VCF format - an overview of the best ways to view and edit. How to open VCF on a computer

Vcf stands for vCard File - it is a text file for storing various information about a contact. In essence, it is an electronic business card that contains full name, telephone numbers, physical and postal addresses, fax numbers and many other data. The vcf file can be attached as an attachment to an email - once received, the recipient can add this information to their database.

Briefly about the VCF format

The vCard format was created by the Versit consortium in 1995, and in 1996 all rights to the format were transferred to the Internet Mail Consortium.

Using these files, it is very convenient to exchange electronic business cards, for which various devices with address books are used, where special applications must be installed.

How to open a VCF file

On Windows, the vcf file can be opened with:

Windows Contacts;
Microsoft Outlook Express;
Fonlow IT Open Contacts;
Palm Desktop;
and etc.

This file format is also widely used in the corporate segment of programs related to mail and instant messaging - OpenFire, Mozilla Thunderbird, etc. All of these programs can often receive contact data from other sources (Active Directory, OpenLDAP, etc., and compare it with the fields of vcf files).

On Mac OS X, you can open vcf using the Address Book application. Also, the VCF format supports most modern mobile devices, regardless of their platform.

How to open VCF file on Android and iPhone

On the Android platform, you can open a vcf file using the free Contacts VCF program, which allows you to work with such files in the form of a convenient phone book. Thus, you can not only add and edit existing contacts, but also make calls, print contacts, forward them and save them using the export functions.

For example, in Google Android these files, which are located in the System/PIM folder on the SD card, look like PIM00001.vcf.

On the iPad and iPhone there is a Contacts application into which you can load vCards.

In addition, vcf files can be transferred from one mobile device to another, and their OS may be different. For example, you need to transfer vcf files from NOKIA to Samsung. To do this, you need to put all vcf files into a separate folder on the Samsung smartphone card. After this, you need to go to “Contacts” and in the options select “Import files from SD card”.

Please note that there may be an issue with displaying contacts' birthdates. In Nokia they are displayed as BDAY:YYYYMMDD, and in Samsung as BDAY:YYYY-MM-DD. What to do?

First you need to open the vcf file in any text editor and bring the dates of birth to the desired form, and then download it to the SD card.

So, in short, here is everything about how to open vcf files and use them on your devices.

CSV format stores text data that is separated by commas or semicolons. VCARD is a business card file and has the extension VCF. It is commonly used to forward contacts between phone users. A CSV file is obtained when exporting information from the memory of a mobile device. In light of the above, converting CSV to VCARD is an urgent task.

Method 1: CSV to VCARD

CSV to VCARD is a one-window application that was created specifically for converting CSV to VCARD.

Method 2: Microsoft Outlook

It is a popular email client that supports CSV and VCARD formats.

Open Outlook and go to the menu "File". Here we click on "Open and Export", and then on "Import and Export".

As a result, a window opens "Master of Import and Export", in which we select the item "Import from another program or file" and click "Further".

In field "Select a file type to import" indicate the required item "Comma Separated Values" and click "Further".

Then click on the button "Review" to open the original CSV file.

As a result, it opens "Conductor", in which we move to the desired directory, select the object and click "OK".

The file is added to the import window, where the path to it is displayed in a certain line. Here you still need to define the rules for working with duplicate contacts. There are only three options available when a similar contact is detected. In the first it will be replaced, in the second a copy will be created, and in the third it will be ignored. Leave the recommended value "Allow duplicates" and click "Further".

Select a folder "Contacts" in Outlook, where the imported data should be saved, then click on "Further".

It is also possible to set the fields to match by clicking the button of the same name. This will help avoid data inconsistencies when importing. Confirm the import by checking the box "Import…" and press "Ready".

The source file is imported into the application. In order to see all contacts, you need to click on the people icon at the bottom of the interface.

Unfortunately, Outlook only allows you to save one contact at a time in vCard format. At the same time, you also need to remember that by default the contact that is previously selected is saved. After that we go to the menu "File", where we click "Save as".

The browser starts, in which we move to the desired directory, if necessary, enter a new name for the business card and click "Save".

