How to Create a VCF File: A Comprehensive Guide for 2025

Introduction

Moving contacts between devices, sharing them with others or creating digital backups usually requires a VCF file (Virtual contact file) aka a vCard. A vCard is a universal file format for contact information. This guide covers every method to generate them correctly – whether you’re handling 1,000+ contacts, setting up a company-wide address book, or just switching phone platforms.

How do I create a VCF file immediately – Quick start guide

The fastest way to create a VCF file depends on your source system:

From iPhone: Export through iCloud or Mac Contacts app.
From Android: Export via Google Contacts if you currently sync to a google account. If not the Android contacts app allows you to export directly.
From Desktop: Export through Windows Contacts, Google Contacts or iCloud.

Note: Direct exports may create compatibility issues between platforms. For better results:

Ensure the VCF version is 3.0 for iPhone compatibility
Large contact lists (over 200 contacts) may need to be split into smaller files

But speed isn’t always the priority. Your specific needs – like maintaining data integrity during mass transfers or ensuring cross-platform compatibility – might require a different approach. Read on for our detailed step by step guides.

Why Use vCard Files: Common Applications

vCards work across nearly all devices and platforms, making them the universal standard for contact sharing. They maintain data integrity whether you’re moving a single contact or managing thousands.

A VCF file handles tasks like:

Moving contacts to a new phone without losing phone numbers, email addresses or other details
Sharing business contact info after meetings
Backing up an entire contact list before device upgrades
Converting employee spreadsheets into importable contact lists
Creating digital business cards with QR codes
Managing company-wide contact directories

While a simple export works for personal contacts, business users handling sensitive data or large databases need more robust solutions. Common issues like lost contact details, formatting errors, and sync problems can occur if VCF files aren’t created correctly.

How to Create a VCF File from Google Contacts

One of the most common reasons for creating a vCard file is migrating contacts from Android to iPhone. iOS requires VCF version 3.0 for contact imports, yet many systems still export in version 2.1, leading to frustrating import failures. While some users resort to manually editing VCF files in text editors to update version numbers, Google Contacts offers a simpler solution. It automatically exports in version 3.0 format, ensuring perfect iPhone compatibility. Since most Android users already have their contacts synced with Google, this method eliminates all compatibility headaches and manual workarounds.

Tip 💡: If you’re moving between Android devices, you can simply sync your Google Contacts instead with your mobile device or computer instead.

Step-by-Step Guide

1) Visit contacts.google.com in your browser and select desired contacts or choose ‘Select all’

2) Click Export from the 3 dot menu in the top right and choose ‘vCard for Android or iOS’

3) You have now created a VCF file called contacts.vcf which is downloaded to your default downloads folder.

Please note you may need to Export in smaller batches if you have over 200 contacts.

Tip 💡 : Need to convert your Excel contact list to VCF format? Learn how to convert CSV files to vCards in our step-by-step guide.

How to Import VCF Files to iPhone

Using iCloud (Recommended Method)

1) Visit iCloud.com in your browser and sign in with your Apple ID. Once signed in, open ‘Contacts’

2) Click the + icon in the top right and chose ‘Import Contact’.

Choose the VCF file you created in Google Contacts and click ‘Open‘ to import them.

Alternative: Import via Mail App

Email the VCF file to yourself or open an email containing the VCF attachment

Tap the VCF attachment in the Mail app and select ‘Add All Contacts’.

Tip 💡: If you’re new to iPhone, consider setting up Google services on your device for seamless access to your emails, calendar, and other Google features.

How to Create a VCF File from iPhone

If you’re using iCloud, your contacts automatically sync across all Apple devices – no VCF files needed. However, when moving contacts to non-Apple devices or creating a backup outside of Apple’s ecosystem, you’ll need to export your contacts as a VCF file. This is particularly useful when switching to Android phones or sharing contact lists with colleagues who use different platforms.

Create VCF Using iCloud (Recommended Method)

1) Sign in to iCloud.com from any web browser and click on ‘Contacts’

2) From the contacts view, select the contacts you wish to export. If you want to select them all click the 3 dot menu and chose ‘Select all’.

3) Click the export button in the top right corner and chose ‘Export vCard’. You’re vCard is automatically saved into your default Downloads folder.

Create VCF directly from iPhone

1) Open the Contacts app and select the contacts you want to export. Selecting multiple contacts from your list can be done by holding down on a contact with 2 fingers and then dragging.

2) Long press on one of the selected contacts and you will be given the option to ‘Share’.

