How to view a vcf file. Opening a .vcf file: overview of methods

What is a vcf file and how can it be opened on a computer?

Many users may discover such a file by accident, while others create it intentionally to store information.

But in both of these cases the file you may need to open it to view the information stored in it.

Definition

What is this file, where can it be found, and what is it for? This format has the data of a saved contact recorded in a smartphone or telephone. Information (contacts) in this format can be found in the memory of a smartphone, tablet, and even a PC (if devices were synchronized or data was transferred).

Where does this file come from? It appears after updating the phone's firmware and contains all the data from the device’s phone book. At the same time, it is recommended to create it both when updating the firmware and when purchasing a new phone.

This file is created by the user independently (the operating system does not create it automatically, for example, during failures). It can be exported, imported from and to the system, viewed, copied, etc. Thus, it is necessary for quickly and accurately transferring contacts from the phone book of one device to another, without manual retyping.

File of this format– a kind of backup subscriber card. It contains, in addition to his name, all the necessary contact information that was entered into the phone - phone number, email address, links to pages on social networks, and of course, name. When a file is transferred to the phone's memory, it is automatically converted into one of the contacts in the phone book, but on a personal computer it is a file that can be opened using certain programs.

Operating system tools

Since this format is considered quite well-known and widespread, and also taking into account the fact that Windows has developed software for smartphones, in the standard set of programs of this operating system, which are installed on the computer when installing the OS, there are utilities for opening files of this type.

Thus, there is almost never a need to download additional programs, unless these files have a slightly modified internal structure. But this happens quite rarely.

ADVICE. In this case, view the information in this format possible using software, which was installed on the PC when the smartphone was first connected to it (or the one that was installed from the disk included with the tablet or phone).

Address book

This is a basic program that is convenient because it does not take up much space and does not require any additional downloads or installations. At the same time, it works quite effectively, opening almost all files of this type.

To view information in a file, do the following:

1Find the required file on your device;

2Click on its shortcut with the right mouse button;

Outlook

Another program that, in general, can be called standard and does not require additional downloads and installations. It is included in the standard Office package, which means that everyone who has this package installed has it on their computer. To view a file using it, proceed as follows:

• Open Outlook, by calling it using the Start path or in another way (by typing its name in the search, launching it from a shortcut on the desktop, or entering its name after clicking the Start button in the Windows 8, 8.1, 10 operating system);
• Drag and drop file, which you want to open, to the program working field;
• Follow the program's instructions;
• After that, in the program window in the form of a table all contact details will be displayed, which were entered into the phone;

Information can be removed from the program only upon request., that is, forcibly by going to the address book, selecting a contact and clicking “Delete”.

Specialized programs

They are understood as applications developed by the creators of electronic devices (smartphones and tablets) in order to make working with the device easier.

Such programs usually have a wide range of functionality (fine-tuning, working with device memory, synchronizing a smartphone/telephone/tablet with a computer or with each other, data transfer). But they work exclusively with files that were created on devices of the brand that developed the program.

Therefore, if you have several devices from different manufacturers, you will need several programs, which is not very convenient.

Nokia Suite

This application is designed specifically for devices manufactured by Nokia Corporation and its subsidiaries. The program is installed automatically the first time you connect the device to the computer, or from a disk (on older versions). If you have not removed it from your computer, then this program will help you open a contact created on your Nokia device in the correct form.

At the same time, this application has very wide functionality and opening a business card contact is the simplest manipulation, among many others. This program helps to synchronize the device with a computer, transfer and save data in both directions, etc. That is, this is a fairly necessary program for all owners of Nokia devices.

In order to view contact data, simply drag the file into the program’s working window, and it will display a table with contact data in the form in which it is presented below. If you carry out this manipulation on a tablet (which is also possible), then you will also have the opportunity to call this contact with one click of a button.

