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How to open a VCF file

To open a VCF file, import it into a contacts app: double-click it on a Mac, open it in Outlook on Windows, tap it on an iPhone, or use Import in Google Contacts. A VCF file is a contact card in the vCard format, so any contacts app can read it and add the people inside it.

Digital business cardUpdated 4 min read

Check what kind of VCF file you have

VCF is used for two unrelated formats. Most of the time it means a vCard: contact details as plain text. The vCard standard registers both .vcf and .vcard as file extensions.

Scientists also use VCF for the Variant Call Format, a text format for genetic variant data. A contacts app can't open that, and a genomics tool can't open a contact.

To tell them apart, open the file in a text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. A contact file starts with BEGIN:VCARD. A genomics file starts with ##fileformat=VCF. The rest of this guide is about contact files.

Open a VCF file on Windows

Microsoft's help says that when you open a .vcf attachment in Outlook, a contact form opens showing the details. You can then save it to your Outlook contacts.

  1. Double-click the .vcf file, or open the attachment in Outlook.
  2. Check the details in the contact form.
  3. Save the contact.

If you don't use Outlook, the quickest free option on a PC is Google Contacts in your browser (see below).

Open a VCF file on a Mac

Apple's Contacts app gives three ways to import a vCard:

  1. Double-click the file, for example in an email or on the desktop.
  2. Drag it onto the Contacts icon in the Dock, or onto the list of contacts in the Contacts window.
  3. In Contacts, choose File > Import, then select the file.

Click Add when Contacts asks. It points out duplicates so you can review them before saving.

Open a VCF file online with Google Contacts

Google Contacts is a free VCF viewer and importer that works in any browser:

  1. Go to Google Contacts on your computer.
  2. On the left, click Import, then Select file. If you don't see the menu, click the menu button at the top left first.
  3. Choose your .vcf file and click Import.

If a detail seems to be missing after the import, Google says to check the contact's notes, where fields it couldn't place end up.

Open a VCF file on iPhone or Android

  • iPhone: Apple's guide says to tap the .vcf attachment in an email or message. Read our guide to opening a VCF file on iPhone for files with many contacts.
  • Android: in Google's Contacts app, tap Organize, then Import from file, choose the account, then the file. Our guide to opening a VCF file on Android has more.

Convert a VCF file to CSV or Excel

You don't need a separate converter. Import the file, then export it in the format you want.

With Google Contacts:

  1. Import the .vcf file as above.
  2. Tick the contacts you want, or all of them.
  3. Click More actions, then Export.
  4. Choose Google CSV and click Export. Open the CSV file in Excel or Google Sheets.

On a Mac: Apple's guide describes dragging contacts from the Contacts app into a Numbers spreadsheet, then choosing File > Export To to save it as Excel or CSV.

Online converter sites also exist, but they mean uploading everyone's phone numbers and email addresses to a stranger's server. Importing into your own account avoids that.

When a VCF file won't open

  • The app wants a different vCard version. Apple notes that its Contacts app exports vCard 3.0, which some apps don't accept, and lets you switch to 2.1 under Contacts > Settings > vCard. If you're the one receiving the file, try importing it into Google Contacts or Apple Contacts instead.
  • It isn't a contact file. Check the first line, as above.
  • The text looks garbled. vCard 4.0 files are always UTF-8. Older files may use another character set, which shows up as odd symbols in names with accents.

Make your own VCF file

To send your own details as a .vcf file, fill in the business card maker below and download the contact card. The example shows a fictional architect. Replace her details with yours: only the name is required, and everything is made in your browser.

Digital business card

Open the full tool

Related guides

Sources

Questions

What program will open a VCF file?

Any contacts or email app: Outlook on Windows, Contacts on Mac, Google Contacts in a browser, and the Contacts apps on iPhone and Android. To read it without importing, open it in a text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit.

How can I convert a .VCF file to Excel format?

Import it into Google Contacts, select the contacts, then choose Export and Google CSV. Open the CSV in Excel. On a Mac you can also drag contacts from the Contacts app into a Numbers spreadsheet and export that as Excel.

What can I do if my VCF file won't open?

Open it in a text editor first. If it starts with BEGIN:VCARD, it's a contact file and the app may want an older version, so try importing it into Google Contacts or Apple Contacts instead. If it starts with ##fileformat=VCF, it's genomic data, not contacts.

How do I open a VCF file on Android?

Open the Contacts app, tap Organize, then Import from file, pick the account and choose the .vcf file. Our Android guide has the details.