It’s simple to remove contacts from your iPhone, whether you’ve terminated a relationship, quit a job, or simply don’t need your old plumber’s number any longer.

After deleting a contact, you can go one step further and block them so they can no longer contact you.

Here is a guide on how to remove one or many contacts at once.

There are three ways to delete contacts on your iPhone.

Delete individual contacts

• Open the Contacts app on your iPhone, or open the green Phone app and tap the Contacts tab at the bottom of the screen.
• Scroll to the contact you want to delete and tap on their name.
• Tap Edit at the top-right corner of the contact’s information page.
• Scroll to the very bottom of the page and hit the words Delete Contact written out in red.
• Tap the red Delete Contact button that pops up to confirm your choice.

Delete multiple contacts at once

To do this, you’ll need a computer and an earlier setting on your iCloud account that allows contacts to be saved.

• Head to the iCloud website and sign into your account. You might need to enter a code sent to your iPhone.
• Click Contacts.
• Find the contacts you want to delete and select them all at once. The way to do this will differ depending on whether you’re using a Mac or PC.
• Once you have them all selected, click the gear icon in the bottom-left of the screen, and then Delete.
•  You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to delete the contacts. Click Delete.

Third-party contact deletion methods

If you want to erase numerous contacts at once using your mobile device, using a free third-party app is your best chance. Keep in mind that for these apps to function, you must give them permission to access your contacts.

• Groups: In addition to deleting multiple contacts at once, it can also group contacts together by category, sort your contacts by the date they were added to your phone, and merge duplicate contacts.
• Clean My Photos: Clean My Photos is designed to help you free up storage space on your iPhone. It deletes duplicate contacts, photos, and videos with just one tap. It can filter and remove contacts that don’t have a phone number, name, or email address, and even monitors your iPhone’s battery health.
• Delete Contacts+: This app can delete multiple contacts at once, backup and restore contacts, and sort contacts by a common field (like a company or email domain). For an added fee it can merge contacts that have the same name so that all of their phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses are in one place.

Delete all contacts 

You must also utilize your iCloud account if you wish to delete all of your contacts at once.

•  Open your iPhone’s Settings app and tap your name at the top to open the Apple ID menu.
• Tap iCloud.
• On the page that opens, check to see if the toggle switch next to Contacts is enabled. If it is, tap it to turn it off.
• You’ll be asked what you want to do with your contacts. Select Delete from My iPhone.

How to block a contact so they can’t call you

If there’s a number in your contact list that you’ll never need or want to hear from again, then remove it.

If the contact has your phone number, they will still be able to call and text you even after deletion. Before you remove their contact information, block them to stop this.

• Open the Contacts or Phone app and tap the contact you want to block.
• Scroll to the bottom of their information page and select Block this Caller.
• Tap Block Contact to confirm your choice