<Рис. 8 Nokia Suite>

Gmail

Using the standard online Google mail service, you can view materials created on devices running on the Android operating system. Sometimes this method can even open files created on other devices (with a different operating system). In order to use this method, do the following:

1. Sign in to Google mail;

2. Hover to the Gmail button at the top left of the screen;

3. In the drop-down list, go to the section Contacts;

Program selection

Which program should you choose to open files of this type, and what criteria should you base your choice on when choosing it?

The table below shows the comparative characteristics of programs and applications for working with vcf format files.

Based on them, one can draw a conclusion about which application to use will be optimal in each specific case.

<Рис. 14 Выбор программы>

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of programs for opening the vcf format

Program	Download	Saving	Cyrillic display	Multifunctionality	Additional features
Address book	Not required	Forcibly	No	Any files of this format	No
Outlook	Not required	Automatically	Yes, correct	Any files of this format	Exchange of emails
Nokia Suite	Requires installation from phone	Automatic or forced	Yes, correct	Only files that were created on devices manufactured by Nokia and its subsidiaries	Synchronization, transfer and copying of data and much more
Gmail	Not required	Automatically	Yes, correct	Relative (some files not created on the Android system open)	Email and some other services from Google

The choice of the appropriate program depends on the needs and capabilities at a particular moment, as well as on the type of files.

Extensions previously unknown to users require software installed on the computer in which you can view the contents of a particular file. VCF is a format that stands for vCard File. This format contains contact information: full name, phone numbers, email addresses and more. Those. in other words, the phone book is saved in the file, which can later be transferred to a smartphone. Read the article about which programs can open VCF.

How to open a VCF file?

1.Microsoft Outlook

If you own a Microsoft office suite, you can open the VCF file using the included Outlook program. The program is distributed only together with other Microsoft Office programs, and it is no longer possible to download it separately.

Download Microsoft Office for free

2. Windows Contacts

A standard solution from Microsoft for viewing your contact list. The only caveat is that the Cyrillic alphabet may not be displayed correctly.

To open contacts this way, you don't need to download anything. Just right click on the file and go to menu "Open with" . Typically, the system should display the program Windows Contacts , which must be selected.

3. Google.com

Did you know that you can store contacts in your account, export them to a separate file (including VCF) and import new ones.

To do this, just log in to your Google account on Gmail.com. When your mailbox is displayed on the screen, click on the button in the left area of ​​the window "Gmail" and in the menu that appears, select "Contacts" .

A list of your contacts (if any) will be displayed in a separate tab. In the left area of ​​the window, click the button "More" to expand more menu options, and then select "Import" .

Select last item "Import from CSV or vContact File" .

For further work, the system will offer to switch to the previous version of the site, because... The new one is still being finalized. Select "Go back to previous version of contacts" .

A window will appear with the old appearance of contacts, where you need to click on the button at the top of the page "More" , and then select "Import" .

Click the button "Select file" to open File Explorer, and then point to the VCF file stored on your computer. Click the button "Import" .

After a few moments, all contacts stored in the VCF file will be displayed.

A number of users may receive an email containing an attachment file with the “vcf” extension. This file usually contains data about contacts previously exported from the phone contacts book. At the same time, there are also files with the VCF extension that have nothing to do with the contact book. In this article I will tell you what this format is, how to open the VCF extension on a PC, what programs and services will help us with this, and how to work with them.

Format.VCF

What is VCF

The "VCF" extension is usually an abbreviation for "Virtual Contact File". At the same time, there is also an alternative abbreviation - “vCard File” (vCard file).

This file is usually used to store contact information in digital format (person's first and last name, address, email, phone number and other relevant information). With its help, it is convenient to exchange contacts between address books, the file can be easily attached to an email, and it supports pictures and other media content.

In addition, a file with the vcf extension can act as a VirtualDub editor settings file (VirtualDub Processing Settings), as a WorldToolKit Objects API configuration file (Vevi Configuration File), as a FileViewPro program service file, a relevant file for VP HybridCAD Native Format, etc.

