How to Open VCF Files on PC, Mac, & Mobile

Download Article

Easily view or import vCard contact info on a computer, phone, or tablet

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 16, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Windows Contacts
|
• Mac Contacts
|
• Microsoft Outlook (One Contact)
|
• Microsoft Outlook (Multiple Contacts)
|
• iCloud (Web)
|
• iCloud (iPhone/iPad)
|
• Gmail (Computer)
|
• Gmail (Android)
|
• Video
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Files in the VCF format, also known as "vCard" files, store contact information that can be read and imported by email services like Outlook, Gmail, and iCloud, as well as in your PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, or iPad's Contacts or People app. This wikiHow guide teaches you how to open a VCF file to view contact information and import it into your email account.

Quick Steps

1. Right-click the VCF file.
2. Select Open with > Windows Contacts.
3. Click Add to my contacts to import the contact info.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 8:

Windows Contacts

Download Article

1. 1
   Right-click the VCF file. Use this method to open the VCF file without adding it to your contacts. You can also use this method to import the VCF file into the Windows Contacts and People apps, which makes them available in Windows Mail and New Outlook.

   • If you're using Classic Outlook, see the Microsoft Outlook method.
   • Another way to open the VCF file without adding it to your contacts is to use Notepad. Just right-click the VCF file, select Open with > Choose another app, select Notepad, and click Just once.
2. 2
   Select Open with. A list of apps will appear.
   Advertisement
3. 3
   Select Windows Contacts. You can now see the contact details in an easy-to-read format.
4. 4
   Click Add to my contacts to add the contact. This imports the contact information from the VCF file into your Microsoft account's contacts, which makes it available in Windows Mail and New Outlook in the People or Contacts tab.
Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 8:

Mac Contacts

Download Article

1. 1
   Double-click the VCF file and click Add. That's all you'll need to do to import the contacts into your Mac's Contacts app.

   • If you want to see the contents of the VCF file without importing the contact information, you can view a plain text version in TextEdit. Control-click the VCF file, select Open with, and choose Text Edit to do so.
   • If your Contacts are syncing to iCloud, the imported contact will also be available anywhere you're signed in with your Apple ID.

Method 3

Method 3 of 8:

Microsoft Outlook (One Contact)

Download Article

1. 1
   Open Outlook on your PC or Mac. If you're using the classic version of Microsoft Outlook 365, 2019 or 2016, you can easily import a contact from a VCF file.

   • Only use this method if you're using the classic version of Microsoft Outlook. Look for the switch at the upper-right corner of the window that says "New Outlook." If the switch is enabled, click it to return to Classic Outlook so you can continue.
   • This will not work to import multiple contacts saved to a single VCF file. You can only import individual VCF files into Outlook. If you have exported more than one contact to a VCF file (such as when exporting iCloud contacts), you must convert them to a CSV file and import that file into Outlook. Jump down to our method on Microsoft Outlook (Multiple Contacts) to learn how.
2. 2
   Open a VCF file attached to an email (optional). If you received a VCF file attached to an email message, you can easily add it to Outlook right from the message.

   • Windows:
     • Click the VCF attachment once.
     • Right-click the VCF attachment and select Add to Outlook Contacts.
     • To save the contact info from the vCard, click Save & Close.
   • Mac:
     • Double-click the VCF attachment to open it.
     • To import the contact into Outlook, click Save and Close
   • Select Add to Outlook Contacts.
3. 3
   Click the File menu. If the VCF file is saved to your computer, you can continue with these steps to open and import the contact information.

   • Mac users: If you are using Outlook for Mac, you don't need to complete the remaining steps. Instead, control-click the VCF file that's saved on your Mac, select Open With, and then click Microsoft Outlook to open and import the contact.
4. 4
   Click Open & Export. This option is in the left-hand pop-out menu.
5. 5
   Click Import/Export. It's in the center column of options. Doing so opens a pop-up window.
6. 6
   Select Import a VCARD file (vcf) and click Next.
7. 7
   Select your VCF file and click Open. This will import your VCF file contact(s) into your Outlook address book.
Advertisement

Method 4

Method 4 of 8:

Microsoft Outlook (Multiple Contacts)

Download Article

1. 1
   Open File Explorer on your Windows PC. If you want to open a VCF file that contains multiple contacts exported from another email app (such as from iCloud), you will need to convert the file to the CSV format first. You can use this method to import multiple contacts from a VCF file into any version of Outlook, including New Outlook and Outlook for Web.

