About this tool
The Contacts Converter turns a vCard file (.vcf) into a spreadsheet-friendly CSV, and a CSV into a single .vcf you can import on a phone. Drop a file, check the preview, choose which fields to keep, and download the result. It reads vCard versions 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0, and CSV files exported from Google Contacts or Outlook.
Everything happens in your browser. The file is read with the FileReader API, converted by JavaScript on this page, and saved straight to your downloads folder. Nothing is uploaded, which matters for a contact list: it holds other people's phone numbers and addresses, and it is not something you should have to hand to a website to reformat. It is one of the business tools in our free tools collection.
How it works
Choose a file, or press one of the sample buttons to see how it behaves. A .vcf file can hold hundreds of contacts, and every one of them is listed in the preview with a running count. A .csv file is matched column by column. The tool recognizes the headers Google Contacts and Outlook use, such as First Name, Organization Name, Phone 1 - Value, Mobile Phone and E-mail Address, and sets each column to the right field. If a column is matched wrongly, open the column mapping list and pick the correct field for it. The preview updates as you change it.
Then pick the output. CSV uses Google Contacts headers, so the file imports at contacts.google.com without further editing. vCard output is a single .vcf in version 3.0, which Android, iOS, Outlook and Google Contacts all accept. The fields to keep list lets you drop whole categories, such as notes or birthdays, before you download.
Under the hood the vCard reader unfolds long lines, decodes quoted-printable text with the character set the file declares, reads the TYPE of each phone number and email address, and unescapes commas, semicolons and line breaks. The CSV reader handles quoted cells, commas and line breaks inside cells, and files that use semicolons or tabs instead of commas.
Moving contacts between phones, Google and Outlook
Most contact moves are one of three jobs. To get contacts out of Google Contacts and onto a phone that does not sync with Google, export as Google CSV, convert it here to a .vcf, and open that file on the phone. To clean up a list in a spreadsheet, convert the .vcf to CSV, edit it in Excel or Sheets, then convert it back. To move from Outlook, export a CSV from Outlook and convert it the same way.
A few details are worth knowing. Phone numbers keep their labels where the source has them, so a mobile stays a mobile. A contact with several phone numbers or emails gets numbered columns in the CSV, one pair for each. Addresses are carried as a single formatted line. Photos, groups and labels are not converted, since a CSV has no good place for them.
Keeping a contact list private
Sharing a contact file is the moment a list is most exposed. It sits in your downloads folder, gets attached to emails, and often ends up in cloud backups. After you have converted a file, delete the copy you no longer need.
For contacts that should not sit in your phone's main address book, a vault app is a better home than a plain file. Clanda is AnchorKite's private contacts app for Android: contacts are encrypted on the phone behind a PIN, with no account and no cloud. It can import the .vcf files this tool produces.
Frequently asked questions
Is my contacts file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read by your browser with the FileReader API, converted by JavaScript on this page, and the result is saved straight from memory to your downloads folder. Nothing is sent to a server, so you can check the network tab while you convert, or switch off your connection after the page loads and it still works.
How do I move contacts from Google Contacts to my phone as a .vcf?
Export from Google Contacts as CSV (Google CSV format), drop that file here, leave the output on vCard, and press Convert + Download. Open the .vcf on your phone, or import it from your phone's contacts app. Every contact in the file is written to a single .vcf, so one import brings them all in.
Which vCard versions can it read?
vCard 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0, including files with many contacts, folded long lines, quoted-printable names and UTF-8 characters such as accents and non-Latin scripts. It writes vCard 3.0, which Android, iOS, Outlook and Google Contacts all import.
Can it read an Outlook CSV?
Yes. Column names such as First Name, Mobile Phone, Business Phone and E-mail Address are matched automatically, along with Google Contacts headers such as Phone 1 - Value. If a column is matched wrongly, change it in the column mapping list and the preview updates straight away.
What happens to photos and groups?
They are left behind. This tool carries names, phone numbers, email addresses, organizations, job titles, addresses, websites, birthdays and notes. Contact photos, labels and groups are not converted.
Why does a number show as Other?
The label comes from the TYPE in the vCard or the label column in the CSV. When a phone or email has no type, or one the tool does not recognize, it is written as Other. The number itself is never changed.