Description of the business card extension

How to open VCF

If our file contains contact information, the following programs will help open it:

1.Windows Contacts is a classic application for viewing Windows contacts. It works quite poorly with Cyrillic characters, so for a Russian-speaking user its use will not be entirely convenient.

Windows Contacts

2.vCardOrganizer – a convenient program for working with digital cards. Allows you to create, modify and view vCards, supports displaying photos, printing cards on a printer, and so on. The program is paid, but you can try searching the Internet for its free variations.

vCardOrganizer interface

3.Open Freely is a free viewer that can open many documents and media files (including the vcf files we need).

4.VCFtools – a set of utilities that allow you to work with vcf files, including viewing, merging, converting, and so on.

5.VCF Viewer is a free utility for viewing the contents of vcf files. Its main drawback is that it shows the data of only one contact.

6.Open Contacts - another free tool, a program for storing contact data, allows you to open vcf files.

7.Classic Notepad can also be used as a viewer of raw vcf file data. For a Russian-speaking user, it may be a problem that Cyrillic characters are incorrectly displayed during such viewing (if the contact data is typed in Cyrillic), because Notepad in this case will not be very convenient to use.

Manager contact opened

8.Notepad++ is an advanced text editor that allows you to make minor edits to contact data located in a vcf file.

Notepad++

9. The Eudora OSE mail client, which has quite rich functionality, can also open files with the vcf extension;

Microsoft Outlook and Handy Address Book programs can also open and view files of this format; the disadvantages include the paid nature of these products.

How to open vcf file in Outlook

To view vcf in Outlook do the following:

Contacts will be added to the “Users” section of this program.

How to transfer contacts from a vcf file to Gmail

Contacts from a vcf file can be transferred to the Gmail contact list. To implement this, do the following:

1. Go to the Gmail mail page;
2. Click on the arrow next to “Gmail” (top left) and select “Contacts” there;

Go to Contacts

• We find our vcf file and click on “Import”, the specified contact will be added to the contact list.

Conclusion

The programs I described above will help you play a VCF file on your computer. Most of them are free, allowing you to easily view the contents of vcf files. If you come across a file that cannot be opened correctly using the listed programs, then perhaps this is a qualitatively different type of file (for example, WorldToolKit Objects API settings), which will be handled by a rather specialized specialist.

RusAdmin.biz

.vcf format: how to open it on a computer and what type of file is it?

When buying a new phone or flashing an old one, we are recommended to create a backup copy of contacts from the phone book, so as not to lose important information and not waste time entering numbers manually. After creating a copy and saving it on the computer, we need to open the .vcf file to view the contact's phone number. But how to do this and using what program? We will consider the answer to these questions below.

How to open a .vcf file?

The extension file.vcf is a subscriber’s business card that stores information about the contact (name, phone, email, personal website and links to pages on social networks). It can be opened using standard tools of any mobile operating system. But in Windows there are some nuances.

Windows Address Book

Standard method that does not require installation of additional software. Right-click on the .vcf file and select “Open with” – “Windows Contacts”.

Attention! The built-in Windows Contacts program does not recognize the Cyrillic alphabet! If the numbers from your address book were signed in Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian, they will not be displayed correctly!

Microsoft Outlook

If you have Microsoft Office preinstalled on your machine, you can open “contacts.vcf” using MS Outlook. To do this, drag the .vcf file onto the program's working window and follow the instructions. After viewing the contact details of business cards, they will be saved in the address book of the email client.

Nokia Suite

An epoch-making application from Nokia, in which creating a backup copy of contacts and restoring them is a small part of the entire functionality. The application will allow you to view contact data and restore it on your mobile device (if it is manufactured by Nokia Corporation).

A multifunctional text editor that supports multiple encodings and ensures that information is displayed correctly. The application cannot export data to mobile devices, but allows you to edit a contact: add, delete and edit information.

