Without iCloud: Open the Files app on your iPhone, find the VCF file, tap it, then tap Share and select Contacts. Tap Add All Contacts. With iCloud: Go to icloud.com on a computer, sign in, open Contacts, click Settings (gear icon), choose Import vCard, select your VCF file. Then enable Contacts sync on your iPhone under Settings, Your Name, iCloud. Both methods work with single-contact and multi-contact VCF files on iOS 17 and iOS 18.
Introduction
Moving contacts to a new iPhone usually means dealing with VCF files. Whether you are switching from Android, restoring a backup, or receiving a shared contact list, the question is always the same: how do you import VCF to iPhone reliably?
We have helped thousands of users transfer contacts to iPhones at Univik over the past 10 years, and the biggest source of confusion is that iPhone does not have a visible “Import VCF” button in the Contacts app. You cannot directly add VCF to iPhone through Contacts the way you can on Android. Instead, the import happens through the Files app, Mail, AirDrop, or iCloud. Once you know where to tap, the process takes under a minute for most files.
This guide covers five proven methods to import vCard to iPhone, including options that work without iCloud and without a computer. We also cover the specific steps for migrating contacts from Android, Google, Outlook, and Samsung into your iPhone, along with the fixes for the most common import errors.
Before You Import: What iPhone Supports
iPhone handles VCF files well, but there are specific format requirements and limits you should know before starting. Getting these right prevents silent failures where contacts appear to import but data is missing.
| Feature | iPhone Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| vCard 2.1 | Yes | Quoted-printable encoding decoded correctly |
| vCard 3.0 | Yes (preferred) | iCloud exports and imports in this version |
| vCard 4.0 | Partial | Some newer properties may be silently dropped |
| Multi-contact VCF files | Yes | Shows “Add All X Contacts” option |
| Embedded photos | Yes | Base64-encoded PHOTO property preserved |
| UTF-8 encoding | Yes | International characters display correctly |
| Windows-1252 encoding | Partial | Some accented characters may appear garbled |
Check Your VCF Before Importing
Open the VCF file in a text editor on your computer before transferring it to your iPhone. Verify that each contact starts with BEGIN:VCARD and ends with END:VCARD. If the file has structural errors, iPhone will either skip broken contacts silently or show a “Could not import some contacts” error. Our guide on fixing VCF file import errors covers how to diagnose and repair these issues.
5 Methods to Import VCF to iPhone
Each method below works with both single-contact and multi-contact VCF files. We tested all five methods on an iPhone 15 running iOS 18 and an iPhone 12 running iOS 17, using VCF exports from iCloud, Google Contacts, Samsung, Outlook, and Thunderbird.
Method 1: Files App Direct Import (No iCloud, No Computer Needed)
This is the fastest method when the VCF file is already on your iPhone. It works without iCloud, without a computer, and without any internet connection. Most competitors do not cover this method properly, but it is the simplest option available since iOS 16.
Get the VCF file onto your iPhone. You can save it from an email attachment, download it from a cloud drive, receive it via AirDrop, or transfer it using a messaging app. The file needs to be accessible in the Files app.
Open the Files app and navigate to the VCF file. Tap on the .vcf file to preview it. If the file contains a single contact, you will see a contact card. If it contains multiple contacts, iOS will display the first contact with an option to see all.
Tap the Share button (bottom-left corner), then select Contacts from the share sheet. For a single contact, tap Create New Contact and then Done. For multiple contacts, tap Add All X Contacts at the top of the screen. All contacts are added to your default address book immediately.
In our testing with a 450-contact VCF exported from Google Contacts, this method imported all contacts in under 5 seconds with all phone numbers, emails, and addresses mapped correctly. Contact photos embedded as base64 in the VCF were also preserved.
Method 2: iCloud Web Import + Sync (Best for Large Files from a Computer)
This method is ideal when you have a large VCF file on your computer and want the contacts to sync across all your Apple devices automatically, including your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Go to icloud.com on your computer and sign in with the Apple ID linked to your iPhone. Click on Contacts from the main dashboard.
Click the Settings icon (gear icon in the bottom-left corner or top-left depending on the interface version). Select Import vCard from the menu. Browse to your VCF file and click Open.
Enable iCloud Contacts sync on your iPhone. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud, and turn on Contacts. If it is already on, the imported contacts will sync to your iPhone automatically within a few minutes.
iCloud Storage Note
Contact data uses very little iCloud storage. Even 10,000 contacts without photos typically use less than 50 MB. You do not need a paid iCloud plan just for contacts unless you are also syncing photos and other data.
Method 3: Email Attachment (Works Anywhere, Any Email Service)
This is the most universal method because it works with any email service (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or any other) and does not require iCloud or a computer. Email the VCF file to yourself, then open it on your iPhone.
Send the VCF file to yourself via email. On your computer or another device, compose a new email, attach the VCF file, and send it to an email account configured on your iPhone.
Open the email on your iPhone using the Mail app (or Gmail, Outlook, or any mail app). Tap the VCF file attachment to preview it.
