How to Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone

Need iPad and iPhone help? Sign up for iPhone Life Insider and I’ll help you with all of your iPhone troubleshooting and iOS-related issues. Here’s a question from an Insider who wanted to know how to delete multiple contacts on iPhone:

More Hey Sarah: How to Place the Cursor Exactly Where You Need It

Hey Sarah,

iPhone Life
Discover your iPhone's hidden features
Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

1. What is up with the many folders that the iPhone camera is generating? When I connect my iPhone to my PC to copy or move pictures, there are a lot more folders than I remember there used to be. Now there are lots of folders with just a couple of pictures in each.

2. Is there any way to delete more than one contact at a time? I don’t think there is, but thought I would double check.

Sincerely,

Trying to Lose Their Numbers

Dear Trying,

1. The folders are a pain and they've definitely proliferated. And there doesn't seem to be any way to avoid them. (Readers, if you know differently, let me know in the comments!) One possible work-around is to install iCloud for Windows on your PC and make sure you have iCloud Photo Library enabled. This will let you access your iCloud photos in their original albums and download them to folders of your choice right from iCloud to your PC.
 
2. There actually is a way to delete more than one contact at a time, as long as you do it from your computer and as long as you have Contacts enabled for iCloud on your iPhone (Settings > iCloud). Since you have a PC, the best way to do it is to log in to iCloud.com and open Contacts. Next hold the shift key as you click on all the contacts you want to delete. Once you've selected all the contacts you want to get rid of, press the delete button on your keyboard and then confirm you want to delete them. (If you had a Mac, you'd need to be logged into the same iCloud account on both your Mac and iPhone. You would then open Contacts and follow the same procedure you would on iCloud.com.)
Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Sarah Kingsbury's picture

Author Details

Sarah Kingsbury

As the Editorial Director at iPhone Life, Sarah Kingsbury manages the online editorial team and oversees all website content. She is a long-time Apple enthusiast who never goes anywhere without her Apple Watch and owns way too many HomePods. Since joining iPhone Life in 2013, Sarah has done everything from writing hundreds of how-to articles to founding the Daily Tip newsletter. She even co-hosted the early episodes of the iPhone Life Podcast. When not at work, Sarah can be found hiking in the mountains and canyons around Las Vegas, where she lives with her partner and dogs.