Google's Gmail

To view contacts in .vcf format, you can use Google services.

windowsten.ru

How to open a vcf file on a computer - step-by-step instructions

Due to the great popularity of mobile phones, smartphones and tablets, users are increasingly faced with the need to import and export contacts stored on these devices. If there are only a couple of dozen such contacts, then it is even more or less possible to dial them manually. But more often there is a situation when their number amounts to hundreds, and for fairly sociable people it can exceed the thousand mark. Therefore, to import and export contacts, mobile device manufacturers provide the ability to bulk process contacts using VCF files. Using vcf files, you can transfer contacts not only to smartphones and tablets, but also to many mobile phones that have the ability to connect to a computer. For this, the appropriate software supplied with the mobile phone is used: “Nokia PC Suite”, “Samsung PC Studio”, etc. In this regard, users have a logical question - how to open a vcf file on a computer. We will talk about this in this article.

What is the VCF format?

The vcf file format was invented to store contact information about a person. In particular:

Last name, first name and patronymic

Contacts in Internet messengers

Addresses of work, residence, etc.

The name VCF itself stands for vCard File, or business card file. Since a certain time, this format has been supported to one degree or another by most computer mail programs.

Essentially a vcf file is a text file that can be manually edited with a text editor. Unfortunately, sometimes texts containing Cyrillic in these files are written in encoded form, which does not allow you to work with them directly in Notepad. For example, this is what a card for the name “Ivan Petrov” with a phone number looks like, exported from a mobile device.

If the digits of a phone number are readable and can be viewed or edited if desired, then for the first and last name this operation is extremely difficult.

Problem with encodings

Modern versions of Windows have the Windows Contacts application, which allows you to both open a vcf file on your computer and add it to the operating system contact list, where the file will be converted to *.contact format and will become available for editing using Windows tools. But this feature is only available for files written in Windows encoding. At the same time, many mobile devices and modern email applications save vcf files in modern UTF-8 encoding. And if you try to open such a file using Windows, the Cyrillic characters will not be read properly.

Interestingly, Windows encoded files are available for manual editing in any text editor. This is what the text content of a vcf file created using Microsoft Outlook looks like.

It would seem logical to convert all files to Windows encoding in order to be able to work with them on a computer, incl. and in text editors. However, the problem is that then these files cannot be used on other devices and in modern email programs. For example, the latest vcf file, despite the fact that it looks beautiful in Notepad and the Windows Contacts program, does not open correctly in the emClient email program.

The same problems arise when exporting vcf files to mobile devices. Therefore, the best way out of the situation is to use programs that can fully work with business cards in UTF-8 encoding. The above-mentioned emClient program is quite suitable for this purpose. Moreover, it can export files in UTF encoding so that the readability of Cyrillic characters is preserved.

Using emClient

You can download the program from the download page on the official website. After installation, the application will work for 30 days in full mode, after which you will need to either obtain a free license to use the limited home version, or purchase the program. As a matter of fact, the home version is quite capable of both opening a vcf file on a computer and editing all its fields, as well as doing bulk import and export of such files.

To add vcf files to the program, you need to either drag them into the program window using the mouse, or use the “File / Import...” menu item.

In the window that appears, select the option “Import contacts from vCard (.vcf)”.

After this, the program will scan the entire specified folder and import all found business cards. In our case, one file was imported.

Now you can open it in the general contact list for editing.

Similarly, using the “File / Export...” menu item, you can save the edited contacts to a separate folder as a list of vcf files.

Conclusions

Using the emClient program, you can both open vcf files on your computer and fully edit their contents, working with data in the form of a contact list. Edited contact data can be exported back to a set of vcf files, which can be useful for manually transferring contacts to a mobile device or another computer. Due to the fact that the program understands files in modern UTF-8 encoding, there will be no problems with Cyrillic characters when exchanging data with modern mobile devices. And business cards exported by this program open in a text editor in a readable form, so you can, as an option, apply the bulk search and replace functions of the Notepad++ program to them.