This completes the conversion process. The converted file can be accessed using "Conductor" Windows.

Thus, we can conclude that both programs considered cope with the task of converting CSV to VCARD. At the same time, the most convenient procedure is implemented in CSV to VCARD, the interface of which is simple and intuitive, despite the English language. Microsoft Outlook provides broader functionality for processing and importing CSV files, but saving to the VCARD format is carried out only for one contact.

27.03.2017

Every year the Internet becomes more and more commercialized. And if yesterday on the Internet they mainly watched videos for adults, communicated and looked for interesting articles, today a very serious business is being done here. And for those who do this, the .VCF file format is becoming extremely familiar and common. Here we will try to figure out what it is, and most importantly, how to open files of this format.

What is the .VCF format

Officially, the format is called vCard; abroad it is more often called Versitcard. Business cards are created and saved in the .VCF format for later sharing on the web. In general, this format is much more convenient than analogues, such as ordinary text documents or images. This is because here you can save really effective, convenient and standardized business cards. One document in vCard format can contain the user’s full name, contact information and email, various media files (in a limited quantity), and all this weighs very little. For example, a business card with purely text data weighs less than a kilobyte, which makes it suitable for sending out even using weak mobile Internet.

The general disadvantage of this format is that it is still a separate format that is not in demand among the bulk of PC and other computer system users. Thus, simply sending out a business card for advertising or other purposes can become difficult, because not all recipients may have software for opening .vcf files. As practice shows, in many cases users would rather ignore this file than bother to decide how to open it. The only exceptions are situations when this is really necessary - for example, if the recipient definitely needs the data indicated on the business card.

How to open .VCF file

Let's say you somehow received a .VCF document, and now you need to open it. How to do this? There are many options, but here we will look at the 5 simplest and most popular.

Method 1: Microsoft Outlook

This option is the most common and simple. People who have not encountered this before may not even know that Microsoft Outlook is designed not only for viewing personal mail, but also for opening personal business cards.

Option 1: Simple

Typically, Microsoft Outlook is automatically used by the system to open vCard format files. So if you have Microsoft Outlook enabled and configured, you should simply open the business card like any other file.

Option 2: Detailed

If the first method causes any difficulties, then you will have to resort to a more detailed option.

For working with business cards.vcf, Microsoft Outlook is the most convenient application due to its automatic integration into the system and opening files by default. Also an extremely user-friendly interface and high functionality. The main problem is the inaccessibility of the application for ordinary users

Method 2: Palm Desktop

Palm Desktop is a functional organizer that allows you to perform many different tasks. Among them is the function we need to work with .VCF.

Option 1: Simple

You should minimize the program to window format and simply drag the desired file into the working window. Palm Desktop will simply ask you to choose which group to add the new contact to, and that's it.

Option 2: Detailed

If for some reason the previous method does not work, you should use a more complex, but accurate one.

Palm Desktop is an excellent option for people who use their computer very actively for work, as it is a functional organizer. Due to its compact size and accessibility, it is perfect even for opening a business card once and then removing it.

Method 3: Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird is a special program for working with mail from the Mozilla Foundation. Like its analogues, it also allows you to create your own address books and add .VCF files there.

Mozilla Thunderbird is an excellent and functional email manager. If the user uses his mail a lot, then this option may suit him. However, it is not suitable for one-time opening of business cards due to the lengthy process of importing vCard into the program.

Method 4: Handy Address Book

As the name suggests, Handy Address Book is designed for working with personal contacts. The application uses its own format for recordings, but is capable of importing several others, including .VCF.

Option 1: Fast

You just need to right-click on the desired file and open the file using this program. It will be on the list of priority applications for working with this type of file.

In addition, the system will offer a choice of programs for working with vCard files when you first try to open them, and you can also select this program there.

Option 2: Detailed

If the previous method is not suitable for some reason, then you should import the file manually.

The program is very convenient if you constantly work with business cards or email addresses. It is not suitable for one-time use due to the availability of simpler and more convenient analogues.

