Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone—the Easy Way!

Whether you own an early model iPhone or the newer iPhone 13 or iPhone 14, there's unfortunately no way to delete multiple contacts at once using your iPhone. If you want to avoid erasing contacts one-by-one, the easiest way to delete multiple contacts from your iPhone is to do it on a Mac or PC. We'll cover how to delete a single contact on your iPhone, as well as how to quickly delete multiple contacts on your computer. 

Jump To:

• How to Delete a Contact from Your iPhone or iPad
• How to Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone Using a Mac
• How to Delete Multiple Contacts from iPhone Using a PC
• How to Erase All Contacts on iPhone

How to Delete Contacts on Your iPhone or iPad

So, can you delete multiple contacts at once on your iPhone? No, you can't bulk delete contacts from your iPhone; however, you can easily do this on your Mac or PC and the changes will sync to your iPhone via iCloud. If you want to remove multiple contacts from your iPhone, skip to the Mac or Windows PC sections below. For those who just want to delete a single contact, here's how to delete contacts from your iPhone:

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.
   
   

How to Delete Multiple 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 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: 

Discover your iPhone's hidden features

Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

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, hold the Control key and click or right click. Click the Delete Cards option.
   
   
4. In the confirmation window, click the Delete button.
   
   

As long as Contacts is checked in your Apple ID preferences, any changes will sync to your iPhone and other devices as well. For more tips and guides on managing iCloud and other iDevice features, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. For further troubleshooting, find out the answer to why can't I delete apps on my iPhone?

How to Delete Multiple Contacts from iPhone Using a PC

Whatever kind of PC you use, you can manage and delete your iCloud contacts 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 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 the iCloud website 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 Mass Delete Contacts on iPhone (Deleting All Contacts)

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. Now you know how to delete all contacts on your iPhone or iPad in a way that will still keep them saved in your iCloud Contacts app!