How to Delete All Contacts on iPhone 13/12/11
Quick Navigation:
- Method 1. How to Delete All Contacts on iPhone At Once
- Method 2. How to Delete Contacts on iPhone via the Contacts App
- Method 3. How to Mass Delete Contacts on iPhone with iCloud
- Bonus Tip: How to Delete iPhone Contacts Synced from Email Accounts
- The Bottom Line
Applies To: iPhone 13/12/11 series, iPhone XR/XS/X,and earlier generations
You can delete contacts on your iPhone in three ways. Whether you want to delete all contacts at once or selectively remove multiple contacts, you can learn how to do it with a few simple clicks.
If you want to free up device space or erase private data for resale, you'll need to remove files from your iPhone, such as photos, contacts, or other content. We've previously detailed how to delete all photos from iPhone, and now we'll show you how to delete contacts on iPhone using three easy methods. These steps should be helpful in getting your device ready for resale or to free up space.
Method 1. How to Delete All Contacts on iPhone At Once
You can't delete all contacts at once from the Contacts or Phone app on your iPhone, making it a time-consuming process to delete multiple or all contacts.
To delete all contacts on iPhone at once, you can use a free iOS content manager like Qiling MobiMover Free. This app not only manages iOS content but also serves as a free video downloader, allowing you to easily remove all contacts from your iPhone with just a few clicks.
- To transfer files between a computer and an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you can use the built-in functionality of iTunes or a third-party app like AirDrop, Google Drive, or Dropbox. If using iTunes, connect your device to the computer using a USB cable and select the device in the iTunes window.
- Transfer data from one iOS device to another
- You can manage the content on your iDevice from a computer by deleting, editing, or creating items. This allows you to access and manipulate your device's content directly from your computer, making it easier to organize and maintain your device's media, files, and other data.
- You can download videos from YouTube or other sites directly to your computer or iPhone/iPad. This allows you to watch them offline, save storage space, and reduce bandwidth usage.
Qiling MobiMover is a tool that can help with deleting contacts on iPhone, but it also has broader applications in iOS data transfer. In addition to contacts, the software supports transferring photos, videos, messages, ringtones, books, and other types of data.
To delete all contacts on iPhone 11/XR/8:
Step 1.Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable, then launch Qiling MobiMover and navigate to the "Content Management" section, specifically selecting the "Contacts" option.
Step 2.To delete contacts from your iPhone, select all the contacts by clicking "Select All" or choose specific contacts by ticking the checkbox next to each item. Then, click "Delete" to remove the selected contacts from your device. Before deleting, consider backing up the contacts by clicking "Transfer to PC" to ensure they are safely stored.
Step 3.Click the delete button, then click "Yes" in the confirmation window to delete the selected items.
Qiling MobiMover offers flexible solutions to delete contacts from iPhone, allowing you to either mass delete contacts or remove individual items. This method also preserves the contacts in iCloud, making it a suitable choice for users who want to delete contacts from their iPhone without removing them from iCloud.
Method 2. How to Delete Contacts on iPhone via the Contacts App
Deleting contacts on an iPhone can be done directly from the Contacts or Phone app, but using the Contacts app to remove multiple contacts at once is not advisable, especially if you have hundreds of contacts, as it can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Instead, it's better to delete contacts one at a time to avoid any potential issues.
To delete contacts from your iPhone, go to Settings > Contacts > All Contacts, and then select the contacts you want to delete. Tap the "Edit" button, and then tap "Delete Contact" for each contact you want to remove.
To delete contacts on iPhone:
Step 1. Open the "Contact" app or the "Phone" app and select "Contacts".
Step 2. To remove a contact, click on the contact you want to delete and tap on "Edit".
Step 3. To delete a contact, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and select the "Delete Contact" option.
Method 3. How to Mass Delete Contacts on iPhone with iCloud
If you have iCloud Contacts enabled on your iPhone, you can delete all contacts by either deleting them from iCloud or turning off iCloud Contacts on your iPhone. This will remove all contacts from your device.
The key difference lies in the outcome of deleting contacts: if you delete all contacts from iCloud, they will be removed not only from your iPhone but also from other devices using the same Apple ID account. Conversely, turning off iCloud Contacts on a specific device will only remove the contacts from that device, leaving them intact in iCloud and on other devices. To achieve the former, you should turn off iCloud Contacts on the target device.
To mass delete contacts on iPhone:
Step 1. To access iCloud settings, open the "Settings" app on your device, then navigate to the section labeled with your name, followed by the "iCloud" option.
Step 2. Toggle off the "Contacts" option.
Step 3. Select "Delete from My iPhone" in the prompt asking you what to do with the contacts on your iPhone. This will remove the contacts from your iPhone, but leave them on your computer.
Bonus Tip: How to Delete iPhone Contacts Synced from Email Accounts
To delete contacts synced from an email account, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, select the account synced with contacts, and toggle off "Contacts" to stop syncing. Then, go to the Contacts app, select the synced contacts, and tap "Edit" > "Delete All Contacts" to remove them. If the contacts are imported from a CSV file or another source, delete them from the source and then re-import the updated list to the iPhone.
To delete iPhone contacts synced from an email account:
Step 1. To access passwords and accounts settings, go to the "Settings" app on your device and scroll down to select the option labeled "Passwords & Accounts".
Step 2. Select the corresponding email account, Gmail, Outlook, or others.
Step 3. Turn off the "Contacts" option.
Step 4. To delete a contact from your iPhone, go to the Contacts app, select the contact you want to delete, and choose "Edit Contact." Tap the minus icon in the top-left corner, then select "Delete Contact" from the menu.
The Bottom Line
You can't delete all contacts on your iPhone at once, but there's a workaround. Since you're disallowed to select all contacts, you can use a third-party iOS content manager or iCloud to delete all of them at once. This will save you time and effort, allowing you to get rid of all unwanted contacts in a single go.
To delete contacts from your iPhone quickly, go to the "Contacts" app, select the contact you want to delete, and tap the "Edit" button. Then, tap the red "Delete Contact" button.
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