[4 Ways] How to Delete Duplicate Contacts on iPhone

Are you tired of scrolling through your contacts list only to find multiple entries for the same person? Duplicate contacts can be frustrating, clutter your iPhone’s contact list, and make it difficult to find the right person you need to reach.

• Why your iPhone has got so many duplicate contacts?
There are a number of reasons can explain such scenario. For instance, syncing your contacts across multiple devices can sometimes result in duplicate entries. Additionally, merging contacts from different sources or importing contacts from different apps can also lead to duplicates.

But don't worry, it is not a complicate task to delete duplicate contacts on your iPhone. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to look for and remove duplicate contacts, so you can have a cleaner, more organized contacts list. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Part 1. How to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone

Duplicate contacts can be directly deleted from your iPhone contacts list or using iCloud. Here are three ways available for you to meet your different demands.

Way 1. Delete/Merge duplicate contacts on iPhone contacts list - iOS 16 and later

If your iPhone is running iOS 16 and later, it will be a piece of cake. Here’s how to clean up your contacts on iPhone and delete or merge those duplicates. If you are running iOS 15 and earlier, Way 2 will be helpful.

Step 1. Go to the iPhone Phone app > Tap Contacts tab in the bottom center to get to your iPhone contacts list. You can also access the list from your iPhone Contacts app.

Step 2. If you have duplicate contacts, a pop-up will appear under your card at the top of this page > Tap View Duplicates.

Step 3. From here, you can tap Merge All > Merge Duplicates, and it will merge all duplicate contacts in one go.

Alternatively, you can merge duplicate contacts individually by tapping one. From here, you are allowed to see which accounts (iCloud, Gmail, etc.) contain duplicate copies. It also shows the phone number. To delete the duplicate contacts, just tap Merge and confirm your operation.

Way 2. Delete/Merge duplicate contacts on iPhone contacts list - iOS 15 and earlier

If your iPhone is running iOS 15 or earlier, you may need to remove the duplicate contacts one by one manually. If you have different information in the duplicate contacts, you can choose to merge that information. Here are how you can make it.

How to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone
Step 1. In the Contacts app on your iPhone > Using the Search box, type in the name of the person you think was duplicated.

Step 2. Select the contact you wish to delete > Tap Edit > Scroll down, then choose Delete Contact > Confirm Delete Contact in the pop-up.

How to merge duplicate contacts on iPhone
Step 1. Open the Contacts app icon and locate a duplicate contact.

Step 2. On your contact’s information screen, tap the Edit button in the upper right corner > Tap link contacts...

Step 3. Select a duplicate contact and click the Link button in the top right corner. You may need to repeat the Step 2 and 3 until all the duplicate contacts are linked.

Way 3. Delete duplicate contacts on iPhone using iCloud

iCloud can also do you a favor if you want to delete duplicate contacts on not only your previous iPhone but also other devices that are signed in with the same iCloud account.

Step 1. Go to the website of iCloud and sign in your account.

Step 2. Click the Contacts button and select all of the duplicate contacts you’d like to delete.

Step 3. Click the gear icon in the bottom-left of the window > Select Delete and confirm your operation.

Part 2. How to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone with Mac

If you have a Mac and sync your iPhone contacts with it, you follow the steps below to remove duplicate contacts on iPhone with Mac.  

Please be noted that if you have multiple contacts with the same name, Mac will combine them into a single contact card. You may need to ensure that there is something different in their names in order to distinguish them.

Step 1. Go to the Contacts app on your Mac > Click Card > Choose Look for Duplicates...

Step 2. If you have duplicate contacts, you will then be given the option to merge them. Simply click Merge to make it.

Bonus tip: Backup iPhone contacts without data lose

Backing up your iPhone contacts before deleting duplicate contacts is essential to avoid data loss and maintain the integrity of your contact list. It ensures that you don't lose any important information during the deletion process and allows you to restore deleted contacts easily.

Without creating a full iPhone backup, this guide provides you with a simple and quick way to backup only iPhone contacts that are important to you with the aid of FoneTool. As a powerful and professional backup tool for iOS devices, FoneTool can meet all your demands.

Get the tool right now and keep reading to see how to backup iPhone contacts before deleting duplicate contacts on iPhone.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer via USB > You may need to tap Trust to let your computer access iPhone data.

Step 2. Launch FoneTool, and click Phone Backup > Mouse over to Selective Backup > Click Get Started.

Step 3. Check the Contacts icon and uncheck the others > Preview and select the contacts you’d like to backup to computer > Click OK to confirm.

Step 4. Finally, choose a backup destination by clicking Backup Storage Path, and click Start Backup. That’s it.

FoneTool also provides you with the Photo Deduplication function to enable you to remove duplicate photos on iPhone automatically, so that your Photos app can also be well-organized.

Summary

That’s all for the four ways to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone. Regardless of which method you choose, taking the time to clean up your contact list can save you time and frustration down the road. Hope this guide can help you, and please share it with others.