LiveLenta.com

How to view a vcf file on a computer

If you've dealt with old phones, you've probably kept a backup copy of your contacts. Typically, such data is saved in the vcf electronic business card format. Let's try to figure out how you can view this file on your computer.

How to view a vcf file using standard applications

An electronic business card in vcf format is a text document that can be viewed on a computer in various ways, including using Windows system tools.

Windows Contacts

Standard system application for viewing contacts. However, if the data was entered in Cyrillic, we will receive an incorrect display.

Outlook

If you have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, the operating system will offer to open an electronic business card using Outlook. But in this case, the text in Cyrillic also remains unreadable.

Notebook

As we mentioned above, the information in the vcf file is stored in text form. The most ordinary notepad will do an excellent job of viewing it.

However, you can't edit the data using Notepad - even if you change a single character, the file can no longer be opened using contact viewing applications.

Notepad++

If you need to make minor edits to the electronic business card file, we recommend using a more advanced notepad – Notepad++. Changes made using it will not change the structure of the vcf file.

Importing data from a vcf file

Information from an electronic business card can be transferred to a Gmail contact list. To do this, open the mail page, click on the “Gmail” button and in the drop-down menu click on the “Contacts” item.

On the page that opens, select “More”, then “Import”.

Click “Import from file...”

Gmail will offer to switch to the previous version of the Google Contacts application, we agree with this proposal.

Click on the “More” button and select “Import”.

Select the required vcf file and click “IMPORT”.

At the end of the process, we observe the added contact.

P.S.

We hope that with our help you can now easily view contact information stored in vcf files.

The VCF format is used to store contact information. In a file with this extension you can find the full name, phone number, email and other data of people. However, this format has a peculiarity - to open it, you must use third-party software. Only through it can you open a virtual notebook, copy or edit the necessary data.

Programs that can open VCF Format

Microsoft Office can be used to solve most user tasks. Various programs from this package can also be used to open a VCF file on your computer. Microsoft Outlook is perfect for this - a completely free email client that has a rich history, as well as equally rich functionality.

Using it, you can not only communicate with other users of email services, but also open VCF contacts. This is quite convenient, because this way you can port the entire notebook from your phone to your computer, and then save the necessary contacts and use them for their intended purpose.

Of course, rarely does anyone use Outlook to solve this particular task, but having this program on your computer is quite useful. It has a user-friendly interface, Russian language and extensive help. Any user can understand its management.

An excellent free utility that comes with most Nokia phones. By connecting the device to the computer, you can open this program and perform the necessary operation in it. The functionality of PC Suite is quite extensive, and in it you can not only port contacts, but also set up synchronization, create backups, share files between devices, and generally manage your phone.

The program is distributed completely free of charge, which makes it accessible to most users. Also, it has built-in multilingual support (more than 80 languages, including Russian). Having it on your computer is useful for any user who owns a Nokia phone.

Recently, this program has ceased to be supported, and it has been replaced by an updated version of Nokia Suite, which has expanded functionality and an updated interface. It also has increased productivity.

If you have any questions, ask in the comments, we will definitely help.

Nowadays, mobile phones are ubiquitous. Therefore, their owners are increasingly faced with the question: how to transfer contacts from one device to another? Of course, if there are only ten people in the notebook, then this can easily be done manually. But what if there are hundreds or even thousands of them?

Fortunately, a special format has been developed to solve this problem, called vCard or simply - vcf. It allows you to view and edit your contacts, transfer them to new devices and share them with other users.

At the same time, vcf is supported today not only by smartphones. Using special programs, they can be viewed and edited on any modern computer.

The name of the format vCard File stands for “business card file”. And this is no coincidence: vcf, in fact, are electronic business cards. They can contain any contact information about a person, namely:

• surname, first name and patronymic,
• position held
• telephone,
• photograph of a person
• email address,
• personal website,
• home address

and much more.

