Extract text from PBB files
To convert your PBB file to another format, you need Nokia PC Suite or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Contact Database" file type, you need software like Nokia PC Suite or a similar tool.
The .PBB file extension typically acts as a container for Nokia Phonebook Backups, generated by the legacy Nokia PC Suite. These files are essentially proprietary archives used to store contact names, phone numbers, and group associations from older Nokia mobile devices (like the 6000 or E-series).
The Problem: Because .PBB is a binary format tied to discontinued hardware and software, it is functionally useless on modern Android or iOS devices. Users often find themselves with a valuable backup file they cannot open, as standard text editors and spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel cannot interpret the encoded data. Additionally, re-installing the original Nokia PC Suite on Windows 10 or 11 is often impossible due to driver incompatibilities.
The Solution: To make this data usable, the file must be parsed and converted. For contact recovery, the ideal target format is VCF (vCard) for direct import into iCloud or Google Contacts, or CSV for viewing in Excel.
Secondary Use Case (Embroidery): A smaller subset of .PBB files are embroidery designs created by Pulse Microsystems (often for Tajima machines). These contain vector stitch instructions. If you are a textile designer, you likely need to convert these to machine-readable formats like DST or PES to use them on non-Pulse equipment.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PBB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted JPG, WIN, STG and ASV files.
If you want to convert PBB file to BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR or ISO, you can use Nokia PC Suite or similar software from the "Mobile Contact Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, OLD, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE or BACKUP files to PBB, try Nokia PC Suite or another comparable tool in the "Mobile Contact Backup" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PBB converter.