How to open VCF files as PDF on MacBook with macOS Ventura?

A VCF file is not a PDF. It is a text file, in a specific format, for storing contacts.

If you double-click it, it will open in Contacts - by default.

You can control-click a file and choose Open With->Text Edit.

From there you can, if you like, create a real PDF.

And if you really want to, you can change the default application to open a VCF file.

I don't advise it, but it is up to you. Just select one such file, press Command-I, and in the Info window select the application you want; the click "Change All". Now, all of your VCF files will open with the chosen application by double-clicking on them.

Bomiboll wrote:

First you have to import the VCF into Contacts, save that import as pdf, then delete all import

(because I only want a pdf). How do you delete the imported VCF without deleting the other contacts

Easy, make a List and import these new contacts to that List.

When done, select the List, then select all within the list and press Delete.

When asked if you want to just remove from the list, or delete the contacts, choose to delete them.

Barney-15E wrote:

You can’t. It’s not a PDF.

Indeed.

there are vcf viewers

vCard Viewer on the Mac App Store (apple.com)

VCard Explorer on the Mac App Store (apple.com)

more

macOS vcf viewer - Google-

Bomiboll wrote:

TextEdit produces gibberish

Where do these VCF files come from? Do they originate from Contacts? Were they sent to you from someone else?

The start of the file should always look the same - similar to this

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
PRODID:-//Apple Inc.//macOS 14.3.1//EN
N:Smith;John;;;
FN:John Smith
EMAIL;type=INTERNET;type=WORK;type=pref:jsmith@something.com

If the contact card has binary data, like a photo, it will appear as base64 or something, that is just a bunch of apparent nonsense.

Import the file into Contacts as it's essentially a Contact file. Then you can keep it in Contacts or save as a PDF from Contacts:

Bomiboll wrote:

I would like to open vcf files as pdf, how would you do that ?

I do not want to use Contacts for that

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

You can’t. It’s not a PDF.

then follow the google search and see if you can find some which are not

or advice apple to begin storing their contacts as pdf rather than the vcf

Product Feedback - Apple