Extract text from Symbian database files (SIDB)
To convert SIDB databases to another format, you need Nokia Suite or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Mobile Database File" file type, you need software like Nokia Suite or a similar tool.
A .SIDB file functions primarily as either a Symbian OS contacts database or an Android System Integrity Database. Historically, mobile phones running Symbian OS used this format to store address book entries. In modern usage, it serves as a compiled binary database in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for managing file system capabilities and permissions. A small percentage of files are also iTunes Authorization Data Files created by Apple.
The primary disadvantage of the .SIDB format is its highly proprietary and closed nature. Symbian is a discontinued operating system, meaning you cannot open a Symbian contact file natively on Windows, macOS, or modern mobile devices. The Android variant is a strict internal system file not meant for user interaction. Standard online converters fail because these are not standard documents or images; they are complex compiled data structures. Often, only the original hardware or specialized legacy software can properly read or export the data.
For Symbian contacts, the ideal conversion targets are CSV or VCF (vCard) to migrate your address book to modern platforms like Google Contacts or iOS. However, extracting this data usually requires legacy software like Nokia Suite. Android and iTunes variants are generally not meant to be converted at all.
Because this is a difficult format, direct extraction is challenging. Our system will inspect the internal structure, and if our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded text format, viewing or extracting your lost contacts may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SIDB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert SIDB file to TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW, PART, DOWNLOAD, CRDOWNLOAD, LOCK or PID, you can use Nokia Suite or similar software from the "Database Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to SIDB, try Nokia Suite or another comparable tool in the "Database Storage" 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 SIDB converter.