How to Delete Skype Contacts

Contact management keeps your friend-and-colleague lists tidy

by
Aaron Peters
Aaron Peters
Writer
Aaron Peters is a writer with Lifewire who has 20+ years experience in technology. His work appears in Linux Journal, MakeUseOf, and others.
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Aaron Peters
Updated on April 24, 2020

Whether you want to remove old colleagues or people whose invitations you accepted for a random chat, follow the steps below to delete unwanted contacts from your Skype contact list.

The instructions in this guide apply to Skype on Windows, Mac, Linux, web, Skype for Windows 10 (version 14), Android (6.0+), and iOS.

How to Delete Skype Contacts

There are two simple ways to delete Skype contacts on any platform. Here's how:

There is no Recycle Bin for deleted contacts. After you remove a contact, that record is gone for good unless you add the person to your list again.

  1. Tap and hold or right-click the contact you want to remove.

  2. Select View profile.

    A screenshot of Skype with the View Profile command highlighted

  3. What happens next depends on which platform you use:

    • If you use the desktop version of Skype, either click the Edit button and click Remove from contact list, or scroll down the profile window and click Remove from contact list.
    • If you use a mobile platform, tap the Edit button, then tap the Trash can icon. Or, scroll down the profile window, then tap Remove from contact list.
    A screenshot of a Skype profile with the Remove from contact list button highlighted

How to Delete Skype for Business Contacts

Deleting a contact in Skype for Business is similar to the methods above, although what you see does differ slightly from the consumer-version of Skype.

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

Don't choose Remove from Group, which merely removes a person from his or her current Contact Group.

What Happens When You Delete a Contact?

While contacts won't receive notification about the changes, they can piece it together if they try to message you, as each person must request permission to contact you again. They may also notice your avatar and other contact info is now gone from their own contacts list.

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