On iPhone (iOS 16+): Open the Contacts app, go to the Lists view, long-press “All Contacts”, tap Export, select fields, and save or share the VCF file. On any computer: Go to icloud.com/contacts, sign in, select all contacts, click the settings icon, and choose Export vCard. Both methods export iPhone contacts to VCF for free with no third-party software.
Introduction
Apple does not include a visible “Export” button on the iPhone Contacts screen, which leads many people to believe they need paid third-party software to export iPhone contacts to VCF. They do not. Starting with iOS 16, the Contacts app supports direct VCF export through a long-press gesture that most users never discover. For older iOS versions or computer-based export, iCloud.com provides a one-click vCard export.
This guide covers four free methods with no paid tools required. We have tested all methods across iOS 17, iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and iCloud.com at Univik since 2013.
Before You Export: Sync Contacts to iCloud
Most iPhone contacts are stored in iCloud. Before exporting, verify that iCloud Contacts sync is enabled so all your contacts are available for export.
1
Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud.
2
Tap “Show All” under Apps Using iCloud, then make sure Contacts is toggled on. If prompted, tap “Merge” to combine contacts already on the phone with those in iCloud. Wait a few minutes for the sync to complete before exporting.
Contacts stored in other accounts are not in iCloud. If you have contacts stored in a Google, Yahoo, or Exchange account on your iPhone, they will not appear in iCloud export methods. To include them, either export from those accounts separately or use Method 1 (Contacts app), which can export from all accounts at once.
Method 1: Contacts App Long-Press Export (iOS 16+)
This is the fastest method and works directly on your iPhone without a computer. Available on iOS 16 and later.
1
Open the Contacts app and navigate to the Lists view (tap “Lists” in the top left if you are viewing individual contacts).
2
Long-press on “All Contacts” (or any specific contact list you want to export). A menu appears with the option “Export”.
3
Tap “Export”. A field selection screen appears. You can choose which fields to include (phone numbers, emails, addresses, birthdays, notes, etc.) or tap “Select All Fields” at the bottom to include everything.
4
Choose a destination. The iOS share sheet opens. You can save to Files (creates “All Contacts.vcf” in your chosen folder), AirDrop to a Mac, email as an attachment or share via any other app. The VCF file contains all contacts from the selected list.
Method 2: Export from iCloud.com (Any Computer)
Works from any computer with a web browser. Exports all iCloud contacts as a single VCF file.
1
Go to icloud.com/contacts on a computer and sign in with your Apple Account (Apple ID).
2
Select contacts to export. To export all: click the first contact, then press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all. To export specific contacts: hold Ctrl or Cmd and click individual contacts. You can also click the settings icon and choose “Select All Contacts”.
3
Click the settings icon (gear icon at the bottom left or the icon in the top right area), then choose “Export vCard”. A file named “vCards.vcf” (or similar) downloads to your computer’s Downloads folder. If you selected multiple contacts, they are all included in a single VCF file.
Method 3: Mac Contacts App Export
If you have a Mac with the same iCloud account, the Contacts app provides a direct vCard export option.
1
Open the Contacts app on your Mac. Select the contacts you want to export. Press Cmd+A to select all, or Cmd+click to select specific contacts.
2
Go to File, Export, Export vCard. Choose a save location and file name. Click Save. The VCF file is created with all selected contacts.
The Mac Contacts app export includes all contact fields and embeds photos in the VCF file. This produces the most complete export of any method.
Method 4: Share Individual Contacts via AirDrop or Email
For sharing a few contacts (under 10), the share method is the quickest.
1
Open the contact you want to export in the Contacts app on your iPhone.
2
Tap “Share Contact”. Choose which fields to include (the same field selection screen as Method 1 appears on iOS 16+). Then choose a destination: AirDrop, email, Messages or save to Files. Each contact is shared as an individual VCF file.
To share multiple contacts at once, use Method 1 (long-press on a list) instead. The individual share method does not support multi-select.
What Data Gets Exported (and What Does Not)
Included in VCF Export
Full name, phone numbers (with type labels), email addresses, physical addresses, organization and job title, birthday, notes, websites, social profiles, related names and contact photos. The iOS 16+ Contacts app method lets you choose exactly which fields to include. iCloud.com and Mac export include all fields by default.
