Why Contact Cards Are Becoming Critical for SMS in the iOS 26 Era
With the introduction of iOS 26, Apple has materially changed how SMS messages are surfaced in the native Messages app. The biggest shift for businesses is that messages from unknown or unsaved senders are now much easier for users to miss, even when those users have explicitly opted in.
Apple’s expanded filtering automatically categorizes messages and suppresses notifications for senders it does not recognize. In practical terms, a message can be successfully delivered but never meaningfully seen.
For any organization relying on SMS as a core engagement channel, this makes sender recognition a foundational requirement going into 2026.
What Apple Considers a “Known Sender”
Under iOS 26, Apple treats a sender as “known” only when one or more of the following conditions are met:
- The user has saved the sender as a contact
- The user initiated the conversation
- There is an established history of two‑way interaction
If none of these signals exist, future messages are more likely to land in the Unknown Senders inbox, often without a notification. This has a direct impact on visibility, engagement, and downstream performance.
This is where Contact Cards play a critical role.
Why Contact Cards Matter for SMS
A contact card allows a business to be saved directly into a user’s phone with:
- A recognizable sender name
- The sending number or short code
- Optional visual or descriptive metadata
Once saved, future SMS messages display with a clear sender name instead of a numeric code, and the operating system treats them as messages from a known sender. This significantly reduces the likelihood of filtering and improves overall inbox placement.
From a user perspective, it also removes ambiguity. They immediately know who is messaging them and why.
Platform Reality: Native Support vs Workarounds
Some SMS platforms provide native contact card functionality, allowing businesses to attach or prompt contact saves as part of onboarding or welcome journeys.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud (MobileConnect) does not currently support contact cards as a native feature. Specifically:
.vcffiles cannot be sent directly via SMS- There is no built‑in “save contact” interaction
- Contact card delivery must be handled outside the platform
However, this does not prevent contact cards from being used effectively within SFMC. It simply requires a different implementation approach.
The Practical SFMC Approach: Hosted Contact Cards
The most practical and scalable workaround in SFMC is straightforward:
- Create a generic, branded
.vcfcontact card - Host the file on an approved internal or external hosting location
- Include a link to the hosted contact card in SMS messages
- Allow the user to tap, view, and save the contact on their device
When the user saves the contact, their device immediately recognizes the sender as known. All subsequent messages benefit from improved visibility and clearer branding.
This approach does not require changes to SFMC configuration and works consistently across iOS and Android.
When to Introduce the Contact Card
Timing matters. The most effective strategy is to introduce the contact card at the very beginning of the SMS relationship.
Recommended placement:
- The double opt‑in confirmation message
- Or the first welcome message immediately after opt‑in
Example:
- “You’re now subscribed to ExampleCo SMS.
- Save us as a contact so you don’t miss future messages: [Save Contact]”
Establishing sender recognition early ensures that:
- The first promotional message is already trusted
- Messages are less likely to be filtered
- Engagement starts from a stronger baseline
Trying to retrofit sender recognition later is significantly less effective.
What Goes Into a Generic .vcf Contact Card
A .vcf (vCard) is a standard contact file format supported natively by mobile devices.
At a minimum, a generic business contact card should include:
- Business display name
- SMS sending number or short code
Optionally, it may also include:
- Website URL
- Support contact information
- A logo or identifier (where supported)
Once downloaded, the device automatically prompts the user to save the contact with minimal friction.
Why This Matters for 2026 SMS Planning
With iOS 26, delivery alone is no longer enough. Visibility now depends on whether the sender is recognized and trusted by the device.
Even without native platform support, contact cards can be implemented effectively using a hosted .vcf approach. Doing so helps:
- Protect SMS visibility
- Improve sender trust
- Reduce the impact of OS‑level filtering
- Future‑proof SMS programs as inbox controls continue to evolve
From an implementation standpoint, the primary dependency is simply where the contact card is hosted. Once that is established, this approach can typically be implemented quickly and scaled across programs.
Important SFMC Limitation: .vcf Files Cannot Be Hosted or Uploaded
It’s important to explicitly call out a key technical limitation when planning contact card implementation using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC).
SFMC does not support uploading or hosting .vcf (vCard) files.
We explored multiple approaches, including:
- Uploading the
.vcffile to SFMC Content Builder - Placing the file on SFMC Enhanced FTP (Safehouse) and linking to it
None of these options work for .vcf delivery. SFMC either blocks the file type or does not serve it in a way that allows mobile devices to open and save the contact card correctly.
As a result, the contact card must be hosted outside of SFMC on a separate, approved hosting service (for example, an existing corporate web server, CMS, or digital asset platform). The hosted link can then be safely included in SMS messages sent via MobileConnect.
This external hosting requirement is the primary dependency for implementing contact cards in SFMC.
Step‑by‑Step: Creating the .vcf File
Step 1: Create a Text File
- Open a basic text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac in plain text mode)
- Create a new file
Step 2: Paste the Contact Card Content
Use the example below and update the values as needed:
What this means (in plain terms):
FN→ Contact name shown on the phoneORG→ Business nameTEL→ SMS short code or sending numberURL→ Website users can visit
Save the file as .vcf Host on a secure, business‑approved domain Include a direct link in SMS
Adding a Logo to a Contact Card (Important Notes)
While vCards support logos, you cannot reference a PNG file by URL inside a .vcf. Mobile operating systems (especially iOS) will not render external image links in contact cards.
Instead, the logo must be embedded directly into the vCard using Base64 encoding. Simply pointing to a PNG file will not work.
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