Mac: Open the Contacts app, go to File, Import, select your VCF file and click Open. iCloud.com: Go to icloud.com/contacts, click the + icon, choose “Import vCard” and select the VCF file. iPhone: Open the VCF file from Files, Mail or Messages, then tap “Add All Contacts”. All methods import VCF to Apple Contacts and sync across your devices via iCloud if Contacts sync is enabled.
Introduction
Apple Contacts supports VCF (vCard) import natively on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and through iCloud.com in any browser. Once imported, contacts sync automatically across all your Apple devices through iCloud. The import process is simple, but there are differences between the Mac, iCloud.com, and iPhone methods in how they handle duplicates, multi-contact VCF files, and which account the contacts land in.
This guide covers all three import paths for importing VCF to Apple Contacts, plus duplicate handling, iCloud sync behavior, and common errors. If you need to import to other platforms, see our guides for Google Contacts, Outlook, or Thunderbird.
We have tested VCF imports across macOS versions from Monterey through Sequoia and iOS versions from 15 through 18 at Univik since 2013, covering vCard 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0 files from Google, Outlook, Samsung, and Android exports.
Before You Import
1
Check which account will receive the contacts. On Mac, go to Contacts, Settings, General, and check the “Default Account” setting. On iPhone, go to Settings, Contacts, Default Account. If you want imported contacts to sync via iCloud, set iCloud as the default account. If you import to an “On My Mac” or “On My iPhone” account, the contacts will not sync to other devices.
2
Back up your existing contacts first. On Mac, open Contacts, go to File, Export, Contacts Archive. This creates an .abbu backup file. If anything goes wrong during import, you can restore from this archive. On iCloud.com, export all contacts as a vCard before importing new ones.
3 Ways to Import VCF to Apple Contacts
Method 1: Mac Contacts App (File > Import)
This is the most reliable method with the best error handling. The Mac Contacts app detects duplicates during import and lets you review them.
1
Open the Contacts app on your Mac (Launchpad, or Spotlight search for “Contacts”).
2
Go to File, Import. Browse to the location of your VCF file and select it. Click Open.
3
Review the import. If the VCF contains contacts that match existing ones (by name or email), Contacts shows a duplicate review dialog. You can choose to merge, keep both, or skip each duplicate. Click Import to finish.
Alternative: Drag and Drop
You can also drag a VCF file from Finder directly onto the Contacts app icon in the Dock, or into the Contacts window. This triggers the same import process. Double-clicking a VCF file in Finder also opens it in Contacts and prompts you to import.
Method 2: iCloud.com (Any Browser)
If you do not have a Mac, you can import VCF contacts through iCloud.com in any web browser on Windows, Linux, or Chromebook. The contacts sync to all your Apple devices automatically.
1
Go to icloud.com/contacts and sign in with your Apple Account.
2
Click the + icon in the sidebar and select “Import vCard”. Browse to your VCF file and select it.
3
Wait for the import to complete. Imported contacts appear in the “All Contacts” list. They sync to your iPhone, iPad and Mac within minutes if iCloud Contacts sync is enabled on those devices.
Method 3: iPhone or iPad (Files App)
On iPhone or iPad, open the VCF file directly from Files, Mail, Messages or any app that received the file. For detailed iPhone-specific steps including AirDrop and email methods, see our import VCF to iPhone guide.
1
Locate the VCF file. Open the Files app and navigate to the VCF file. If the file arrived via email, tap the attachment in Mail. If via Messages, tap the shared file.
2
Tap the VCF file. iOS opens a preview showing the contact data. For a single contact, tap “Create New Contact” or “Add to Existing Contact”. For a multi-contact VCF, tap “Add All [#] Contacts” at the top.
3
Choose how to handle duplicates. iOS presents two options: “Create New Contacts” (adds all contacts regardless of duplicates) or “Add All [#] Contacts” (skips contacts that already exist based on name matching). Choose the second option to avoid duplicates.
How iCloud Keeps Contacts in Sync
When you import contacts on any Apple device with iCloud Contacts enabled, the contacts sync to all your other devices. This means you only need to import the VCF once. Here is how to verify sync is working.
Enable iCloud Contacts
Mac: System Settings, Apple Account, iCloud, Show All Apps, enable Contacts. iPhone/iPad: Settings, your name, iCloud, Show All Apps, enable Contacts. After enabling, contacts imported on any device appear on all others within a few minutes.
If Contacts Do Not Sync
Check that all devices are signed in to the same Apple Account. Verify Contacts is toggled on in iCloud settings on each device. Force sync by opening Contacts and pulling down to refresh on iPhone or toggling Contacts off and on in iCloud settings. Check storage: if iCloud is full, contacts may not sync.
Handling Duplicates After Import
If you imported contacts without checking for duplicates, Apple Contacts provides tools to clean up afterward.
1
Mac: Open Contacts, go to Card, Look for Duplicates. Contacts scans for matching names, emails, and phone numbers. Review the list and click Merge to combine duplicates into single entries. This is the most thorough deduplication method in the Apple ecosystem.
2
iPhone/iPad (iOS 16+): Open Contacts. If duplicates are detected, a “Duplicates Found” banner appears at the top. Tap it to review and merge duplicate contacts. You can merge all at once or review individually.