Not Included
Contact groups/lists (the VCF file contains individual contacts but not their list membership), Favorites status, linked contact connections (if two cards are linked, only the primary data exports), call history, iMessage history and Siri nicknames. FaceTime-only contacts (those with no phone number, only an Apple ID email) will export but may not import to non-Apple platforms.
Method Comparison
| Criteria | Contacts App (iOS 16+) | iCloud.com Web | Mac Contacts App | Individual Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requires computer | No | Yes | Yes (Mac) | No |
| Exports all contacts at once | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (one at a time) |
| Field selection | Yes (choose fields) | No (all fields) | No (all fields) | Yes (iOS 16+) |
| Includes contact photos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exports non-iCloud contacts | Yes (all accounts) | No (iCloud only) | Yes (if synced to Mac) | Yes (all accounts) |
| vCard version | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Best for | Full export from phone | Computer backup | Mac users | Sharing a few contacts |
Common Problems and Fixes
The long-press export option does not appear in the Contacts app. This feature requires iOS 16 or later. Check your iOS version in Settings, General, About. If you are on iOS 15 or earlier, update your iPhone or use Method 2 (iCloud.com) instead.
Exported VCF has fewer contacts than expected. If you used iCloud.com (Method 2), only iCloud contacts are exported. Contacts stored in Google, Exchange or other accounts on your iPhone are not included. Use Method 1 (Contacts app long-press on “All Contacts”) to export from all accounts or export from each account’s web interface separately.
Contact photos make the VCF file very large. Photos embedded in vCard 3.0 use Base64 encoding, which adds roughly 33% overhead. A VCF file with 500 contacts and photos can be 50-100 MB. If file size is a concern, deselect the photo field when exporting (Method 1 field selection) or check the VCF file size and remove photos afterward.
The VCF file cannot be imported into a non-Apple platform. Apple exports vCard 3.0, which is widely compatible. However, some platforms have per-contact size limits (iCloud: 256 KB per contact, Google: 20 MB per file). If import fails, try splitting the VCF file into smaller files or removing photos to reduce size. Also verify the file by opening the VCF to confirm it is not corrupted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export iPhone contacts to VCF without iCloud?
Yes. Method 1 (Contacts app long-press export) works directly on your iPhone without iCloud. It exports contacts from all accounts on your phone (iCloud, Google, Exchange, local) to a VCF file that you can save to Files, email or AirDrop. No iCloud account or internet connection is required for the export itself.
What vCard version does iPhone export?
All iPhone and iCloud export methods produce vCard 3.0 files with UTF-8 encoding. This version is compatible with virtually every contact management platform, including Android, Google Contacts, Outlook and Thunderbird.
Can I choose which contacts to export instead of all?
Yes. In the Contacts app (Method 1), you can long-press on a specific list (like “Work” or “Family”) instead of “All Contacts” to export only that group. On iCloud.com (Method 2), hold Cmd or Ctrl and click individual contacts before exporting. On Mac (Method 3), select specific contacts with Cmd+click before using File, Export.
Does exporting contacts delete them from my iPhone?
No. Exporting creates a copy of your contacts as a VCF file. The original contacts remain on your iPhone and in iCloud. Export is a non-destructive read-only operation.
Can I export iPhone contacts to CSV instead of VCF?
Not directly from the iPhone or iCloud. Apple only supports VCF export. To get CSV format, first export to VCF using any method in this guide, then convert the VCF to CSV using a converter tool.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. Export methods tested on iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 18.3), iPhone 14 (iOS 17.7), iCloud.com (Chrome, Safari, Firefox), and Mac Contacts (macOS 15 Sequoia). Field selection verified on iOS 16.4+. VCF compatibility tested with Google Contacts, Outlook and Android.
To export iPhone contacts to VCF, the quickest method is the Contacts app long-press: open the Lists view, long-press “All Contacts”, tap Export, select your fields and share or save the file. For computer-based backup, use iCloud.com and click Export vCard. All methods produce vCard 3.0 files that work with every major platform. No paid software is needed.
Three things to remember: the Contacts app long-press export (iOS 16+) is the fastest on-device method and lets you choose which fields to include, iCloud.com only exports iCloud contacts (not Google/Exchange accounts on your phone) and all iPhone exports produce vCard 3.0 with UTF-8 encoding for maximum compatibility.