   • If you are on a Mac, the only way to get the CSV file into the proper format is to complete the steps on a Windows PC.
2. 2
   Navigate to your Contacts folder. The default location is C:\Users\(your username)\Contacts.
3. 3
   Click the Import button. You'll see it at the top of the folder.
4. 4
   Select "vCard (VCF file)" and click Import. A file picker window will appear.
5. 5
   Select the VCF file you want to convert and click Open. This will open the first contact in the file.
6. 6
   Click OK on each contact to add them to the CSV file. Continue clicking OK until you've reached the end of the contacts you've imported.
7. 7
   Click Close. You should now see the contacts you imported in the current window.
8. 8
   Click the Export button at the top. This opens the "Export Windows Contacts" window.
9. 9
   Select "CSV (Comma Separated Values)" and click Export.
10. 10
    Click Browse and choose a location for the file. Select any folder you'll remember to save the CSV file.
11. 11
    Choose a name for the exported file and click Save. You may want to call it something like "iCloud Contacts" (or whichever app they're exported from).
12. 12
    Select the desired fields and click Finish. For example, you can import the contact's email address, city, first name, last name, and other options. Once the export is complete, click OK, and the CSV file will be created at the selected location.
13. 13
    Import into New Outlook or Outlook for Web. Open Outlook. If the switch at the top-right is on, or you accessed Outlook by going to Outlook.com in a web browser, use this method. To import the CSV:

    • Click the People icon, two overlapping people in the left panel. If you don't see this, click More apps, select People to add it, right-click "People", and select Pin.
    • Go to Manage contacts > Import contacts.
    • Click Browse, select the CSV file you created, and click Open.
    • Click Import.
14. 14
    Import into Classic Outlook. If the switch at the upper-right corner of Outlook next to "New Outlook" is off, use these steps to import the contacts:

    • Click the File menu and select Open & Export.
    • Click Import/Export.
    • Select Import from another program or file and click Next.
    • Select Comma Separated Values and click Next.
    • Select the CSV file you created and click Next.
    • Select the desired folder and click Next, then click Finish.
Advertisement

Method 5

Method 5 of 8:

iCloud (Web)

Download Article

1. 1
   Open iCloud. Go to https://www.icloud.com in your computer's web browser. This will open the iCloud dashboard if you're logged in.

   • If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password when prompted.
   • When you import a VCF file using this method, the contacts will also be available in the Contacts app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac anywhere you're signed in with your Apple ID as long as your contacts are synced.
2. 2
   Click Contacts. Doing so opens a list of your contacts.
3. 3
   Click + and select Import contact…. You'll see the + in the upper-right corner of the currently selected contact.
4. 4
   Select your VCF file and click Open. This will add the file's contacts to your iCloud list of contacts.
Advertisement

Method 6

Method 6 of 8:

iCloud (iPhone/iPad)

Download Article

1. 1
   Tap the VCF file on your iOS device to open it. You can do this with a VCF file saved to your iPhone, or one attached to an email or text message.
2. 2
   Tap Create New Contact. Alternatively, if you already have this person in your contacts, you can select Add to Existing Contact and choose their name.
3. 3
   Tap Done to import the contact. The contact will now appear in the Contacts app anywhere you're signed in with this Apple ID.
Advertisement

Method 7

Method 7 of 8:

Gmail (Computer)

Download Article

1. 1
   Open your Google Contacts page. Go to https://contacts.google.com/ in your computer's web browser. This will open a list of your Gmail contacts if you're logged into your Google Account.

   • If you aren't logged in, you'll need to enter your Gmail address and password when prompted before proceeding.
   • If the Google Contacts page that opens isn't the correct one, click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the page, then select your account from the resulting drop-down menu. If you don't see your account, click Add another account and enter your email address and password to log in.
2. 2
   Click Import. You'll see this in the left menu panel of Google Contacts.

   • If you don't see a menu running along the left side of the page, click the three horizontal lines at the upper-left corner ☰.
3. 3
   Click Select File. You'll see this blue button in the pop-up window.
4. 4
   Select your VCF file and click Open. Doing so uploads the file.
5. 5
   Click Import. This option is in the pop-up window. This imports the vCard contact information into your Google account so it's available in Gmail, Google Calendar, and other applications.
Advertisement

Method 8

Method 8 of 8:

Gmail (Android)

Download Article

1. 1
   Open the Contacts app on your Android. It has a blue icon of a person.

   • This method assumes you're using the default Google Contacts app on your Android, but the steps should be pretty similar in other Contacts apps.
2. 2
   Tap Fix and manage. You'll see this at the bottom of the screen.
3. 3
   Tap Import from file.

   • If you have more than one Google account connected to your Android, you'll now see a list of accounts. Select the account you want to import the VCF into to continue.
4. 4
   Select the VCF file from your Android. If you downloaded the file, it will usually be in your Downloads folder. Once selected, the contact information in the vCard will be added to your Google account and available in Gmail, Google Calendar, and other Google apps.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I open a .TXT file?

  

  Community Answer

  Double-click it, just like you would do for other files. It should open in Notepad/Word.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 8 Helpful 8

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• It is no longer possible to open and import VCF files in Yahoo Mail. You can only import contacts from other services directly or by importing a CSV file.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

Video