3
Before import: For the cleanest results, remove duplicates from the VCF file before importing. This prevents duplicates from being created in the first place.
Method Comparison Table
| Criteria | Mac Contacts | iCloud.com | iPhone/iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplicate detection during import | Yes (review dialog) | No | Yes (skip option) |
| Post-import deduplication | Card > Look for Duplicates | No | Duplicates Found banner |
| Multi-contact VCF support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Choose target account | Default account setting | iCloud only | Default account setting |
| Works without Mac/iPhone | No (requires Mac) | Yes (any browser) | No (requires iOS device) |
| iCloud sync after import | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Large VCF, duplicate handling | Non-Mac users | Quick import from email/Files |
Supported VCF fields in Apple Contacts
| VCF Property | Apple Contacts Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FN / N | First, Last, Middle Name, Prefix, Suffix | Full name parsing supported |
| Email (multiple supported) | Labels: home, work, iCloud, other | |
| TEL | Phone (multiple supported) | Labels: mobile, home, work, iPhone, etc. |
| ORG | Company | Separate from name |
| TITLE | Job Title | Displayed under company |
| ADR | Address (home, work) | Street, City, State, ZIP, Country |
| BDAY | Birthday | Shown in Birthdays calendar |
| PHOTO | Contact Photo | Displayed on contact card and caller ID |
| NOTE | Notes | May be excluded in vCard settings |
| URL | URL (homepage) | Clickable link on contact card |
| X-SOCIALPROFILE | Social Profiles | Apple-specific extension, Twitter/LinkedIn/etc. |
| RELATED | Related Names | Mother, father, spouse, etc. |
Apple Contacts supports more VCF fields than most other contact apps. Contact photos, social profiles, related names and birthdays are all preserved during import. The BDAY field automatically populates the Birthdays calendar in Apple Calendar.
Common Problems and Fixes
“Could not import some contacts” error on Mac. This usually means the VCF file contains malformed entries (missing END:VCARD, invalid date formats, or broken UTF-8 encoding). Open the file in a text editor and look for entries that lack a closing END:VCARD tag. If the file is from an Android export, try re-exporting with a different contacts app or fix the VCF errors first.
Contacts import to “On My Mac” instead of iCloud. The default account is set to a local account. Go to Contacts, Settings, General, and change the “Default Account” dropdown to your iCloud account. Then re-import the VCF file. Contacts already imported to “On My Mac” can be dragged to the iCloud group in the sidebar.
Contact photos are missing after import. Some VCF exports strip the PHOTO property. Google Contacts exports do not include photos in the VCF file. If photos are missing, the source VCF did not contain them. Open the VCF in a text editor and search for “PHOTO” to verify. If present but not showing, the issue may be a base64 encoding mismatch between vCard versions.
Imported contacts do not appear on iPhone. iCloud sync may be delayed or disabled. On iPhone, go to Settings, your name, iCloud, Show All Apps, and verify Contacts is toggled on. Pull down in the Contacts app to force a refresh. If iCloud storage is full, contacts will not sync until you free up space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import VCF to Apple Contacts on a Windows PC?
Yes, through iCloud.com (Method 2). Go to icloud.com/contacts in any browser, sign in with your Apple Account and import the VCF file. The contacts sync to your iPhone and Mac via iCloud.
Does Apple Contacts support vCard 4.0?
Apple Contacts imports vCard 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0 files. When exporting, Apple uses vCard 3.0 by default. You can change the export format to 2.1 in Contacts, Settings, vCard. Apple does not export as vCard 4.0.
Can I choose which group or list to import contacts into?
Not directly during import. Contacts are added to “All Contacts”. After importing, you can create a list (or group in older macOS versions) and drag the imported contacts into it. On iCloud.com, you can create a list and drag contacts into it after import.
How do I import a CSV file instead of VCF?
Apple Contacts on Mac supports CSV import directly (File, Import, select the CSV). For iPhone and iCloud.com, convert CSV to VCF first, then import the VCF file using any of the three methods above.
What happens if I import the same VCF file twice?
On Mac, Contacts detects duplicates during import and offers to merge them. On iPhone, if you choose “Add All Contacts” instead of “Create New Contacts”, iOS skips existing contacts. On iCloud.com, duplicates are created. Use Card, Look for Duplicates on Mac to clean up afterward.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. Tested on macOS 15 Sequoia, macOS 14 Sonoma, iOS 18, iOS 17, and iCloud.com (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). VCF files tested from Google Contacts, Outlook, Samsung, Android, and WhatsApp exports across vCard 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0.
To import VCF to Apple Contacts, use File, Import on Mac (Method 1) for the best duplicate detection, iCloud.com (Method 2) if you do not have a Mac, or tap the VCF file on iPhone (Method 3) for quick imports from email or files. All three methods sync to your other Apple devices through iCloud.
Three things to remember: set your default account to iCloud before importing so contacts sync across all devices, use “Look for Duplicates” on Mac after import to clean up any duplicate entries, and back up your existing contacts (File, Export, Contacts Archive) before importing a large VCF file.
