How to Open a VCF File on PC: 5 Free Ways
Written by Jared Young, an engineering graduate in Computer Science who specializes in data recovery and email backup at Corbett Software.
Someone sent you a VCF file and it will not open? This is a very common problem. A VCF file holds contacts, and your computer can open it for free in more than one way. This guide shows you each method in simple steps.
Summary: A VCF file is a contact file, also called a vCard. To open a VCF file on a computer, you can double click it to open in Windows Contacts, import it into Excel to see it as a table, upload it to Google Contacts, open it in the Contacts app on Mac, or read it as plain text in Notepad. All of these are free.
What is a VCF File?
A VCF file is a contact file. The name VCF stands for vCard, and it is the standard format for saving contact details like a name, phone number and email address. When you share a contact from a phone, it is usually sent as a VCF file. One VCF file can hold one contact or many contacts together.
Because it is a contact file and not a document, it does not open in a normal text program by default. That is why it can look like it will not open. The good news is that your computer already has free ways to read it, shown below.
What Opens a VCF File
Here is a quick guide to the free apps that open a VCF file on each device. Pick the one that fits what you want to do with the contacts.
What Opens a VCF File
A VCF file is a contact file. These free apps open it.
Windows Contacts
Double click the file to open it. Best for viewing a single contact.
Microsoft Excel
Import to see contacts as a table. Best for many contacts at once.
Google Contacts
Import the file in your browser. Best for saving to your account.
Contacts on Mac
Double click to open in Contacts. Built in on every Mac.
Notepad or Text Editor
Open the file as plain text to read the raw contact details. Works on any computer with no special app.
Open a VCF File in Windows Contacts
Windows has a built in Contacts app, so the simplest way is to let it open the file.
- Find the VCF file on your computer.
- Double click the file.
- It opens in Windows Contacts and shows the name, phone number and email.
- If a single contact opens, the file is open. If nothing happens, right click the file, choose Open with and pick Contacts.
This is the fastest way to view one contact. For a file with many contacts, the table method below is easier to read.
Open a VCF File in Excel
If the VCF file holds many contacts, opening it as a table in Excel makes it easy to read and sort.
- Open Excel and start a new blank workbook.
- Go to the Data tab and choose Get Data, then From File, then From Text/CSV.
- Change the file type filter to All Files so the VCF file shows up, then select it.
- Excel shows a preview. Click Load to put the contacts into the sheet.
The contacts appear as rows and columns. This view is best when you want to see, sort or print a long contact list.
Open a VCF File in Google Contacts
To save the contacts to your Google account and read them in any browser, import the file into Google Contacts.
- Open Google Contacts in your browser and sign in.
- Click Import in the left menu.
- Click Select file, choose your VCF file and click Import.
- The contacts appear in Google Contacts and sync to your account.
This way keeps the contacts safe in your account and on your phone, not just on one computer.
Open a VCF File on Mac
On a Mac, the Contacts app opens VCF files with no extra software.
- Find the VCF file in Finder.
- Double click it.
- The Contacts app opens and asks to add the contacts. Click Add.
- The contacts are now saved in Contacts on your Mac.
Read a VCF File in Notepad
If you only want to see what is inside the file, you can open it as plain text. A VCF file is really just text.
- Right click the VCF file.
- Choose Open with, then Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac.
- You will see the contact details in plain text, with each line starting with a tag like FN for the full name and TEL for the phone number.
This does not look pretty, but it is a quick way to read a contact when you do not want to import it anywhere.
Open a VCF File with the Free vCard Viewer
If a VCF file will not import, or you just want a quick way to read every contact in one clean list, the Corbett vCard Viewer opens it in seconds. You load the VCF file and it shows each contact with the name, phone number and email in a simple view, with no setup. It is free to view your contacts, and it runs on all editions of Windows. The built in methods above are still the first thing to try, but the viewer helps when a file is stubborn or holds many contacts.
People Also Ask
Q1: How do I open a VCF file on a computer?A1: Double click the file to open it in Windows Contacts on a PC, or in Contacts on a Mac. You can also import it into Excel to see it as a table, or into Google Contacts in your browser. All of these are free.
Q2: What is a VCF file?
A2: A VCF file is a contact file, also called a vCard. It stores contact details such as name, phone number and email. Phones usually share contacts as VCF files.
Q3: How do I open a VCF file in Excel?
A3: Open Excel, go to the Data tab, choose Get Data, then From File, then From Text/CSV. Set the file filter to All Files, pick the VCF file and click Load. The contacts show as rows and columns.
Q4: Why will my VCF file not open?
A4: A VCF file is a contact file, so it does not open in a document app by default. Right click it, choose Open with, and pick Contacts, Excel or Notepad. One of these will open it.
Q5: Can I open a VCF file without any software?
A5: Yes. On Windows and Mac the Contacts app is already built in, so a double click opens the file. You can also read it as plain text in Notepad, which needs no extra app.
Conclusion
Opening a VCF file is simple once you know it is a contact file. For one contact, double click it to open in Windows Contacts or Mac Contacts. For many contacts, open it as a table in Excel or import it into Google Contacts. To just read the raw details, open it in Notepad. Every method here is free and already on your computer. Which one fits what you need to do with your contacts?
