vCard contacts
File type: Mobile phones related file, Email related data file
Files with vcf extension are almost always contacts saved in vCard format. Typically used various Personal Information Managers or e-mail clients (for example Outlook), as well as exported from mobile phones, for the purposes of sharing or migrating contacts from one device to another.
Found 5 different file type records with the same vcf filename suffix.
File type category:
Mobile phones related file
Email related data file
Date updated: December 30, 2024
File extension vcf is most likely best known for its use for vCard format, universal standard for storing personal or business contacts, including such data as name, e-mail, social networks, address, or phone numbers.
These files are frequently used for import and export of contacts between two programs or devices and their respective address books. They can also be send as e-mail attachments.
The VCF format is well-supported in apps and programs on both desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) and mobile platforms (Android, iOS, Windows). Unfortunately, some programs have difficulties with reading .vcf files that contain more than one contact.
For example, certain versions of Microsoft Outlooks only import the first contact from the file. Hence why it is usually best to export contacts on file per contact basis to avoid possible complications.
The internal structure of .vcf files may wary a little and special tags may be used by some programs.
In Google Android for example, contacts are stored in a single .vcf file and separated by tags BEGIN and END. When exported to memory card, these files can be found in the System/PIM subdirectory on the memory card and named PIM00001.vcf, PIM00002.vcf and etc. The highest number represents the latest version of the contacts and the lower numbers the previous versions.
MIME types:
text/x-vcard
The .vcf files are natively launched in Windows Contacts program, while on Mac these are opened in the Address Book application.
Other than that, many 3rd party apps support vCard format and can read or import contacts from it.
Contacts in VCF (vcard) format can be converted to several suitable formats, for example CSV (Comma Separated Value). Most PIMs can do this.
Languagetext/x-vcardtext/directorytext/vcard42 45 47 49 4E 3A
BEGIN:
42 45 47 49 4E 3A 56 43 41 52 44
BEGIN:VCARD
Software applications that can open vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software applications that can edit vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software capable of saving vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Programs for viewing vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software apps that create vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software apps that import vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Software apps that export vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software apps that extract vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Samsung devices such as Omnia or Galaxy series use the Samsung Kies software to backup your device....
vCard (VCF file extension) is the common standard for electronic business cards or simple personal c...
By default, iPhone and other iOS devices cannot export a group of contacts, or complete contact list...
Your smartphone broke down, was stolen or is otherwise lost and the only thing you really need are t...
File type category:
Text file
Date updated: October 27, 2026
VCF was developed for large-scale genotyping and DNA sequencing projects, including the 1000 Genomes Project. A file normally contains metadata header lines followed by tab-delimited records describing variants.
Variant records can include the chromosome or contig, position, identifier, reference and alternate sequences, quality, filtering status and additional information. Optional columns store sample-specific data such as genotypes and other values defined by the format's FORMAT field.
VCF is platform-independent and remains widely used in modern sequencing and genetics workflows. It is handled by many variant-calling, quality-control, annotation and genome-visualisation tools.
A vcf file can be read as text with any text editor, although long files are easier to inspect with a specialised bioinformatics tool. Utilities such as bcftools and VCFtools can inspect and process VCF files, while compatible genome browsers can display their variants.
It does not need to be opened in a DNA sequencer. To analyse the data, import it into a variant-analysis or genome-visualisation program that supports VCF.
VCF is primarily an interchange format, so it is usually filtered, normalised or annotated rather than converted for its own sake. Tools such as bcftools can convert compatible data to related formats, including the binary BCF format, or export selected fields as tabular text.
Conversion to formats such as BED or a spreadsheet is possible for particular uses, but it can discard metadata, genotype fields or other information. The required output format should therefore be chosen before conversion.
23 23 66 69 6C 65 66 6F 72 6D 61 74 3D 56 43 46 76 31
##fileformat=VCFv1
23 23 66 69 6C 65 66 6F 72 6D 61 74 3D 56 43 46 76 32
##fileformat=VCFv2
23 23 66 69 6C 65 66 6F 72 6D 61 74 3D 56 43 46 76 33
##fileformat=VCFv3
23 23 66 69 6C 65 66 6F 72 6D 61 74 3D 56 43 46 76 34
##fileformat=VCFv4
File type category:
Configuration file
Date updated: September 11, 2019
Record marked as obsolete and not updated for a long time.
The vcf file extension is associated with the Sense8s WorldToolKit, a software for Microsoft Windows operating system.
The vcf file stores configuration of objects for this program.
Seems to be obsolete.
File type category:
Settings, options, themes or skins file
Date updated: February 6, 2019
The vcf file extension is associated with the VirtualDub, a free video capture and processing utility for Microsoft Windows operating system.
The vcf file stores settings for processing video data with VirtualDub.
Use VirtualDub to work with *.vcf files.
Probably cannot be exported to other formats.
Software apps that manage or store settings in vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
File type category:
3d graphics, CAD-CAM-CAE file
Date updated: June 1, 2018
Record marked as obsolete and not updated for a long time.
The vcf file extension is associated with the VPHybridCAD, developed by softelec.
The vcf file contains saved VPHybridCAD drawing file.
This file format was used by older versions of the VPHybridCAD.
Use VPHybridCAD to work with *.vcf files.
Probably can be converted to other formats.
Software applications that can open vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Software applications that can edit vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Software capable of saving vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Programs for viewing vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Software apps that create vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
Software apps that print vcf files:
Microsoft Windows
online = can be converted online at 101convert.com
Online conversions and file conversion information are provided by 101convert.com.
