VCF to CSV converter (and back)
Turn a vCard contacts file into a spreadsheet, or a spreadsheet back into a phone-ready VCF. Free, unlimited, and your contacts never leave your device.
How do you convert a VCF contacts file to CSV?
To convert a VCF to CSV you parse the vCard and map its fields to spreadsheet columns — Excel and Google Sheets cannot open a .vcf directly. StaysPrivate's VCF to CSV converter does this in your browser and outputs the exact column names Google Contacts expects (Name, Given Name, Family Name, E-mail, Phone, Organization), so the file imports without remapping. It reads vCard 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0 including quoted-printable encoding — the reason accented names arrive as gibberish in other converters — and converts CSV back to VCF for iPhone and Android. Contacts are never uploaded.
How to import the CSV into Google Contacts
- Convert your .vcf above and download the CSV.
- Open contacts.google.com and sign in.
- In the left menu choose Import, then Select file.
- Pick the downloaded CSV and click Import.
- Google will show the imported group so you can review before merging. If anything looks wrong, use Undo import — it appears for a short time afterwards.
The columns this tool writes (Name, Given Name,
Family Name, E-mail 1, Phone 1,
Organization) are the ones Google Contacts recognises, so you should not need to
remap anything.
How to export contacts as a VCF file
- iPhone: open Contacts, tap Lists → All iCloud, or use icloud.com → Contacts → select all → the gear icon → Export vCard.
- Android: open Contacts → the menu → Settings → Export → choose .vcf file.
- Outlook: select a contact → Save As → vCard. For all contacts, export to CSV instead and use the CSV → VCF tab above if you need vCards.
- Google Contacts: Export → choose vCard (for iOS) or Google CSV.
Why accented names come out as gibberish in other converters
Older vCard files (version 2.1, which phones still produce) encode non-English characters
with quoted-printable: "José" is stored as Jos=C3=A9. Many converters
decode those two hex pairs as separate Latin-1 characters, which is how you end up with
José in your spreadsheet. The correct approach is to collect the decoded bytes
first and then read them as UTF-8 — which is what this tool does, so accents, umlauts and
non-Latin scripts survive the round trip.
vCard 2.1 vs 3.0 vs 4.0
| Version | Typical source | Character encoding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Older Android exports, feature phones | Quoted-printable, various charsets | The version that causes most accent problems |
| 3.0 | iPhone, Google Contacts, Outlook | UTF-8 | The most common format today |
| 4.0 | Newer standards-based apps | UTF-8 | Adds structured fields; still uncommon in exports |
All three are read by the converter above; you do not need to know which one you have.
What happens to contacts with several numbers or emails
The CSV includes the first two email addresses and the first two phone numbers per contact
(E-mail 1, E-mail 2, Phone 1, Phone 2) —
the layout Google Contacts and Excel handle cleanly. Photos, addresses and custom fields are
not carried across; if you need those preserved exactly, keep the original .vcf as your backup.
Frequently asked questions
What is a VCF file?
A VCF (vCard) file is the standard format for contacts — it is what iPhones, Android phones and Outlook export when you back up or share contacts. Spreadsheets cannot read it, which is why converting to CSV is so common.
Are my contacts uploaded anywhere?
No. Your contacts — names, phone numbers, emails — are parsed entirely in your browser on your own device and never sent to a server.
Will the CSV import into Google Contacts?
Yes. The column names match what Google Contacts expects (Name, Given Name, Family Name, E-mail, Phone, Organization), so you can import it directly. It also opens cleanly in Excel and Google Sheets.
Does it handle accents and older vCard versions?
Yes. vCard 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0 are supported, including quoted-printable encoding — the reason names with accents often arrive as gibberish in other converters.
Can I go the other way, CSV to VCF?
Yes — switch to the CSV to VCF tab, map your columns, and download a .vcf file you can import into an iPhone or Android phone.
Last updated: