What is a vCard File? – Everything You Need to Know

Have you been looking for a way to share several contacts at once, either for personal or business purposes? If yes, the vCard file is one for you to consider.

The vCard provides a way for you to save several contacts within a single file location. It also allows you to share those contacts all at once.

So, what is a vCard file? Despite its usefulness, not many people know what a vCard file is. Fortunately, this article addresses many topics relating to it. It will touch on areas like creating a vCard, and many more.

What is A vCard File?

vCard file, also known as VCF (Virtual Card Format), is a digital file format for storing contact information. It is like a “virtual” profile that can contain the contact information of one or multiple contacts.

Since the vCard stores contact information, it usually contains the contact’s name, address, phone number, email, and other details all in one place. Though vCards are primarily used to store phone numbers, they also offer support for images, media, and other custom fields.

Like other regular file extensions such as “.pdf”, “.png”, “.xls”,” .xlsx”, and many more, the vCard has its file suffix or vcf extension. To create a VCF contact file of vcf format in your system, you need to use the “.vcf” as a file suffix after the file name.

This file extension enables operating systems like Windows and macOS to identify vCard files on your computer. This is possible because most operating systems have default applications to create and open these files.

Because of their cross-functionality, vCard files are often regarded as export/import formats of address book programs. As a result, you can easily share one or more contacts, use the same contacts in several email services, or use them to back up your address book.

In case you are wondering, vCard files have the support of email clients and services, so you won’t lose data when you transfer contacts using vCard files.

How To Create vCard file In Windows

If you are a Windows user, you can create multiple VCF files by following the steps below.

• STEP 1: Firstly, you need to open Microsoft Outlook, Edge, or similar contact/email software. It is easy to find these programs on the desktop or in the “All programs” menu. To open one, click on its icon.
• STEP 2: After opening the program, go to “Home,” then click on “New items,” and then “Contact.” A new Contact dialog box will open.
• STEP 3: Enter the contact information into the dialog box. Information will include name, phone numbers, email address, address, and other contact-related information.
• STEP 4: Click on “File,” then click on “Save As” to save the file with whatever name you choose.

How to Create vCard file on Mac

If you are a Mac user, you can follow these steps.

• STEP 1: Click on the vCard icon on your Mac “Desktop” to open an Address Book. You can also click on the program’s name in the “Applications” folder of your Mac’s hard drive.
• STEP 2: Find and click on the “File” option, find the “New Card” option, and click on it.
• STEP 3: Go ahead and add your desired contact information into the “New Card” dialog box. You can input data such as name, phone number, email address, address, and other contact details.
• STEP 4: Click on the “Edit” button to preview the contact card you have just created.
• STEP 5: Click on “File” and click “Save Changes.”
• STEP 6: After saving the contact card, click on it.
• STEP 7: Click on “File” and then “Export vCards.” This action will open a dialog box that provides options for you to save the vCard file in your preferred location.
• STEP 8: Locate the directory where you want to save your vCard.
• STEP 9: Click on “Save.” Your vCard card has now been created and saved to your computer.

How to Import Multiple VCF Files Into Android

Almost every smartphone can use vCard to backup and restore mobile contacts and other information. As long as you have previously exported VCF files from your iPhone or Android using the Easy Backup app, you will find it easy to import them.

However, the procedures for importing VCF files differ depending on whether you are using an Android or an iPhone. If you are an iPhone user, it is easier to use Easy Backup’s email export option to complete the VCF import process.

On the other hand, Android users will need to use the Google Drive option.

Here is the detailed procedure for importing multiple VCF files into Android using the Easy Backup app.

• STEP 1: First, you need to open the Gmail app on your Android device.
• STEP 2: Open the email that contains the VCF file.
• STEP 3: Tap on the file name to open the file. A VCF file will usually have a .vcf suffix.
• STEP 4: Once you tap on the file, your Android address book will automatically begin to import the contacts.

How to Import Multiple VCF Files Into iPhone

Follow these steps to import VCF files into your iPhone using the Easy Backup’s email export option.

• STEP 1: Open your Email using the native iPhone app.
• STEP 2: Locate the Email containing the VCF file you’ve exported from the Easy Backup app.
• STEP 3: Once you’ve found the email, open it and tap the attachment to view the VCF file.
• STEP 4: Choose all the contacts you want to import, or you can choose only to save a selected few.

How To Transfer Contacts From Android To iPhone Using VCF

• STEP 1: Open the “Contacts” app on your Android device.
• STEP 2: Tap on the three-dot button in the top-right corner to open the menu and tap on “Manage contacts.”
• STEP 3: You’ll get an option to export your contacts. Select the option to export them as a VCF file and make your phone’s internal storage the storage destination.
• STEP 4: This action will create a VCF file of your contacts in your phone’s storage. It is often named “Contacts.vcf”.
• STEP 5: Find the file and send it to your email address.
• STEP 6: Open the Email on your iPhone and download the attached VCF file.
• STEP 7: Your iPhone will automatically ask if you want to “Add all contacts.”
• STEP 8: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

How To Open a vCard file On iPhone Message

Follow these steps to open a vCard on iPhone message.

