Contacts (.vcf / vCard) won't import into Google, iPhone or Outlook
Last reviewed 2026-09-19
A .vcf file is text with one BEGIN:VCARD to END:VCARD block per contact. Imports fail when a card is not closed, has no name, or lines were broken or re-wrapped by an editor, and one bad card can make the whole import stop.
Messages you might see
- “Import failed / no contacts found”
- “Invalid vCard file”
- “Contacts import shows garbled names”
Why it happens
- Unclosed cards or stray END lines.
- Missing VERSION, FN or N lines.
- Long lines that lost their fold and split into broken lines.
- Accented names garbled by the wrong encoding.
Try this first (free, no tool needed)
- Open the file in a text editor and check each card begins with BEGIN:VCARD and ends with END:VCARD.
- Split the file and import in pieces to find the card that fails.
- Save as UTF-8 to keep accented names intact.
If that didn't work
These tools run in your browser. Your file is read and repaired on your own device and is never uploaded.
Broken vCard Repair
Closes unclosed contact cards, removes stray END lines, adds a missing VERSION, FN or N, rejoins lines that lost their fold, removes empty properties, repairs garbled accented names and writes standards-compliant line endings. It cannot invent contact details that are missing.
Open Broken vCard RepairCommon questions
Are my contacts uploaded?
No. The file is processed in your browser only.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs as a program inside your own browser, so the file is read and repaired on your device and never sent to a server.