Tap Share, then Contacts, then Add All Contacts (for multi-contact files) or Create New Contact (for a single contact). The contacts are saved to your iPhone immediately.
This method is best for small to medium files (under 500 contacts). For very large VCF files, email attachment size limits (typically 25 MB for Gmail) may prevent delivery. In that case, use Method 1 (Files app) or Method 2 (iCloud).
Method 4: AirDrop from Mac (Fastest Wireless Transfer)
If you have the VCF file on a Mac, AirDrop transfers it to your iPhone in seconds without using the internet or any cables.
On your Mac, right-click the VCF file, choose Share, and select AirDrop. Select your iPhone from the list of nearby devices.
On your iPhone, accept the incoming AirDrop file. iOS will ask what to do with the VCF. If it opens as a contact preview, tap Add All Contacts. If it saves to Files, open it from the Files app using the Method 1 steps.
AirDrop works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (without needing internet) and handles files of any size. In our testing, a 2 MB VCF file with 1,200 contacts transferred and imported in about 8 seconds total.
Method 5: VCF Converter Tool (Best for Bulk Import or Format Issues)
When your VCF file has encoding problems, is in an incompatible vCard version, or contains thousands of contacts from multiple sources, a dedicated VCF converter tool can clean, merge, and reformat the file before you transfer it to your iPhone.
Open the converter and load your VCF files. The tool parses all contacts and displays them in a preview panel where you can review names, phones, and emails before converting.
Select vCard 3.0 as the output format (this is the version iCloud and iPhone handle best). The converter re-encodes all contacts to UTF-8 and fixes common structural issues automatically.
Transfer the cleaned VCF to your iPhone using any of the methods above (email, AirDrop, cloud drive, or iCloud import). The cleaned file will import without errors.
This is the right approach when you have VCF files from multiple sources (Android, Outlook, Google) that need to be merged into one clean file, or when previous import attempts have failed with errors. During our converter development at Univik, we tested iPhone import against vCard files from over 15 different platforms and resolved encoding, version, and structural compatibility issues across all of them.
Method Comparison: Which One Should You Use?
| Criteria | Files App | iCloud | AirDrop | Converter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needs computer | No | Yes | No | Mac only | Yes |
| Needs internet | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Needs iCloud | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Multi-contact VCF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preserves photos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for large files | Good | Best | Limited (25 MB) | Best | Best |
| Syncs across devices | No | Yes | No | No | Via iCloud |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free | Free | Paid (trial) |
For most people, Method 1 (Files app) or Method 3 (Email) is the fastest way to transfer contacts to iPhone from VCF. If you want to import contacts to iPhone and have them sync across all your Apple devices, use Method 2 (iCloud). If you are on a Mac, Method 4 (AirDrop) is the quickest wireless option. Whether you need to import a VCF file to iPhone from Android, Outlook, or Google, all five methods handle multi-contact vCard files on iPhone correctly.
Source-Specific Migration Guides
The VCF file you are importing likely came from a specific platform. Here is how to handle the most common migration paths into iPhone.
Android to iPhone
On your Android phone, open Contacts, tap Menu, then Export. Save the VCF to Google Drive or email it to yourself. On your iPhone, download the VCF from Google Drive (using the Files app) or open it from email. Then follow Method 1 or Method 3 above. Samsung phones export vCard 2.1, which iPhone handles correctly. In our testing, a Samsung S24 export of 800 contacts imported cleanly with all phone types (Mobile, Work, Home) mapped correctly.
Google Contacts to iPhone
Go to contacts.google.com, select the contacts you want (or select all), click Export, choose vCard format. Download the VCF file and transfer it to your iPhone via email or iCloud. For the reverse direction, see our guide on importing VCF to Google Contacts.
Outlook to iPhone
In Outlook Classic, File, Open and Export, Import/Export, Export to a file. Note that Outlook only exports one VCF contact at a time. For bulk export, use Outlook’s CSV export option, convert it to VCF using a converter tool, then import the VCF to iPhone. For detailed Outlook-specific steps, see our Outlook VCF import guide.
Old iPhone to New iPhone
If you are setting up a new iPhone, iCloud sync or Quick Start handles contact transfer automatically. You only need a VCF file when iCloud is not an option or when contacts are missing after setup. Export from the old iPhone by going to Contacts, selecting contacts, then Share Contact as VCF.
What to Do After Importing
After contacts are imported, take two steps to clean up your address book.
Merge duplicate contacts. Open the Contacts app. If iOS detects duplicates, you will see a banner at the top saying “X Duplicates Found.” Tap it to review and merge. This feature is available on iOS 16 and later. On older iOS versions, you need to find and merge duplicates manually.
Check which account stores the contacts. Go to Settings, Apps, Contacts, Default Account and verify it is set to iCloud (or your preferred account). If contacts were imported to the wrong account, they may not sync to other devices. You can move contacts between accounts by sharing them as VCF and re-importing to the correct account.