• STEP 1: Tap on the VCF file attachment in the message to open it.
• STEP 2: Select “Create New Contact” if you already have the person saved in your contacts. Select ” Add to Existing Contact ” if the contact already exists on your phone, but you are adding new information, select “Add to Existing Contact.”
• STEP 3: Once you complete these steps, tap “Done” to finish the process of importing the vCard information into your iPhone Contacts.

How to Make and Send a vCard File on iPhone

First, you can follow these steps to create a vCard on your iPhone.

• STEP 1: Open your contacts and select the contact you want to save, then swipe down and select the contacts tab.
• STEP 2: Your iPhone will provide two tabs. These tabs allow you to save the contact by sending a message to another phone or using the Mail option to move the contact to your email address.
• STEP 3: When you save the contact, it will be in VCF file format.
• STEP 4: After you’ve saved it, you will need to provide an email address to which you will send it.
• STEP 5: You can export the contacts from your iPhone to your desktop and save them as a backup on your PC.

Now that you know how to create a vCard file on your iPhone, you can follow these steps if you want to send the vCard from your iPhone.

• STEP 1: Tap on the Phone icon on the Home screen of your iPhone.
• STEP 2: At the bottom of your Phone screen, you will see a Contacts tab. Tap on it.
• STEP 3: Select the Contact whose vCard you want to send.
• STEP 4: On the Contacts page, find the Share Contact option and tap on it.
• STEP 5: You will see a pop-up that prompts you to choose how you want to send the vCard. Tap on Mail to send the Contact vCard via email. You can also send the vCard via Message, WhatsApp, or AirDrop.
• STEP 6: If you choose to send it via email, the Email App will open. It will allow you to send the vCard as an Email attachment after entering the Email Recipient.

How to Import vCard to iPhone from iCloud

By enabling iCloud contacts, you can import vCards into cloud storage and sync contacts across all Apple devices using your iCloud account. As a result, you can also import vCards into iPhones via iCloud.

You can follow these steps to import contacts to your iPhone via iCloud.

• STEP 1: On your PC, open iCloud.com.
• STEP 2: Sign in with the Apple ID you use on your iPhone.
• STEP 3: In your iCloud account, choose “Contacts.”
• STEP 4: Click on “Settings” and choose the “Import vCard” option.
• STEP 5: Choose the vCard contact file from your local drive and upload it to iCloud.
• STEP 6: Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
• STEP 7: Log in to your iPhone with the same Apple ID you used to log in to iCloud.
• STEP 8: Open your “Apple ID user name >> iCloud” option and then turn on the “Contacts” option.
• STEP 9: At this point, you would have successfully synced the contacts on your iCloud with your iPhone.

How to Export iPhone Contacts to VCF Without iCloud

Follow these steps to export contacts from your iPhone without iCloud.

• STEP 1: Open the Contact app on your iPhone
• STEP 2: Select the contacts you want to export
• STEP 3: Once the details of the contacts load, scroll down and select Share Contact
• STEP 4: You will get a pop-up that prompts you to select Messages, Mail, or your desired email app.
• STEP 5: Your contact’s vCard will be attached to an email or text after following these steps.
• STEP 6: You can now navigate to your desired online conversion tool that will allow you to send it as normal.

How to Import vCard to iPhone from PC

One of the easiest ways to transfer a vCard file from your PC to your iPhone is via iPhone transfer. It is a powerful way through which iOS users can easily import data from their PC or Mac to their iOS device.

You can also use this method to export your iPhone or iPad data to your PC. These are the steps you need to follow to use the iPhone transfer.

1. STEP 1: First, you need to install the phone transfer program on your Windows PC or Mac computer.
2. STEP 2: After downloading the program, launch it, and you will see different tools from its home screen.
3. STEP 3: Select “Transfer” and connect your iPhone to your PC via a suitable USB cable.
4. STEP 4: Once the transfer software recognizes your iPhone, navigate to the “Information tab” and select “Contacts.”
5. STEP 5: Click the “Import” button and then choose to import contacts from a vCard file.

Read also: What is Sync in Mobile and What Does It Do?

How to Import Multiple VCF to iPhone

If you have many VCF files on your computer, it is possible to copy them all into your iPhone. Follow these steps.

• STEP 1: on Windows, press “Windows” + “R”
• STEP 2: A dialog box will pop up on your screen. Enter “web” and then click “OK”.
• STEP 3: This should open the Windows Address Book dialog.
• STEP 4: Open the folder you’ve stored all the VCF files.
• STEP 5: Press CTRL + A to select all the VCF files and then Drag & drop them into your Windows Address Book.
• STEP 6: All the VCF contacts will automatically start importing into your Windows Address Book.
• STEP 7: After you have imported the VCF file, open iTunes on your PC and connect your iPhone to the PC via a USB cable.
• STEP 8: Navigate to where it says “Device” to view your iPhone.
• STEP 9: Click on “Device” to display the overview interface.
• STEP 10: Click the Info tab on the right.
• STEP 11: Click the Sync Contacts checkbox.
• STEP 12: Select Windows Contacts from the drop-down menu.
• STEP 13: Finally, click on “Apply” in the lower right corner to finish the process.

Conclusion

With all the information you’ve gotten from this article, you will be able to make good use of vCard files. But you must also have gotten an answer to the question, “what is a vCard file?”. You should now be able to make a vcf file and open it. Overall, you should now be able to deal with anything related to vCards.  

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