The simplest method: double-click the VCF file in File Explorer. Windows 11 opens it with Windows Contacts and shows an “Import” button. This works for single-contact VCF files. For multi-contact files, import via Outlook.com (free account) and sync through the People app, or copy VCF files to the Windows Contacts folder at %USERPROFILE%\Contacts. If you need contacts in Outlook specifically, see our Outlook import guide instead.
Introduction
Windows 11 handles contacts differently from what most users expect. There is no standalone “Contacts” application in the Start menu. Instead, contact management is split across the legacy Windows Contacts folder (a system folder that stores individual .contact files), the People app (integrated into the taskbar and Mail app), and linked cloud accounts (Outlook.com, Google, iCloud). Importing a VCF file into this ecosystem requires understanding which layer you are targeting.
This guide covers four methods for getting VCF contacts into Windows 11, from the simplest double-click approach to cloud-synced methods that make contacts available across all Windows apps. Each method has different strengths depending on whether your VCF file contains a single contact or hundreds, and whether you need the contacts available system-wide or just in a specific application.
Understanding Windows 11 Contact Management
Windows 11 has three contact storage layers that operate somewhat independently.
Windows Contacts folder is a legacy system folder at C:\Users\YourName\Contacts. It stores contacts as individual .contact files (an XML-based format) or .vcf files. This folder has existed since Windows Vista and is still functional in Windows 11, though Microsoft no longer actively develops it. Contacts stored here are accessible through the Windows Contacts app (a basic viewer) but are not automatically visible in the People app or Mail.
People app is the modern contact interface in Windows 11. It aggregates contacts from linked accounts (Microsoft account, Outlook.com, Exchange, Google). It does not read from the legacy Contacts folder and does not support direct VCF import. To get contacts into the People app, you must import them into one of the linked cloud accounts first.
Outlook (desktop and web) maintains its own contact store. Contacts imported into Outlook are accessible in Outlook but appear in the People app only if Outlook syncs with a linked Microsoft/Exchange account. For Outlook-specific import methods, see our dedicated Outlook guide.
Method 1: Double-Click the VCF File
Best for: Single-contact VCF files for quick one-off imports.
Locate the VCF file in File Explorer. Double-click it. Windows 11 opens the file with Windows Contacts (or Outlook if it is installed and set as the default). A window displays the contact’s details including name, phone numbers, email addresses, and photo. Click the “Import” button to save the contact to the Windows Contacts folder.
If double-clicking opens the file in Notepad or another text editor instead of Windows Contacts, the file association is incorrect. Right-click the VCF file, select “Open with”, choose “Choose another app”, and select “Windows Contacts” from the list. Check “Always use this app” to fix the association permanently.
This method has an important limitation: it imports only the first contact in a multi-contact VCF file. If your file contains 100 contacts, only the first one is imported and the remaining 99 are ignored without any warning. For multi-contact files, use Methods 2, 3, or 4.
Method 2: Windows Contacts Folder Import
Best for: Importing multiple contacts into the legacy Windows Contacts system.
Open the Windows Contacts folder by pressing Win+R, typing %USERPROFILE%\Contacts, and pressing Enter. Alternatively, navigate to C:\Users\YourName\Contacts in File Explorer. The folder opens with a toolbar that includes an “Import” button.
Click “Import” in the toolbar. Select “vCard (VCF file)” as the import format. Browse to your VCF file and select it. Windows processes the file and imports the contacts into the Contacts folder. For multi-contact VCF files, each contact is created as a separate .contact file in the folder.
After import, verify the contacts by scrolling through the folder. Each contact appears as an entry showing the name and a small icon. Double-click any contact to view its details. If names appear garbled, the VCF file likely uses an encoding that Windows Contacts does not handle well. Convert the file to UTF-8 before importing using the methods in our encoding error guide.
Method 3: People App via Linked Accounts
Best for: Making contacts available across all Windows 11 apps (Mail, Calendar, People).
The People app does not import VCF files directly. It pulls contacts from linked cloud accounts. The workaround is to import the VCF file into a cloud contact service, then link that service to Windows 11.
The easiest path uses Google Contacts. Go to contacts.google.com, click “Import” in the left sidebar, upload your VCF file, and confirm. Then open Windows 11 Settings (Win+I), go to Accounts, then “Email and accounts”, and add your Google account. Enable contact sync. The People app will now show your Google contacts, including the ones you just imported from the VCF file. For detailed Google Contacts import steps, see our Google Contacts import guide.
The same approach works with an Outlook.com or Microsoft account (see Method 4). The key insight is that the People app is a viewer for cloud-synced contacts, not a local contact database. Importing contacts into any linked cloud service automatically populates the People app.
Method 4: Outlook.com Sync (Free Account)
Best for: Users who want contacts in both the People app and Outlook without a third-party service.
If you have a Microsoft account (any @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com email), you can import VCF contacts through the Outlook web interface. Go to outlook.live.com/people, click “Manage contacts”, then “Import contacts”. Select “Browse” and upload your VCF file. Outlook.com processes the file and adds the contacts to your Microsoft account.
