Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

(Pocket-lint) - There was a time when all your contacts were stored on the good old fashioned SIM card so duplicate contacts wasn't really a thing - or at least not as much of a thing as it is these days. 

Now, your phone's contacts list likely comes from a number of different places - an iCloud backup, Gmail contacts and perhaps contacts from another email account for example - resulting in what could be several duplicates. 

Prior to iOS 16, cleaning up your contacts was no easy task. If you are running iOS 16 or later though, it's a piece of cake. 

Here's how to clean up your contacts on iPhone and get rid of those duplicates.

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How to merge contacts on iPhone and delete duplicates

In order to get rid of duplicate contacts on iPhone and clean up your contacts so you only have one contact card for Joe Bloggs with all the information from the other three cards you might have, follow these steps.

  1. Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 16 or later
  2. Open the Phone app
  3. Tap on the 'Contacts' tab in the bottom centre
  4. If you have duplicate contacts, a pop up will appear under your card at the top of the display
  5. Tap 'View Duplicates'
  6. A list of all the duplicated contacts will appear in a list. We had 459. 
  7. Tap on 'Merge All' at the bottom of your screen
  8. Your duplicated contacts will then be transferred to one contact card for each that combines all the unique information from each extra card.
  9. That's it. 

How to merge contacts with different names

You may find that after following the steps above that you have a few contact cards remaining that are for the same person but they are named differently. The method above will only merge contact cards with the same name.

To merge contacts that are named differently, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Phone app on iPhone
  2. Tap on the first contact card you want to merge
  3. Tap on 'Edit' in the top right corner
  4. Scroll down and tap on 'Link Contacts'
  5. Select the second contact card you want to merge with the first 
  6. Tap on 'Link' in the top right corner
  7. Tap on 'Done'

The contact card will be named the same as the first contact card you selected. If you want to change this, follow these steps: 

  1. Open the Phone app 
  2. Tap on the contact card
  3. Scroll down to the Linked Contacts section
  4. Tap on the linked contact card you want to use as the name for this contact 
  5. Select 'Use This Name For Unified Card'

How to delete a contact on iPhone

If you've cleaned up your contact list and merged all those duplicates but you've now realised there are some in the remaining list that you really don't need, it's time to get deleting. 

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

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Deleting a contact on iPhone is actually not as simple as you'd think. Normally, you can swipe right to left to delete on iPhone, whether that's a message, email or Note, for example. You can't do that for a contact though.

To delete a contact on iPhone, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Phone app on your iPhone
  2. Select the contact you want to delete
  3. Tap on 'Edit' in the top right corner
  4. Scroll down to the bottom the contact card
  5. Tap on 'Delete Contact'
  6. Confirm 'Delete Contact'
  7. That's it.

Writing by Britta O'Boyle.

Home » Contacts » How to Remove Duplicate Contacts on iPhone

If the Contacts List on your iPhone is litterred with multiple duplicate Contacts, you can find below different methods to remove Duplicate Contacts from iPhone.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

Delete Duplicate Contacts from iPhone

A common reason for Duplicate Contacts on iPhone is due to Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Gmail, Outlook and other accounts syncing or importing the same Contacts over and over again.

For example, if your Gmail or Outlook Contacts are on Facebook, your Contacts List on iPhone will end up with a duplicate set of Contacts, one from Gmail/Outlook and another one from Facebook.

If your Contacts List is small, you can easily scan through your short list of Contacts and manually delete Duplicate Contacts from your device.

Another way to deal with duplicate Contacts on iPhone is to use the merge or combine Duplicate Contacts into a single entry by using Link Conctacts feature as available in the Contacts App.

1. Manually Delete Duplicate Contacts from iPhone

If your iPhone Contacts List is short, you can manually go through the Contacts list and delete them.

1. Open the Contacts App on your iPhone and select any Duplicate Contact that you want to remove.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

2. On the next screen, tap on the Edit option, located at top-right corner of your screen.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

3. On the same screen, scroll down to bottom and tap on Delete Contact.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

4. On the confirmation pop-up, tap on Delete Contact to remove the duplicate contact from your device.

2. Merge Duplicate Contacts on iPhone

Another way to deal with Duplicate Contacts on iPhone is to use Link Contacts feature as available in the Contacts App.

1. Open Contacts App and select any Duplicate Contact that you want to remove.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

2. On the next screen, tap on the Edit option, located at top-right corner of your screen.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

3. On the same screen, scroll down to bottom and tap on Link Contacts option.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

4. On the next screen, select the Dulpicate Contacts that you want to link and tap on the Link option located at top-right corner.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

5. Make sure you tap on Done to save this change on your iPhone.

Can you delete duplicate contacts on iphone

Now, this particular Contact will appear as a single entry on your Contacts List and it will have multiple Phone Numbers.

For example, if you one entry for John with a Home phone number and another entry for John with a Mobile Phone Number, the new linked entry for John will have both Home and Mobile Phone Numbers.

3. Merge Duplicate Contacts Using Mac

As you may agree, the two methods of dealing with duplicate Contacts as provided above should be good enough for most users.

If you have long list of Contacts, you can remove Duplicate Contacts by opening Contacts App on your Mac and following the steps below:

Open the Contacts App on your Mac > From the Card Menu, select Card > Look for Duplicates > When prompted, click on the  Merge option.

You can also make use of third-party Apps like as available on the App Store to manage and remove duplicate Contacts from iPhone.

  • How to Delete Multiple Contacts from iPhone
  • How to Import Google Contacts to iPhone

How do I delete multiple duplicate Contacts on my iPhone?

How to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone using iCloud.
Go to icloud.com and sign in..
Click the Contacts button and select all of the contacts you wish to delete by holding down Ctrl (Command on a Mac) while you click. Click on Contacts. ... .
Click on the gear icon in the bottom-left of the window and select Delete..

Why do I have so many duplicate Contacts on my iPhone?

Duplicate contacts on your iPhone can occur as the result of using iCloud, or due to an issue with your address book or email client on your computer. When using your iPhone for both your business and personal purposes, you may create duplicate contacts by syncing with more than one service.

Is there a way to delete duplicates on iPhone?

The Photos app identifies duplicate photos and videos in your photo library in the Duplicates album. You can merge duplicate photos and videos to save space and clean up your library. Tap Albums, then tap Duplicates below Utilities.

How do I delete repeated Contacts?

Delete duplicate contacts with an app Open the Duplicate Contacts Fixer and Remover (opens in new tab) app on your phone. Select the account that you wish to remove the duplicate contacts of. Tap on the Find Duplicates button within the app.