Common Problems and Fixes
Based on the support cases we handle at Univik, these five issues cover the majority of failed VCF imports on iPhone.
“Could not import some contacts” error. This means one or more contacts in the VCF file have structural problems, such as a missing END:VCARD tag, an empty FN property, or unsupported encoding. Open the VCF in a text editor and search for entries that look incomplete. Delete or fix the broken blocks and try again. For a full diagnostic process, see our unable to import vCard troubleshooting guide.
VCF file does not open on iPhone / no option to add contacts. Some VCF files with incorrect MIME types or unusual file headers confuse iOS. Try renaming the file to ensure it ends in .vcf (not .txt or .vcard). If it still does not open, email it to yourself as an attachment. The Mail app handles VCF MIME types more reliably than the Files app in some iOS versions.
Only one contact imported from a multi-contact VCF. If you tapped “Create New Contact” instead of “Add All Contacts,” only the first contact was imported. Go back to the VCF file and look for the “Add All X Contacts” option at the top of the preview screen. If that option does not appear, the VCF may actually contain only one contact block with the rest being malformed.
Encoding and Sync Issues
Contact names show garbled characters. This happens when the VCF uses Windows-1252 or ISO-8859-1 encoding without proper CHARSET declaration. iPhone expects UTF-8. Convert the file to UTF-8 using Notepad++ (Encoding, Convert to UTF-8) on a computer, or use our VCF to vCard conversion guide to re-encode the file.
Contacts imported but do not appear on other Apple devices. The contacts were likely saved to the local “On My iPhone” account instead of iCloud. Check Settings, Apps, Contacts, Default Account. If it says “On My iPhone,” change it to iCloud. Then export the local contacts and re-import them so they go into the iCloud account and sync across devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I import a VCF file to iPhone?
The simplest way is through the Files app. Save the VCF file to your iPhone (via email, cloud drive, or AirDrop), open it in the Files app, tap the Share button, select Contacts, and tap Add All Contacts. No iCloud or computer is required.
Can I import VCF to iPhone without iCloud?
Yes. Three methods work without iCloud: the Files app direct import (Method 1), email attachment (Method 3), and AirDrop from a Mac (Method 4). All three add contacts directly to your iPhone without any cloud service involvement.
How do I transfer contacts from Android to iPhone using VCF?
On your Android phone, export contacts as a VCF file (Contacts app, Menu, Export). Transfer the VCF to your iPhone by emailing it to yourself, uploading it to Google Drive and downloading on iPhone, or saving it to a shared cloud folder. Then open the VCF on your iPhone using any of the five methods in this guide.
Why does my iPhone say “Could not import some contacts”?
This error means some contact entries in the VCF file have structural errors. Common causes include missing END:VCARD tags, empty required fields like FN (full name), invalid encoding, or unsupported vCard 4.0 properties. Open the file in a text editor, locate the problematic entries, and fix or remove them.
Does iPhone support importing multiple VCF files at once?
No. iPhone can only import one VCF file at a time. If you have multiple separate VCF files, either import them one by one or merge them into a single file first. To merge VCF files, concatenate them in a text editor (all BEGIN:VCARD to END:VCARD blocks together) or use a VCF converter tool with a merge feature.
Platform-Specific Questions
Will contact photos transfer when importing VCF to iPhone?
Yes, if the VCF file contains embedded photos as base64-encoded PHOTO properties. Most platforms (Google Contacts, iCloud, Samsung) embed photos in VCF exports. The photos appear in the Contacts app immediately after import. If the source platform uses photo URLs instead of embedded data, the photos will not transfer.
How do I import VCF to iPhone from Outlook?
Export contacts from Outlook as a VCF file (File, Open and Export, Import/Export), then transfer the VCF to your iPhone via email or iCloud. Note that Outlook Classic only exports one contact at a time as VCF. For bulk transfer, export as CSV first, convert to VCF using a converter tool, then import the VCF to iPhone.
Can I import a VCF file to iPhone using iTunes?
iTunes does not directly import VCF files. However, you can sync contacts through iTunes by first importing the VCF into Windows Contacts, Outlook, or Google, and then syncing that account with your iPhone through iTunes or Finder. The iCloud web method (Method 2) is faster and more reliable for most people.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. All methods tested on iPhone 15 (iOS 18.3) and iPhone 12 (iOS 17.7). VCF files tested from iCloud, Google Contacts, Samsung Galaxy S24, Outlook 2024, and Thunderbird 128.
To import VCF to iPhone, the Files app method is the fastest option that works without iCloud and without a computer. For cross-device sync, iCloud web import ensures your contacts appear on every Apple device automatically. Email and AirDrop provide quick alternatives when the other methods are not convenient.
Three things to remember: iPhone handles vCard 3.0 best (if your file is vCard 2.1, it still works but 3.0 is preferred), always tap “Add All Contacts” (not “Create New Contact”) for multi-contact files, and check your Default Account in Settings after importing so contacts sync to iCloud rather than staying on the local device only.
