How to Remove Duplicate Contacts from iPhone and Mac

Duplicate contacts are jump to sneak into your address book no affair how carefully y'all manage it. And if removing duplicates on a frequent basis isn't one of your virtues, chances are your contacts might already be chaotic. Unfortunately, managing iPhone/iPad contacts has always been like a pain in the dorsum. But don't worry, there is a workaround to nab all the redundant contact cards and wipe them out. Every bit for macOS users, taking command of contacts is a bit user-friendly. So, if you have decided to clean upward your address book, now is the perfect time to merge and remove duplicate contacts from iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Remove Duplicate Contacts from macOS, iOS, and iPadOS

A little sneak-peek into the whole process so that you would already know what'southward coming up:

So, What's the Workaround?

On macOS, you can hands notice out how many duplicate contacts yous have. By duplicate I mean, the contacts which have either the same proper noun but consist of different information or the same name and info. Once you have nabbed those unwanted contact cards, yous can merge them all with just a click.

Only in case you are using the aforementioned Apple ID on both macOS and iOS/iPadOS devices with the iCloud sync for Contacts enabled, the update will sync across the devices. Thus, your iPhone or iPad contacts will as well be able to become rid of duplicates.

On macOS: System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Contacts.

Check the box for Contacts

On iOS/iPadOS: Settings app > Profile > iCloud > Contacts.

iCloud sync for Contacts on iOS

What if you are non using macOS device, how would you make clean upward the indistinguishable contacts from your iPhone or iPad'southward Contacts app? Well, you can use iCloud to become your work done. While it'due south not straightforward, it simply works fine in managing the address book (and even recovering the lost ones). With that said, permit'south get going with the guide!

Merge Duplicate Contacts on macOS

1. Open Contacts app on your Mac.

Launch Contacts app on your Mac

2. Now, ensure that the "All Contacts" pick is selected in the Groups pane on the left.

Click on All Contacts at the top left corner of the screen

Note: Just in case, Group'due south view is out of sight, click on View and cull Show Groups.

three. Next, click on the Card card.

four. Next up, select Look for Duplicates selection.

Look for Duplicates

5. Up next, a popup volition bear witness up on the screen revealing the number of duplicate cards that be. It would also ask you whether you lot want to merge these cards. Click on Merge to stop.

Click on Merge option

How to Remove Duplicate iPhone, iPad or Mac Contacts Using iCloud

1. Open a spider web browser on your reckoner and go to icloud.com. Then, sign in using your Apple ID and password.

2. Next, click on the Contacts icon.

3. Next up, click on All Contacts at the height left corner of the screen.

Click on All Contacts option

4. Up next, concur down the control key and select on all the duplicate contacts you wish to remove.

Select the contacts you want to delete

5. Now, click on the settings icon at the lesser left corner.

6. Click on Delete in the menu that pops up.

Click on Delete option

seven. A popup will appear on the screen request, "Are y'all sure you want to delete the selected contacts? Click on Delete to confirm.

Confirm to delete the duplicate contacts

Merge iPhone and iPad Contacts Individually from Contacts App Itself

Slightly buried inside the stock Contacts app for iPhone and iPad is an option to merge individual contacts. Though this native method would be rather tedious for merging hundreds of duplicates, information technology wouldn't exist as well time-consuming for a few cards.

1. Open Contacts app and so discover the contact y'all desire to merge.

Find Duplicate contacts

2. Now, tap on Edit at the top right.

Tap-on-Edit-at-the-top-right-corner-blur

3. Next, gyre down and tap on link contacts.

Tap on Link contacts

4. Next up, choose the contact yous want to merge with and and then tap on Link at the superlative correct. Finally, tap on Done to terminate.

Merge-iPhone-and-iPad-contacts-on-iPhone-and-iPad-blurred

Third-Party Contact Managing director Apps for iPhone and iPad to Merge and Remove Duplicate Contacts

Luckily, App Store has a ton of contact manager apps that tin can help you lot find and delete duplicate contacts on your iPhone or iPad. The apps that I take tried and found quite reliable are as follows:

ane. Indistinguishable Contacts Manager

Information technology'south a pretty simple contact manager app that allows you to spot indistinguishable contacts with ease. Aside from allowing y'all to get rid of redundant contacts, it also lets you back up your address book and even restore it. Moreover, it supports iOS eight or afterwards, allowing you to manage your contacts fifty-fifty on older iPhone and iPad models.

Duplicate Contacts Manager

Price: Free

2. Contact Cleanup

Contact Cleanup is yet another contact managing director that I have found up to the task. Whether information technology's nabbing all the duplicate contacts instantly or eliminating multiple unnecessary contact cards at one become, it does a reliable task. Moreover, it likewise allows you to dorsum upwardly the entire address volume so that all of your contacts will remain secure. While this contact managing director is free, you lot volition need to spend $i.99 to merge all of your duplicate contacts automatically.

Contact Cleanup

Price: Gratuitous, $1.99 for the pro version

Remove Duplicate Contacts from Your iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

So, that'due south how you tin merge and remove duplicate contacts from your iDevices. Though the to a higher place-explained methods work reliably, it would be amend if Apple tree offered an easier native mode to get rid of unwanted contact cards on the iPhone and iPad. As someone who has hundreds of contacts to manage, I wish to see this feature in iOS fourteen.