You can recognize vCard files by the *.vcf extension. Initially, this format was developed for mobile phones, but today it is actively used by many email programs. It helps users not only easily import and export contacts but also share them via email. In this case, any vcf can be attach to the letter as an attachment.

In fact, vcf are ordinary text files, but only with special markup. And this means that if you wish, you can open them in any text editor, for example, Microsoft Word or even Notepad.

However, vCard is much more convenient than plain text. First, they present information to the user in a clear and organized manner, just like in a questionnaire. Secondly, they can include various media, such as photographs. And thirdly, if vcf files do not contain media data, then they are very small in size (less than 1 kilobyte). Hence, they can be easily sent to another user even from phone to phone.

Unfortunately, there are several problems with vCard. The main one is that this format was originally designed for phones, and therefore does not open on all computers. And the user who receives such a file may simply not have a suitable program to view it.

The second problem is related to the media data included in the vcf. If all other information can be viewed through a regular notepad, then the contact photos in it will look like a long series of incomprehensible symbols.

And the third problem is incorrect work with the Cyrillic alphabet. Contacts that were recorded in Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian may appear as unreadable icons. And while the phone number and web page addresses in such a file can still be deciphered, first and last names can no longer be deciphered. Fortunately, today there is many excellent contact management programs that solve all these problems.

Initially, vcf files were only opened by applications that came with phones (for example, Nokia P.C. Suite or Samsung P.C. Studio).

However, today there are at least four types of tools that will allow you to view or edit the vCard format:

1. Mail clients.
2. Gmail (Google email service).
3. Text editors.

Let's take a closer look at how to open vcf contacts on a computer using them.

The most common application for working with contacts is Windows Address Book (Windows Contacts). There is usually no need to install it, since all modern versions of Windows have it by default. In this case, to open the file, you just need to click on it with the mouse pointer.

The program converts the viewed business cards into a list of operating system contacts and saves them in its own format (*.contact). Alas, the Windows address book does not always handle Cyrillic correctly.

Another application for working with personal contacts is Handy Address Book. If you need to view a couple of vcf files once, then it’s hardly worth installing this program (this can be done in simpler ways). But if required constantly sort or edit business cards, then Handy Address Book will become an indispensable assistant.

To manipulate contacts, the program uses its own type of files. However, it can work with other formats, including vCard. There are two ways to open a vcf file in Handy Address Book:

1. After installing the program, it will be added to the Windows registry as one of the applications for working with vCard. This means that after this all contacts will be opened simply by clicking the mouse. If Windows asks which application to open these files in, you need to select Handy Address Book from the list of suggested programs.
2. Business card files can also be opened manually. Go to the “File” -> “Import” menu and select “vCard File” from the drop-down list. Then click the “Next” button and find your file. The program will add all open business cards to its contact list.

Other Windows apps you can try are:

• vCardOrganizer. The program is designed specifically for working with vcf files: viewing, creating and editing them. It displays photos correctly and can even print selected business cards. Unfortunately, this application is paid.
• vcftools. Another good program for vcf files. With its help, users can not only view and edit business cards, but also convert them to other formats.
• vcf Viewer. A simple and free application for viewing contacts. It only shows one business card at a time, which is not very convenient.
• Open Contacts. Free program for storing contacts. Supports several formats, including vcf.

Mail clients

The most popular email application today is . The program is included in the Microsoft Office package and is installed on many modern computers. Not everyone knows this, but Outlook can view and edit various contact files, including vcf.

After installation, the program will be registered in the registry, and all business cards will open in it by default. To view a vCard file, simply left-click on it or drag it across the program window. The viewed data will be saved in the Outlook mail book.

If for some reason the files do not open automatically, you can view them in another way. To do this, launch the program and go to the “File” -> “Open” -> “Import” menu. In the window that opens, select “vCard import”, and then simply find the desired file.

