VCF file extension. How to open and convert files with VCF file suffix

Files with vcf file 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.

There are 4 other file types using
the VCF file extension!

.vcf - Vevi configuration data

.vcf - VirtualDub processing settings

.vcf - VPHybridCAD native drawing format

.vcf - Variant Call Format

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VCF file extension - vCard contacts

What is vcf file? How to open vcf files?

File type specification:

Email related data file type

Mobile phones related file type

vcf file icon:

The vcf file extension 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

Updated: January 3, 2023

The default software associated to open vcf file:

Microsoft Outlook

Company or developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Outlook is e-mail management tool and personal information manager distributed with Microsoft Office suite. Outlook integrates e-mail application, calendar, task manager, contact manager, note taking in to one application.

Microsoft Outlook is used as a stand-alone application and also can work with Microsoft Exchange Server and SharePoint Server.

The predecessor of Outlook was called Schedule+. The newest version is called Outlook 2016.

vCardOrganizer

vCardOrganizer is software to manage, edit and share electronic business vcards from your PC.

Address Book (Contacts) for Mac

Company or developer:
Apple, Inc.

The Address Book (Contacts) is a little handy application with loads of features that are often overlooked by most users. Its very useful for for organizing your contacts, but Address Book's real power is that it works with many other applications. Its an integral part of Mac OS X (macOS) operation system. From Mac OS X Mountain Lion the Address Book will be renamed to Contacts.

VCard Explorer

Company or developer:
Fabien FOULON

VCard Explorer lets you preview and edit vcard files.

Extract contacts from SPB files

Open, split, merge or convert VCF contact files

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Extract contacts from SBU backups

Help how to open:

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.

How to convert:

Contacts in VCF (vcard) format can be converted to several suitable formats, for example CSV (Comma Separated Value). Most PIMs can do this.

Find conversions from vcf file:

Find converter to vcf file type:

File identification strings:

HEX code: 42 45 47 49 4E 3A
ASCII code: BEGIN:

List of software applications associated to the .vcf file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open vcf file, edit vcf file, convert vcf file, view vcf file, play vcf file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting vcf files.

Software that open vcf file - vCard contacts

Programs supporting the exension vcf on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open vcf file action.