How to Export Contact using vCard and SMS to non-iPhone user

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How to Export Contact using vCard and SMS to non-iPhone user

Hi,

so I just tried to Share a contact, using Messages, to another cell phone (non-iPhone) and I expected Messages to send a vCard using SMS to the other cellphone, but instead the iPhone says "Message send failure". Normal text messages send fine (with green bubbles).

I followed the 7 steps listed at this link: http://www.iphoneheat.com/2013/01/how-to-send-contact-card-vcard-from-iphone-ipa d-ipod-touch/, but it did not work.

Launch the Contacts app from the home screen of your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch;
Find the contact you’d like to share and tap on the name;
When you’re in contact details, scroll down to the bottom and tap on the Share Contact button;
Choose the Message option;
The contact vCard will automatically be inserted into a blank message.
Now simply choose the recipient you’d like to send contact card to in the To field of the message;
Hit Send. That’s it!

So anyone know how this is suppose to be done with the latest iOS - to send a contact's information to another cell phone (non-iphone) via text message?

iPhone 5, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jul 10, 2016 3:20 AM

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Answer 1

sjseto Author

Level 1

5 points

Jul 11, 2016 1:55 PM in response to sjseto

Well I figured it out, and it relates to this Apple forum discussion:

Why do I need Cellular Data turned on to send/receive MMS?

According to my cell provider (Fido, Canada) the decision to send vCards and Picture Messages over the Cellular Data radio was made by the Cell Phone Makers (i.e. Apple, Samsung, etc), though it likely is a standard now that the Cell providers design their networks too (though I could believe the reverse had happened).

Luckily, even though I will be using the Fido "data" connection they won't count it as data, but as messaging... which is good for my boyfriend who also uses Fido, as he doesn't have a data plan but can now receive vCards (and picture messages) over MMS when he enables his cellular data (radio).

But the real question is why was the decision made to send a vCard over the data network and not over the SMS network, as it should just be text (like a comma delimited file). And if the vCard happened to contain non-text bytes then why wouldn't they just UUENCODE (or MIME) the vCard if it has non-text fields so that it could be sent over SMS?

Oh wait.. look..., Wikipedia shows what a vCard looks like, and its ALL TEXT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCard#vCard_4.0

And very little text too.

⚠ So does anyone know why Apple doesn't send vCards over SMS (or why LG/Samsung don't either)?

Why do I care, well curiosity of course, but also because if we could do more over the cellular voice/sms transmitter then perhaps we could turn cellular data off more often, which would save on power usage (I imagine), reduce how hot our phones get, and reduce our EM radiation exposure by having some of the wireless transmitters turned off (c.f. Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular data, and cellular voice/sms transmitters).

Hope someone out there knows.

Thanks.

P.S. I also now understand why so many of my friends use Whatsapp and WiFi for texting instead of using the cell providers network, the standard messaging app in Android (and in iOS when you message a non-Apple device) won't send messages (SMS/MMS) over WiFi.

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Answer 2

sjseto Author

Level 1

5 points

Jul 11, 2016 1:57 PM in response to sjseto

Just checking to see if one can still reply to a "Solved" thread, as I didn't mean to hit the "Solved" button and can't figure out how to undo it.

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