You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How can I delete hundreds of contacts at once

How can I delete multiple contacts at once?

iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 16

Posted on Feb 20, 2023 8:24 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 20, 2023 11:35 PM

Login to your email account which hosts your Contacts using a web browser in a PC/Mac



When you look deeply you will find that Contacts are neither stored on an iPhone nor on SIM. They are synced to an email account that you may have added and enabled Contacts. It could be Google, iCloud, AOL, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo or any Other email client server.


When you enable Contacts in any of the email accounts they are displayed to you through the Contacts App. When you edit these contacts on an iPhone they are ultimately edited on the client-server.


Please see the pic below for a better understanding...



If you are unable to find your contacts which were stored in the email client, then try this --> Restore contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and more using ...


Check if the email account has been removed from the iOS mail app.

Add the email account that stores your contacts in the IOS mail app and enable Contacts.



What is your default Contacts account? If none, please add an email account and enable contacts.


See the pic below


Unlike some Android devices, contacts are neither stored locally on an iPhone nor in SIM. They are synced to an email account that you had Google, iCloud, AOL, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo or any Other



If you have a corporate email account added through a profile on your device, please check with your organization's system administrator.



1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 20, 2023 11:35 PM in response to Cooli007

Login to your email account which hosts your Contacts using a web browser in a PC/Mac



When you look deeply you will find that Contacts are neither stored on an iPhone nor on SIM. They are synced to an email account that you may have added and enabled Contacts. It could be Google, iCloud, AOL, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo or any Other email client server.


When you enable Contacts in any of the email accounts they are displayed to you through the Contacts App. When you edit these contacts on an iPhone they are ultimately edited on the client-server.


Please see the pic below for a better understanding...



If you are unable to find your contacts which were stored in the email client, then try this --> Restore contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and more using ...


Check if the email account has been removed from the iOS mail app.

Add the email account that stores your contacts in the IOS mail app and enable Contacts.



What is your default Contacts account? If none, please add an email account and enable contacts.


See the pic below


Unlike some Android devices, contacts are neither stored locally on an iPhone nor in SIM. They are synced to an email account that you had Google, iCloud, AOL, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo or any Other



If you have a corporate email account added through a profile on your device, please check with your organization's system administrator.



How can I delete hundreds of contacts at once

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.