---
title: ".vcf file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .vcf file is a vCard Contact File. One or more contacts as plain text — the standard way to move an address book. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/vcf/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .vcf files

**.vcf file: vCard Contact File**

One or more contacts as plain text — the standard way to move an address book.

## What opens a .vcf file

- **Windows:** Contacts / People (built in), Microsoft Outlook, Notepad (built in — raw text)
- **macOS:** Contacts (built in), TextEdit (built in — raw text)
- **Linux:** GNOME Contacts, Evolution, Thunderbird
- **In a browser:** Google Contacts

## What a .vcf file is

vCard, standardised in RFC 6350, stores names, phone numbers, addresses and photos as readable text, and a single .vcf can hold an entire address book. Every phone and contacts app imports it, which makes it the usual route when moving between Android and iPhone. Contact photos are base64-encoded inline, which is why an exported address book can be surprisingly large.

## Converting it

A .vcf file is commonly converted to .csv, .txt or .ldif. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.

## Details

- **Extension:** .vcf
- **Full name:** vCard Contact File
- **Category:** Data
- **MIME type:** text/vcard
- **Created by:** IETF (RFC 6350)
- **Format:** Plain text

## Common questions

### How do I open a .vcf file?

On Windows use Contacts / People (built in); on macOS use Contacts (built in); on Linux use GNOME Contacts. One or more contacts as plain text — the standard way to move an address book.

### What is a .vcf file?

vCard Contact File. vCard, standardised in RFC 6350, stores names, phone numbers, addresses and photos as readable text, and a single .vcf can hold an entire address book. Every phone and contacts app imports it, which makes it the usual route when moving between Android and iPhone.

### Can I convert a .vcf file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .csv, .txt or .ldif, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.csv — Comma-Separated Values](https://atoneplace.net/file/csv/)
- [.json — JavaScript Object Notation](https://atoneplace.net/file/json/)
- [.xml — Extensible Markup Language](https://atoneplace.net/file/xml/)
- [.yaml — YAML Data File](https://atoneplace.net/file/yaml/)
- [.log — Log File](https://atoneplace.net/file/log/)
- [.torrent — BitTorrent Metainfo File](https://atoneplace.net/file/torrent/)
- [.dat — Generic Data File](https://atoneplace.net/file/dat/)
- [.sql — SQL Script](https://atoneplace.net/file/sql/)
- [.ics — iCalendar Event](https://atoneplace.net/file/ics/)
- [.sqlite — SQLite Database](https://atoneplace.net/file/sqlite/)
- [.db — Generic Database File](https://atoneplace.net/file/db/)
- [.bin — Binary File](https://atoneplace.net/file/bin/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)