iPhone 4: How to Delete a Contact From Phonebook

Author: Jenny Nguyen

If you have an old contact on your phonebook that you no longer need, you can delete it from your iPhone 4 smartphone. Here's how:

1. Go to the Contacts app.

2. Then select a contact.

3. Next tap on Edit.

4. Scroll down the screen and tap Delete Contact.

More Information on contact management from Page 211 of iPhone user manual.

If you cannot see the edit button then see the comment below from Julie:

"If any one is struggling to delete contacts because there is no edit button on the contact since the ios5 update on the iphone4 then u need to merge all contacts onto iCloud which can be found in settings this way all can't acts can b deleted like before the update. Hope this helps"

For merging contacts read iPhone 4: Merge Contacts to iCloud.

Did you like this tip?

Comments (32)

|119.152.138.xxx |2011-05-21 12:52:44 jawad

hello help me iphone 4 contact deleted one to one application.....................
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|65.12.168.xxx |2011-06-26 17:02:59 Jani - Thanks!

:D Thank you, I find this very helpful!
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|188.66.75.xxx |2011-10-22 09:30:04 steve - What on earth? This is bad advice...

What on earth? This is bad advice.
If you go into iphone 4 contacts,and select a contact to delete, there is NO edit button on the top right hand of the screen. This is iphone 3gs info. I cannot delete from screen a contact using this method , please advise:?
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|Manager |2011-10-22 12:06:20 admin - re: What on earth? This is bad advice...

steve wrote:
What on earth? This is bad advice.
If you go into iphone 4 contacts,and select a contact to delete, there is NO edit button on the top right hand of the screen. This is iphone 3gs info. I cannot delete from screen a contact using this method , please advise:?

HI Steve, The above procedure should work. Please try again.
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|24.16.173.xxx |2011-10-28 05:12:47 shellie - ??? NOPE???

:angry-red: After updating th I phone 4 the edit button disappeared. So I can't delete this way. Please send help
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|82.132.242.xxx |2011-10-28 10:23:11 Julie - Deleting contacts

If any one is struggling to delete contacts because there is no edit button on the contact since the ios5 update on the iphone4 then u need to merge all contacts onto iCloud which can be found in settings this way all can't acts can b deleted like before the update. Hope this helps

Julie
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|Manager |2011-10-28 11:56:02 admin

Julie - Thanks for the tip.
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|Manager |2011-10-28 13:09:39 admin

To learn more about merging contacts, read iPhone 4: Merge Contacts to iCloud.
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|66.185.47.xxx |2011-11-25 06:13:02 Guest00851

Julie ur suggestion worked like a charm. I was frustrated that i could not edit or delete my contacts since my updated. But now thanks to you suggesting icloud i can. AWESOME!! TY :D
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|88.173.94.xxx |2011-11-26 23:17:31 Georges - Thanks

Thanks julie.
Your solution worked :)
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|76.125.245.xxx |2011-11-30 03:07:32 Kim

Thanks so much Julie!!! I was getting ready to break the phone!! :0
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|174.254.66.xxx |2011-12-02 09:22:07 Anonymous

This message is so helpful and easy!! Just have to merge contacts :D
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|174.253.31.xxx |2011-12-12 03:05:38 Mh

Mine doesnt show the option to edit?
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|24.16.173.xxx |2011-12-12 15:36:29 shellie

FIXED!
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|205.164.24.xxx |2011-12-28 12:55:26 Paul - Erasing contacts

Thanks to Julie but I wonder if merging contacts to icloud means that the contacts info is 'saved' up in the cloud somewhere! Also, why was this seen as an improvement. It's hardly intuitive is it? ;)
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|219.79.155.xxx |2012-01-17 04:03:29 Wendy

Brilliant. That was so helpful thank you
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|174.254.224.xxx |2012-02-03 16:45:54 Joni - Delete/edit contact

Can't find iCloud in settings on my iphone4
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|86.128.75.xxx |2012-04-04 19:26:04 Nic - re: Deleting contacts

