How to Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone: 3 Quick Ways

If you want to delete contacts on iPhone 16 Pro Max or earlier models, there are several ways to go about it. We’ll teach you how to delete contacts on iPhones individually and in bulk, so that you can organize your Contacts app across your Apple devices. We’ll go over the trick to delete multiple contacts on your phone as well as the quickest way to do it: on your computer.

How To Delete a Contact on iPhone Fast

Deleting multiple contacts on your iPhone is possible using a computer or on your iPhone—as long as the contacts you wish to delete are lined up. The iPhone Contacts app is designed to allow users to delete one contact at a time, and one benefit is that it makes it harder to delete anything accidentally. Here's how to delete contacts on iPhone individually, which is a lot faster than you might expect:

1. Open the Contacts app and tap the contact you want to delete.
2. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner of the card.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Delete Contact.
4. Tap Delete Contact again to confirm.

Now you know how do you remove contacts from iPhones (and iPads) of any model. Going one at a time is recommended so that you don't end up deleting anything you wanted to keep. Next, we'll teach you how to multi-delete contacts on iPhone using a Mac or PC, or directly from your iPhone.

How To Delete Multiple Phone Contacts on an iPhone

The only way to delete multiple contacts at once on your iPhone is if they are listed all together in the Contacts app. So if you are looking to bulk delete contacts that aren't listed one after another in the app, skip down to steps on how to delete several contacts from iPhones via a Mac or PC.

1. Open the Contacts app and navigate to the contacts you wish to delete.
2. Using two fingers, tap and hold the contact you wish to delete. While keeping your two fingers on your screen, drag up or down to select the group of consecutive contacts you wish to delete.
3. Once you're done selecting contacts, take your fingers off your display and long-press one of the selected contacts.
4. Tap Delete (Number) Contacts. You'll have to confirm that you want to delete the selected contacts.

Now you know how to delete contacts on iPhones 16 Pro Max and earlier models. If they are not listed together, you'll want to use your computer. For more iPhone organizing tips, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

How to Mass Delete Contacts on iPhone Using a Mac

You can remove multiple contacts at once from your iPhone using the Contacts app on your Mac. In order for this to work, you need to check and make sure that your contacts are synced via iCloud. To check this on a Mac with macOS Ventura or newer installed, open System Settings, click your name, click iCloud, and make sure the Contacts app is toggled on. To check this on a Mac with older software, open System Preferences on your Mac, click Apple ID, and make sure the Contacts app checkbox is selected. Once you've done that, you're ready to delete iPhone contacts using your Mac:

1. To delete multiple contacts, open the Contacts app and make sure the All Contacts folder is selected.
2. Command-click on each contact you want to delete. Your selected contacts will be highlighted.
3. Once you've selected all you'd like to delete, right click. Click the Delete Cards option. (Learn how to right click on a Mac)
4. In the confirmation window, click the Delete button.

That's how to erase contacts on iPhones in bulk. As long as Contacts is checked in your iCloud preferences, any changes will sync to your iPhone and other Apple devices as well.

How Do You Delete Contacts on iPhone in Bulk via a PC

Whatever kind of PC you use, you can manage and delete your iCloud contacts using the iCloud for Windows app or via the iCloud website with any web browser. Here's how to delete contacts from your iPhone by signing into iCloud on your PC and removing the unwanted contacts:

1. Open the iCloud app or open your preferred web browser and go to icloud.com. Log in with your Apple ID and click Contacts.
2. Hold Ctrl and click on the Contacts you want to delete.
3. Click the gear icon in the lower-left corner and select Delete from the menu.
4. Click the Delete button in the confirmation menu.

As with the process on the Mac, any changes made via iCloud.com or iCloud for Windows should sync to your iPhone as well. If you often send group emails or texts, you might also be interested in learning how to create a contact group on your iPhone.

How To Delete All Contacts on iPhone

If you're selling your device or giving it away to someone else, restore the phone to factory settings. This will erase all personal information from the device while still keeping your contacts, photos, and other personal information saved in iCloud so it can be transferred to your new device. If you delete your contacts, they will be removed from iCloud and you will not be able to sync them to your new phone. To restore your iPhone or iPad to its factory settings, open the Settings app, tap General, and select Transfer or Reset iPhone (or Transfer or Reset iPad). Then tap Erase All Content and Settings, tap Continue, and confirm by entering your device passcode. Once you confirm, your data will be erased from the device, as if it were brand-new out of the box. This will delete all contacts on your iPhone or iPad in a way that will still keep them saved in your iCloud Contacts app

Now you know how to delete phone contacts on iPhones 16 Pro Max and earlier models, whether you are deleting one at a time, as a grouped list, or in bulk using a computer. Next, learn how to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone.