Remove some or all easily

Did you get a new phone recently? Doing some spring cleaning of your tech devices? Starting a new chapter? We all need a refresh now and then and that extends to your virtual life, as well. Clearing out old, unused contacts can save space and efficiently clean up your phone.

But deleting contacts one by one can be a pain. Here’s everything you need to know about giving your Contacts app a refresh, including deleting multiple contacts and wiping the slate clean.

How to delete multiple contacts on iPhone

Most iPhone functions can be completed with the tap of a finger, but you’ll need two for this shortcut. Here are the steps you need to follow to delete several contacts at once on your iPhone:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Using two fingers, tap and hold a contact.
3. Keep one finger still, use the other to drag down and select the contacts you’d like to delete. You can also lift up and select other contacts using the same motion – they don’t have to be directly below each other.
4. Pick your finger up from the screen, then tap and hold the section of selected contacts with one finger.
5. You’ll be presented with a four-option menu: Copy, Share, Merge Cards or Delete Contacts.
6. Press “Delete Contacts.”
7. Select the red “Delete Contacts” option when prompted with “Are you sure you want to delete the 5 selected contacts.”

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How to delete contacts on iPhone

You can delete a single contact through the edit function. Follow these steps in the Contacts app:

1. Click on a contact
2. Click “Edit”
3. Hit “Delete Contact” in red at the bottom and confirm you’d like to delete the contact

How to delete all contacts on iPhone

You can drag and select all your contacts in the app, but it may take a while if you’ve got a lengthy list. Another, more efficient way to delete all your contacts in one fell swoop is to use your iCloud account:

• Go to Settings, then Contacts
• Go to Accounts
• Select the account you want to remove contacts from
• Toggle the “Contacts” setting to off
• Select “Delete from My iPhone” to confirm you want to remove the contacts associated with this iCloud account

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