Method 5: Notepad

In the most extreme case, when there is no Internet, no opportunity, or simply no desire to install any program, you can use any text editor built into the system. For example, a basic Notepad.

This method is really simple, but the business card will not display correctly. For example, this will not allow you to use attached media files. And the marking of categories is also unclear. But this will still allow you to get certain data from here - for example, website address, phone number, and so on.

Don't forget that there are other programs for working with .VCF files. Here we talked only about some of the most commonly used ones. Everyone chooses the one that suits them specifically, and if you can find a more convenient and interesting option, you can report this in the comments so that other users can also see alternative methods.

We decided to look into the question of how to open VCF. In this material we will try to talk in detail about why this format was created, what its functions are, and also, using examples, we will look at programs that will allow you to work with this extension.

Definition

Next we will look at how to open a VCF file, but we should start by finding out what this format is. VCF is an acronym for vCard File. This format is used to store personal contact information. Such material most often contains email, fax, telephone numbers, address and the full name of a specific user. It may also contain additional information. This type of file can be attached to an email, allowing the recipient to use it to import information into their own contact database.

View

If we talk directly about how to open VCF, email clients will primarily help us here, including Outlook and Eudora OSE. It should be noted that MS Outlook is not distributed separately, therefore, to install it, you need to download the Microsoft Office software package and specify the necessary components in it. A client called Mozilla Thunderbird also provides the answer to the question of how to open VCF, but you will have to install add-ons for it. To view contacts from VCF, as well as add them to the database, you can use a free application called Open Contacts, it is a convenient address book. Import allows you to add contacts received from vCard. You should know that you can view files of the specified type using the traditional one, but in this case, the information will be displayed with the system formatting code.

Alternative options

In addition to the popular programs described above, you can open a VCF file on your computer using lesser-known tools or unconventional methods, which are also worth saying a few words about. For example, if you own a Nokia phone, you can work with the file you are interested in using the bundled PC Suite software. We are talking about a program that is designed for convenient synchronization of a mobile phone with a personal computer. However, the leader can be called the vCardOrganizer application. In fact, it is a small program with a simple interface. It allows you to easily create electronic types in the format that interests us. You can also share and edit maps.

Such files are very convenient for placement on your own commercial websites. One product, vCardOrganizer, combines a manager and a tool for creating business cards. Using the tool, you can replace a photo, add a logo, or add new contacts to the card by editing them. At the same time, the program allows you to simultaneously store an unlimited number of business cards in your list. By the way, the Eudora program is also capable of working with the format, the main task of which is to facilitate the interaction of a personal computer user with e-mail. Now you know how to open VCF. The choice is yours.

When buying a new phone or flashing an old one, we are recommended to create a backup copy of contacts from the phone book, so as not to lose important information and not waste time entering numbers manually. After creating a copy and saving it on the computer, we need to open the .vcf file to view the contact's phone number. But how to do this and using what program? We will consider the answer to these questions below.

How to open a .vcf file?

The extension file.vcf is a subscriber’s business card that stores information about the contact (name, phone, email, personal website and links to pages on social networks). It can be opened using standard tools of any mobile operating system. But in Windows there are some nuances.

Windows Address Book

Standard method that does not require installation of additional software. Right-click on the .vcf file and select “Open with” – “Windows Contacts”.

Attention! The built-in Windows Contacts program does not recognize the Cyrillic alphabet! If the numbers from your address book were signed in Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian, they will not be displayed correctly!

Microsoft Outlook

If you have Microsoft Office preinstalled on your machine, you can open “contacts.vcf” using MS Outlook. To do this, drag the .vcf file onto the program's working window and follow the instructions. After viewing the contact details of business cards, they will be saved in the address book of the email client.

Nokia Suite

An epoch-making application from Nokia, in which creating a backup copy of contacts and restoring them is a small part of the entire functionality. The application will allow you to view contact data and restore it on your mobile device (if it is manufactured by Nokia Corporation).

Notepad++

A multifunctional text editor that supports many encodings and guarantees the correct display of information. The application cannot export data to mobile devices, but allows you to edit a contact: add, delete and edit information.