Julie wrote:
If any one is struggling to delete contacts because there is no edit button on the contact since the ios5 update on the iphone4 then u need to merge all contacts onto iCloud which can be found in settings this way all can't acts can b deleted like before the update. Hope this helps

Julie

ty julie ths helped muchly :)
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|74.124.96.xxx |2012-05-15 06:49:58 Donna - deleting contacts

I need to delete hundreds of duplicate entries, not one at a time. I learned how a couple of days ago, but can't find the info. Edit and delete one at a time, doesn't cut it. Duplicate entries arose from ICloud sync and Yahoo sync since Much of my contacts were lost in the in store "transfer."
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|199.126.225.xxx |2012-07-06 00:30:25 Barry - dumb

All that is good info , IF YOU USE ICLOUD , I for one do NOT USE THAT CRAP!!! .... So how can anyone delete without any edit buttons on the phone? I am so getting rid of this SPY ON YOU , KNOW EVERYTHING YOU DO , DUMB PHONE!! .... Apple ...you SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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|24.92.83.xxx |2012-09-30 04:25:09 Diana Mane

Tried to delete a contact on my IPhone 4S. I get the edit button then scroll to the bottom hit delete - get delete contact -hit it and nothing happens. The contact is still in contacts???
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|2.121.194.xxx |2012-10-07 18:13:36 sam sedgley - contacts still appear

hey
i have deleted certain numbers completely from my iphone but when i go to send a message they still appear?
can these be deleted for good?

thanks
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|2.121.194.xxx |2012-10-07 18:14:23 sam sedgley

hey
i have deleted certain numbers completely from my iphone but when i go to send a message they still appear?
can these be deleted for good?

thanks
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|166.137.88.xxx |2012-10-14 15:47:53 Jpelaez - Deleting contacts for the iPhone 4

Thank you Julie!!!!!!!
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|195.171.147.xxx |2012-11-01 20:45:12 Anonymous - re: contacts still appear

sam sedgley wrote:
hey
i have deleted certain numbers completely from my iphone but when i go to send a message they still appear?
can these be deleted for good?

thanks
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|108.52.1.xxx |2012-11-15 00:05:04 Anonymous - OLD CONTACT NUMBER STILL APPEARS

I have deleted certain numbers completely from my iphone but when i go to send a message they still appear?
can these be deleted for good?

thanks[/quote]
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|64.62.169.xxx |2012-12-13 21:27:27 Kricket - re: dumb

Barry wrote:
All that is good info , IF YOU USE ICLOUD , I for one do NOT USE THAT CRAP!!! .... So how can anyone delete without any edit buttons on the phone? I am so getting rid of this SPY ON YOU , KNOW EVERYTHING YOU DO , DUMB PHONE!! .... Apple ...you SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahaha, SPIPhone
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|198.228.228.xxx |2013-01-08 00:05:16 Matt G - Deleted numbers still show up in New Message..

I have deleted contacts that i have recently or been a long time since i last sent them a text message. And since i have removed them from my contacts and i go to send a message by Clicking the (+) to add contact, i am able to see that same contact i deleted from my phone months ago. How do i removed that contact? When i search through my contacts the person does not exist. Only through new text message they are still there. What can i do?
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|27.33.185.xxx |2013-01-08 10:56:11 admin

Matt G - maybe you still have a message conversation history with them. Check to see there are any messages that you have send/received from them in the call history list.
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|76.242.182.xxx |2013-01-14 04:34:37 me

I have deleted a certain contact from my phone, but when I go to do a text message their number is still in there but no where else. How do I get rid of this number permanently from my phone?
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|27.33.185.xxx |2013-01-14 15:37:02 admin

Matt G and me: You have to restore your iPhone back to the manufacturer settings to get rid of the number. This may not be ideal, but unfortunately this is kind of a bug.
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|86.176.16.xxx |2013-02-13 07:12:48 Anonymous - re: contacts still appear

sam sedgley wrote:
hey
i have deleted certain numbers completely from my iphone but when i go to send a message they still appear?
can these be deleted for good?

thanks
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