For macOS
Open .abbu contact archives and AddressBook folders, look inside, and extract contacts as vCard or CSV without overwriting existing contacts.
Open .abbu contact archives without overwriting your contacts
ABBU Restore opens contact archives (.abbu) and AddressBook folders, the kind that turn up in old backups and on Time Machine volumes. You can inspect the contents first and then export the contacts you want as vCard or CSV files, either the whole archive or any part of it.
Apple’s Contacts app always replaces all existing contacts and accounts when you restore an .abbu archive. ABBU Restore never does that. It opens the archive and you export a single contact, a group, an account, or everything at once. Your own contacts in Apple Contacts stay untouched.
Features
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an .abbu file to CSV or Excel?
Open the ABBU archive in ABBU Restore and export it as a CSV file with one column per field and label, suitable for Excel or Numbers. Unlike other converter tools that require restoring the .abbu into Apple’s Contacts first, which risks replacing all existing contacts, ABBU Restore reads the archive directly without altering your current contacts.
What happens if I restore an .abbu archive with Apple’s Contacts app?
Apple’s Contacts app replaces all existing contacts and accounts with the archive’s contents, offering no partial restore. ABBU Restore allows you to open the archive alongside your contacts, enabling you to inspect and selectively extract contacts, groups, accounts, or the entire archive without altering your current contacts. The archive remains unchanged.
A common workaround is using a second macOS user account without contacts to avoid overwriting your data. This requires admin rights and an additional account, which is only effective while it remains empty. Logging in with your Apple Account and Contacts enabled will overwrite your Contacts on all devices.
Which files can it open?
It can open .abbu contact archives, which may contain one or multiple contact databases, and AddressBook folders from a Library folder. These are typically found in old backups and Time Machine volumes.
Note: An AddressBook folder is not an archive and cannot be opened by Apple’s Contacts app. The app supports importing vCard and LDIF files, not contact databases.
Where is the AddressBook folder in a backup?
In the original Mac backup, find it under Users/yourname/Library/Application Support/AddressBook. The Library folder is hidden in Finder; press Shift-Command-G and enter the path. Older backups may contain the folder, an .abbu archive, or both. ABBU Restore can open either format.
What is an AddressBook-v22.abcddb file?
The AddressBook-v22.abcddb file is a database containing records, located in the AddressBook folder. Each account has its own database under Sources if multiple accounts are present. Ensure you back up the entire folder, not just the database file. The journal files (-wal and -shm) next to it contain the latest changes; without them, the database reflects an older state. The version number in the file name indicates the database schema version, and a v23 version can be opened similarly.
How old can the backup be?
ABBU Restore is compatible with contact databases from Mac OS X 10.6, OS X 10.10, to the latest macOS versions, and has been tested using archives with over 12,000 contacts.
What is preserved in the export?
vCard 3.0 files are written with Apple’s extensions, so photos, notes, phonetic names, and custom labels are preserved. CSV files are written for spreadsheets, with one column per field and label. Contact photos are exported if the backup holds them locally. Photos that only ever lived in iCloud and were never part of the local backup cannot be recovered from it.
Do I have to pay to inspect an archive?
No, you can access archives, browse accounts and groups, and view their contents for free without any time restrictions. A sample archive is available for export to try before purchasing. You can read the first 20 contacts in full; beyond that, details remain hidden, but names and record structures are visible. Exporting your own archives requires a one-year in-app purchase that does not renew automatically.