and do all of this just to use the service? Sorry. Seems really confusing and I’m tech savvy.
Author
Hi Candice,
You do not need iCloud at all to use Hit Em Up. On Android, if you upload the contacts to contacts.google.com as described through the 13 minute mark of the video, you’re done. They should be synced to your Android phone and then into Hit Em Up.