How to Delete Single or Multiple Contacts on Your iPhone

Delete them one at a time or several at once

What to Know

  • Delete multiple contacts: In iCloud, select Contacts > hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and choose contacts.
  • Next, select the gear icon > Delete.
  • Delete single contacts: In the iPhone's Phone app, choose Contacts. Tap a contact > Edit > Delete Contact.

This article explains how to delete a single contact in the Contacts app on the iPhone and how to mass-delete multiple contacts all at the same time using iCloud. The deletions made in either place flow through to all devices that use the same Apple ID and sync the contacts with iCloud.

How to Delete Multiple iPhone Contacts With iCloud

When you only want to delete one or two contacts, it is simple to do it directly on the iPhone, but when you want to delete multiple iPhone contacts all at the same time, you have to use iCloud. That assumes you sync your contacts with iCloud, of course. If you don't, you can delete them one at a time on the iPhone or resort to using a third-party app. Here's how to use iCloud to mass-delete iPhone contacts.

  1. Open your iCloud account in a web browser and input your login credentials. The account must be the same Apple ID that you use with your iPhone.

  2. Select Contacts.

    iCloud in a web browser with the Contacts icon highlighted
  3. Long-press the Command key on a Mac (or the Control key on a PC if you use iCloud for Windows) and tap all the contacts you want to delete. They are highlighted in blue as you select them.

    If you only want to delete one contact, just tap it to select it.

  4. In the lower left corner of the screen, select the gear icon.

    The iCloud Contacts screen with the cog icon highlighted
  5. In the pop-up menu, choose Delete.

    The iCloud Contacts screen showing the Delete option
  6. Tap Delete in the box that opens to confirm the deletion.

    The confirmation screen for deleting Contacts in iCloud

Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone With an App

If you've never synced your iPhone with iCloud, deleting multiple emails is more difficult. You can still do it one at a time on the iPhone, but you may prefer to try one of these apps. They offer solid options for deleting multiple contacts.

How to Delete a Single Contact on an iPhone

When you have a single contact you want to delete from your iPhone, you can do it directly on the iPhone. Here's how:

  1. Tap the Phone app to open it.

  2. At the bottom of the Phone screen, tap the Contacts icon

  3. Find the contact you want to delete. You can do this by browsing your contacts or searching using the bar at the top.

    iPhone showing path to Contacts screen
  4. Tap the name of the contact you want to delete.

  5. On the contact's screen, tap Edit.

  6. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Delete Contact.

  7. If you change your mind and want to keep the contact, tap Cancel. Otherwise, tap Delete Contact to finalize the deletion.

    Deletion screens in the iPhone Contacts app
FAQ
  • How many iCloud Contacts can I put on my iPhone?

    If you are worried about exceeding a limit, you probably don't need to. According to Apple, iCloud supports up to 50,000 contacts.

  • How do I sync my iPhone contacts with iCloud?

    On your iPhone, go to Settings. Tap your name and select iCloud. Scroll through the list and move the Contacts slider to the On/green position.

Was this page helpful?