How to Delete Multiple Contacts on iPhone (with Photos)

Deleting contacts on your iPhone used to be a slow, tedious process. But with iOS 16, Apple finally added a much-requested way to erase multiple contacts at once right from your device.

In this guide, I‘ll walk you through the new gestural method for bulk deleting contacts introduced in the latest iPhone software update. I‘ll also cover some alternative options in case you run into any issues with the primary approach.

Whether you need to do some digital spring cleaning in your Contacts list or save storage space by removing unused contacts, let‘s get started with some simple steps to delete multiple contacts from your iPhone!

Overview

Here‘s what we‘ll cover:

• Why iOS 16 Deleting Is Better: Understand why Apple changed the multiple delete contact functionality
• Steps to Use iOS 16 Method: Easy step-by-step instructions to bulk delete contacts with gestures
• Alternative Deletion Methods: Additional options like iCloud and third party apps
• Comparison of Methods: See a breakdown of the pros and cons of each deletion method

Why iOS 16 Deleting Is Better

Prior to iOS 16, the iPhone didn‘t allow you to easily select and delete multiple contacts together. You had to go through and manually delete each one individually, which was incredibly tedious.

Apple finally changed this with iOS 16 and introduced new gestures for selecting several contacts at once. This makes it far simpler to mass delete contacts right from your iPhone when needed.

Why Wasn‘t This Possible Before?

The Contacts app on iPhone didn‘t originally have the ability to multi-select contacts. While Apple later added a Select All option, this only allowed you to select everything, not choose specific contacts to act on together.

The Contacts application was also isolated from the rest of iOS. So it didn‘t adopt standard iOS selection gestures like tap and drag.

iOS 16 marks the first time you can use the familiar two-finger select and long press gestures to easily choose and delete multiple contacts in one go.

Steps to Use iOS 16 Delete Method

Ready to remove some iPhone contacts swiftly? Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Open Contacts App

Launch the Contacts app from your Home Screen:

Step 2: Select Contacts

In Contacts, scroll and find the contacts you want to delete. They should ideally be listed next to each other alphabetically.

To select them, place two fingers on the first contact. Keeping two fingers down, slide up or down to highlight additional contacts:

Selected contacts will be shaded grey when chosen correctly.

Step 3: Long Press Selection

Once the contacts you want to remove are selected, complete a long press on them. This means firmly holding your finger down until a contextual menu appears.

Step 4: Tap Delete

In the menu that pops up, tap the Delete option to erase the selected contacts.

Follow the confirmation prompts to complete the deletion process. All done!

Alternative Deletion Methods

While iOS 16 makes deleting multiple contacts easier than ever, you may sometimes need alternative options. Here are two other methods:

Via iCloud Web Interface

Manually visit iCloud.com and navigate to the Contacts manager for more control:

Follow these steps:

1. Go to iCloud.com and login
2. Click Apps Icon > Contacts to open the contacts manager
3. ⌘ + Click (Mac) or CTRL + Click (Windows) to make multiple selections
4. Click Settings Icon > Delete > Confirm Deletion

Using Third Party Apps

Alternatively, third party iOS contact editor apps often allow bulk deletion as well. Groups is a top choice according to Apple Store reviews.

Be very careful using third party apps though, as poorly designed software could contain malware or privacy issues. Thoroughly research options before downloading anything onto your iPhone device or connected services.

Comparison of Methods

To recap, you have three solid options for removing multiple contacts from iPhone:

Ultimately iOS 16 provides the smoothest experience directly on your iPhone. But depending on your needs, alternative routes may work better.

Now you have the details to easily organize and declutter your Contacts app using the right multiple delete method for you! Let me know if you have any other questions.