3) You can then make adjustments to which data fields will be present in your VCF file. In most cases this can be left as is.

4) Choose Mail, Airdrop or another sharing option to send or save the VCF file.

How to create a VCF file from an Android device

Most Android users rely on Google account sync to manage their contacts. However, there are times when you need a VCF file – perhaps for an offline backup or sharing specific contacts with others. While Android phones offer a built-in export feature, it’s important to note that it creates VCF files in version 2.1, which may not work properly with iOS devices.

If you’re switching to iPhone, we recommend using the Google Contacts method covered earlier. But if you need to create a VCF file directly on your Android device, here’s how to do it. Note that the exact steps may vary slightly depending on your Android phone model.

1) Open your Contacts app and tap the ‘Organize’ menu in the bottom right corner.

2) Scroll down and select ‘Export to VCF’.

3) If you have multiple accounts setup on your Android device you will then be given an option to select the account with the contacts you wish to export.

4) You can then save the contacts.vcf file directly to the phone.

If you are an OSX user you when you open that file it will automatically open you’re contacts app and give you the option to import all the contacts contained within the vCard.

How to Create a VCF File from Microsoft Outlook

While Outlook is standard in business environments, its contact export can be tricky. The application only allows exporting contacts as individual VCF files by default, which isn’t ideal when handling multiple contacts. Here’s how to export your contacts.

Single Contact Export

1) Open Outlook and click on ‘People’ in the navigation bar

2) Select the contact you want to export

3) Click File > Save As

4) Choose ‘vCard Files (*.vcf)’ from the ‘Save as type’ dropdown

5) Select your save location and click Save

Multiple Contacts to 1 VCF file

Outlook doesn’t provide a direct way to export multiple contacts into a single VCF file. Instead:

Export to CSV first

1) Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export

2) Select “Export to a file” and click Next

3) Choose “Comma Separated Values (Windows)”

4) Select your Contacts folder

5) Choose a save location for your CSV file

You can then convert that CSV file into a vCard file using any of the methods outlined in our previous blog post here.

If you have ended up with multiple VCF files that you want to merge into 1

Tip 💡 : Working with multiple VCF files? Learn how to merge multiple VCF files into a single contact list in our comprehensive guide.

Converting VCF version 2.1 to Version 3

If you have VCF files in version 2.1 from Microsoft Outlook or other systems, Google Contacts offers a simple solution. When you import a VCF file or CSV into Google Contacts and then export it again, Google automatically upgrades the format to version 3.01. This makes it particularly useful when moving contacts to iPhone or other iOS devices, which require version 3.0 for proper compatibility5. Simply import your existing VCF file into Google Contacts using our method above, then export it again as a new VCF file. The resulting file will be in version 3.0 format, ready for use with any modern device or platform.

Email signature integration

VCF files can enhance your email signature by adding a clickable contact card. Recipients can instantly save your contact details to their address book with a single click. Most email clients, including Outlook and Gmail, support VCF attachments in signatures. However, keep your VCF file small – avoid including photos or unnecessary fields, as large signature attachments can trigger spam filters or create email delivery issues. For business users, consider including only essential contact information like name, title, phone, and email.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I share my VCF file with others?

You can share a VCF file through several methods. Export your contact card from your device’s contacts app using the share or export option. Then send it via email, messaging apps, or cloud storage links. For in-person sharing, generate a QR code of your contact information or use Bluetooth sharing.

Why does my VCF file open as a contact card?

VCF files use the same extension for both contact cards (vCards) and genetic data files. Your device automatically opens .vcf files as contact cards because this is the more common use. To view the file differently, you can open it in a text editor

How do I create a VCF in Excel?

To create a VCF file in Excel, organize your contacts in columns with headers like “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Phone,” and “Email.” Save the file as CSV format, then use a CSV to VCF converter tool or import the CSV into Google Contacts and re-export as VCF format.

What’s the difference between VCF version 2.1 and 3.0?

VCF version 2.1 is commonly used by Android and older systems, while version 3.0 is required for iOS and newer platforms. Version 2.1 files often cause import failures on modern devices, particularly iPhones. Version 3.0 offers better compatibility and is considered the current standard for contact sharing.

How do I transfer contacts to an iPhone

The easiest way to transfer contacts to an iPhone is through Google account sync. Go to iPhone Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > Google, sign in with your Google account, and enable Contacts sync. Your contacts will automatically transfer to your iPhone. Alternatively, use Apple’s Move to iOS app during initial setup