How to Delete All Contacts on iPhone in 5 Ways

It is very easy for your iPhone to accumulate hundreds of contacts over time. Perhaps it is someone you met a few years back, and even though they shared their contacts with you, you never used them. Or maybe a former colleague or a long-lost friend you have no interest in connecting with again. 

Whatever the reasons you have accumulated all these contacts, it may be time to remove them from the device. Here in this post, you will learn 5 effective ways to delete all contacts on iPhone at once. Also, we will show you how to back up contacts on iPhone in this guide. So let’s dive right in.

Tip 1: Delete Single Contact on iPhone

If you don’t want to delete all the contacts on your iPhone but only want to remove some of them, you can follow the steps below to delete one contact after another;

1. Open the Contacts app on your iPhone. 
2. Locate and select the contact that you want to delete and tap on its name. 
3. Then click on “Edit” at the top right corner. 
4. Scroll down to tap on “Delete Contact,” and the contact will be deleted from the device. 

You can follow the above steps to delete as many contacts as you want. 

Tip 2: Delete All Contacts on iPhone from iCloud Settings

If you would like to delete all contacts from your iPhone at once, deleting them from the iCloud settings is one of the best ways to do it. But for this method to work, your iPhone contacts need to be synced to iCloud contacts. Follow these simple steps; 

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and then tap on your name at the top.
2. Tap “iCloud.” Then find “Contacts” within the iCloud settings and turn it “Off.”
3. In the pop-up message that appears, tap on “Delete from my iPhone.”

Tip 3: Delete All Contacts on iPhone Using iCloud.com

If the contacts on your iPhone are also backed up in iCloud, then you may be able to delete multiple contacts from iCloud.com. These simple steps will show you how; 

1. On any browser of your computer, go to the iCloud website and then sign in with your Apple ID and password.
2. On the main page that opens, click on “Contacts” to open all the contacts you have in your iCloud account. 
3. Select the contacts you would like to delete. If you would like to delete multiple contacts, hold down the “Control key” to select as many contacts as you want. 
4. Once you’ve selected all the contacts you want to delete, click on the gear icon at the bottom and then tap on “Delete.” 
5. In the pop-up that appears, click “Delete” to confirm that you want to delete the contacts from your device. 

Tip 4: Delete All Contacts on iPhone Using Groups

You can also quickly delete the contacts on your iPhone in bulk using the Groups App. It is a free third-party app designed to help you delete multiple contacts at the same time. Follow these simple steps to use the app; 

1. Go to the App Store and search for the Groups app, then install it on your iPhone.
2. Open the app and grant it all the necessary permissions to allow it to access the contacts on your iPhone. 
3. Select “All Contacts” in the app’s main window. 
4. Go through the contacts on your device and select the ones that you would like to delete.
5. Once you have selected all the contacts that you want to delete, click on “Choose Action” at the top.
6. In the pop-up menu that appears, select “Delete Contacts.”
7. Confirm that you want to delete the contacts by clicking on “Remove from my iPhone,” All the selected contacts will be removed from the device. 

Tip 5: Delete All Contacts by Resetting Your iPhone

You might also be able to delete all the contacts on your iPhone by resetting the device. It is, however, essential to note that this method will cause you to lose all the other types of data and settings on the device. Therefore, you should only use this method if you want to sell or give the device away or have a complete backup of all your data. 

To reset the iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Contents and Settings. Enter your passcode when prompted, and once the process is complete, you will be able to set up the device as new. 

If you want to, you can restore a backup to the device and then continue to use it as usual. But if you restore an iCloud or iTunes backup that contains the old contacts, they will also be restored to the device. 

Bonus: Backup Contacts on iPhone Before Deleting

It is always good to back up the data on your iPhone before deleting any data. This is especially true if you will be using one or more of the methods above to delete the contacts. You may change your mind and want your contacts back, or you might accidentally delete a contact you didn’t mean to delete. A backup will prove very useful in this situation since it may be the only way to get the contacts back. 

One of the best tools to back up all the data on your device flexibly is Fucosoft Free iOS Backup & Restore. This program allows you to easily create a full backup of the data on your iPhone to your computer. You can then use the same tool to restore the backup to the device. 

 

The following are some of the program’s main features;

• It allows you to transfer data from your iPhone or any other iOS device with a single click.
• It can also be used to efficiently manage photos, music, contacts, messages, and even app data like WhatsApp data.
• You can easily access and manage the data in your iTunes backup files and transfer them selectively to the device. 
• It supports all iOS devices, including the new iPhone 12/11 Pro and all versions of the iOS firmware, including iOS 15/14. 

To create a full backup of all the data, including contacts on your iPhone, follow these simple steps;

Step 1: Download and install Fucosoft iOS Backup & Restore on your computer. Run the program and then connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2: Once the program detects the device, click on “Backup & Restore” from the top menu to continue. 

Step 3: Select Contacts and other file types you want to backup, then click on “Backup” to begin the backup process. 

Ensure that the iPhone remains connected until the backup has been completed. When the process is complete, you will be able to view the backup data on your computer, and you can use Fucosoft iOS Backup & Restore to restore contacts, photos, videos, and music directly to your device whenever you need. 

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