How to Delete Skype Contacts

When it's time to remove old colleagues on Skype or people whose invitations you accepted for a random Skype chat, follow the steps below. You'll have that list tidied up in no time.

There are two simple ways to delete Skype contacts on Windows or the web, which operate the same way.

The first is to use the context menu in the Contacts list (shown above), as follows:

1. Right-click the entry in the Contacts list.
2. Select Remove from Contacts.
3. Select Delete in the confirmation dialog.

Note: There is no Recycle Bin for deleted contacts. Once you remove them, you'll need to add them again through one of the above-mentioned methods.

You can also delete the contact when viewing his/her profile, as shown in the above image:

1. First, right-click on the contact you'd like to delete.
2. Select View Profile.
3. In the person's profile, select Delete Contact.
4. Select Delete in the confirmation dialog.

On macOS, the delete option is missing from the Contacts list context menu, but you can delete the contact by viewing their profile.

These are the same steps as outlined above for Windows.

1. Right-click the contact you'd like to delete.
2. Click View Profile.
3. In the person's profile, click Delete Contact.
4. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog.

Whether your mobile operating system is iOS or Android, the steps to remove a contact are similar.

For iOS and Android Users

1. Find the individual you want to remove in your contacts list.
2. Long-press the name, then tap View Profile (shown above for iOS).
3. Tap Delete contact to remove the person from your list (shown below for Android).

The actions you take to delete a contact are also similar on Skype for Business, although what you'll see does differ slightly from the regular, consumer-version of Skype.

To remove the user from Skype for Business, go to the context menu of the Contacts tab, then right-click the contact. Select the Remove From Contacts list option.

Note: Don't choose Remove from Group, which will merely remove them from their current Contact Group.

Will contacts know you removed them? They won't receive a notification informing them of the change, but they'll be able to piece it together if they try to message you, as they'll need to once again request permission to contact you. They may also notice your avatar and other contact info is now gone.