Since Windows 11 is typically signed in with a Microsoft account, these contacts automatically appear in the People app through account sync. They also appear in the Windows Mail app, Outlook desktop (if linked to the same account), and any other Microsoft service connected to that account. This makes Method 4 the most comprehensive option for system-wide contact availability.
Outlook.com supports multi-contact VCF files and handles vCard versions 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0. If some contacts fail to import, Outlook.com shows an error count but does not specify which contacts failed. Check for common VCF issues using our VCF import error guide if the error count is high.
Importing Multi-Contact VCF Files
The behavior of each method with multi-contact VCF files differs significantly.
| Method | Multi-Contact Support | Contact Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Double-click | First contact only | 1 |
| Contacts folder | All contacts imported | No practical limit |
| People app (Google) | All contacts via Google | 25,000 per Google account |
| Outlook.com | All contacts imported | 10,000 per Outlook.com |
If your VCF file contains more contacts than the platform limit, split it into smaller files first. For files with 500+ contacts, splitting by letter range (A-M, N-Z) or by source keeps each chunk manageable. See our VCF splitting guide for methods.
Common Problems and Fixes
Double-click opens Notepad instead of Contacts. The VCF file association is set to a text editor. Right-click the file, select “Open with”, then “Choose another app”. Select “Windows Contacts” (or “Outlook” if preferred). Enable “Always use this app to open .vcf files”.
Contacts folder Import button is grayed out or missing. The Windows Contacts shell extension may be disabled. Open the Contacts folder directly via %USERPROFILE%\Contacts in the Run dialog (Win+R) rather than navigating through File Explorer. If the toolbar still does not appear, copy individual VCF files directly into the folder.
Names appear as garbled characters after import. The VCF file uses a non-UTF-8 encoding that Windows cannot interpret correctly. Open the file in Notepad++, check the encoding in the bottom status bar, and convert to UTF-8 before re-importing. Common culprits are Windows-1252, Shift-JIS, and quoted-printable encoded vCard 2.1 files.
People app does not show imported contacts. The People app only displays contacts from linked accounts, not from the local Contacts folder. Either import via Outlook.com (Method 4) or link a Google/iCloud account that contains the contacts. Check Settings, then Accounts, then “Email and accounts” to verify account sync is enabled.
Verifying and Managing Imported Contacts
After importing, verify the contact count matches expectations. In the Windows Contacts folder, the number of .contact files should equal the number of contacts in your VCF file. In the People app, scroll through or search for a few known names to confirm they appeared. In Outlook.com, the People section shows a total contact count in the left sidebar.
If the imported count is lower than expected, some contacts may have failed silently. Common causes include missing required fields (a contact without an FN property), invalid phone number formats, or oversized embedded photos. Re-import the file after fixing these issues, or use a VCF viewer to inspect which contacts have structural problems before importing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows 11 have a built-in contacts app?
Windows 11 has two contact interfaces: the legacy Windows Contacts (accessible via the Contacts folder) and the People app (integrated into the taskbar). Neither is a full-featured contact manager like Outlook. The People app aggregates contacts from linked cloud accounts but does not support direct VCF import or local contact storage.
Can I import contacts without a Microsoft account?
Yes, using Methods 1 and 2. Double-clicking a VCF file and the Contacts folder import both work with a local Windows account. Methods 3 and 4 require a cloud account (Microsoft, Google, or similar) because they rely on account sync to populate the People app.
Will imported contacts sync to my phone?
Only if imported via a cloud account. Contacts added through Outlook.com (Method 4) sync to any device signed into the same Microsoft account. Contacts added through Google (Method 3) sync to any device with Google Contacts enabled. Contacts in the local Windows Contacts folder do not sync to any other device.
Can I export contacts back to VCF from Windows 11?
The Windows Contacts folder supports exporting individual contacts to VCF by right-clicking a contact and selecting export options. For bulk export, use the cloud service: Outlook.com and Google Contacts both support exporting all contacts as a single VCF file.
What is the difference between importing to Windows Contacts vs Outlook?
Windows Contacts is a basic system-level contact store with no email integration. Outlook is a full email and calendar client with its own contact database. Contacts in Windows Contacts do not appear in Outlook, and vice versa, unless both are synced through the same cloud account. For Outlook-specific import, see our Outlook import guide.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. All methods tested on Windows 11 24H2 (build 26100) with default settings. People app version 11.2410. Outlook.com import tested with VCF files containing 1 to 2,000 contacts across vCard 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0 formats.
Importing VCF contacts into Windows 11 depends on where you need the contacts to appear. For the local Contacts folder, use Method 2 (folder import) for bulk files or Method 1 (double-click) for single contacts. For system-wide availability in the People app, Mail, and Calendar, use Method 4 (Outlook.com) or Method 3 (Google Contacts) to import into a cloud account that syncs automatically.
Recommended path for most users: Method 4 (Outlook.com). Go to outlook.live.com/people, import the VCF file, and the contacts sync automatically to the People app, Mail, and every device signed into your Microsoft account. If you do not have a Microsoft account or prefer to keep contacts local, Method 2 (Contacts folder) is the most reliable option for multi-contact files.