A free alternative to Microsoft Outlook is Mozilla Thunderbird. Today this is one of the best programs for working with email. It has its own address book into which you can import vcf and other contact files. However, it is not advisable to install Mozilla Thunderbird just to view business cards, since the program is large and takes a long time to install.

You can add vCard contacts to Thunderbird as follows:

1. Open in the Address Book program.
2. Go to the menu “Tools” -> “Import”.
3. In the window that opens, select “Address Books” and click the “Continue” button.
4. Specify the file type (vCard).
5. Find the required vcf file.

Mozilla Thunderbird will then add the contact to your address book, where it can be easily viewed or edited.

For other email clients, you can try the Eudora OSE application. It is rich in functionality and supports vcf and other contact formats.

Organizers

Organizers are programs for planning time and managing task lists. Today, many of them can integrate with mail and work with contacts, including the vCard format.

One such program is the Palm Desktop organizer. The application is small in size and may be suitable for one-time use. You can open a business card in it in two ways:

1. Minimize the program to window size and drag the required file onto it. The app will open the contact and ask you to select a group to add it to.
2. If the first method suddenly does not work, you need to go to the “Address” tab, and then to the “File” -> “Import” menu. In the file search window that opens, change the format to vcf and find the required contact.

Gmail service

If there is no suitable application on your computer and you don’t want to install anything, you can use postal service Gmail from Google. In this case, the algorithm for opening vcf files will consist of 7 steps:

1. Go to your Gmail inbox. If you don't have an account yet, you'll have to register, but it won't take much time.
2. Click on the Gmail inscription in the upper left corner and select “Contacts” from the drop-down list.
3. In the menu on the left, click on “More” and select “Import” from the drop-down list.
4. In the window that appears, find “Import from a CSV or vCard file.”
5. Confirm the transition to the old version and select “Import contacts” in the menu on the left.
6. A window will appear in which you need to click the “Select file” button.
7. We find the required business card and confirm the import.

After this, the contact will appear in your Gmail address book.

Text editors

As already mentioned, vCard files can be easily opened in any text editor. However, the most suitable solution for working with electronic business cards is the improved Notepad++ notepad. It supports dozens of different encodings, and therefore is able to correctly display any text file. In Notepad++ you can view and even edit contacts, but of course you won’t be able to export them to other formats.

If there are neither suitable programs nor access to the Internet, then you can open vcf with regular Notepad (just Notepad). It is also suitable if you just need to quickly find some important data in an electronic business card, for example, postal address or telephone number.

How to view vcf in Notepad? It’s very simple: just right-click on the file, select “Open with” from the context menu and select Notepad as the application.

To find the necessary information in an open file, you need to pay attention to the service markup. For example, a contact's phone number will be listed after the "TEL" attribute, and his email will be listed after "EMAIL;TYPE=INTERNET".

However, keep in mind that some data in Notepad may not display correctly. Instead of a contact photo, only a set of characters will be visible, and strange icons often appear instead of Cyrillic.

Encoding problems

Many computer applications use Windows encoding (for example, ANSI) to work with text. And on smartphones and tablets, in turn, UTF-8 encoding predominates. It is because of this that phone vcf files may not be displayed correctly on a computer. If you edit them for Windows encodings, they will not be readable on the phone. To avoid such problems, you need to use applications that can work with UTF-8.

One such program is the emClient email client and organizer. It can export vcf in UTF-8 encoding, so the Cyrillic alphabet will always be displayed correctly on the phone.

After downloading and installing, the application will work fully for 30 days, after which it will offer you either a free license for home use or buy the program. To view, edit and export electronic business cards, a home license is sufficient.

There are two ways to open vcf in this program:

1. Just drag the required file into the application window.
2. Go to the “File” -> “Import” menu and in the window that opens, select “Import from vCard”. After this, you need to specify the folder in which the vcf files are stored. The program will scan it and count all electronic business cards from it.

After this, all the information from the business cards will be in the contacts list, which is very convenient for viewing and editing. The list can be exported to vcf again at any time and transferred to a phone or another computer.