How to Merge and Remove Duplicate Contacts on iPhone

Quick Tips

• The Contacts app on your iPhone will alert you when it detects duplicate contacts.
• You can merge these directly on your iPhone or use a Mac if your contacts are synced to iCloud.
• If you have duplicate contacts saved under different names, you’ll need to merge them manually.

How to Merge Duplicate Contacts Automatically

With iOS 16, Apple introduced a feature that automatically merges duplicate contacts on your iPhone. However, there are some limitations to be aware of:

• It will only consider name duplication under one account. So if you have multiple accounts linked to your Contacts app (say Gmail and iCloud), it will recognize duplication on a per-account basis.

• If you have created contact lists and the contact is part of multiple lists, iPhone will not consider the repeated name to be a duplicate.

• The feature does not recognize duplication of phone numbers or other contact information like email, address, etc. It will only pop up if the contact card has the same first and last name.

How to Delete Duplicate Contacts on iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Open the Contacts app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Here, you’ll find a duplication notification (if applicable) above all contacts. Tap View Duplicates.

Step 3: Next, the iPhone will give you the list of all duplicate contacts. Select Merge All to merge all duplicate contacts at once. To verify the duplication and view the details of each contact card, tap Merge.

And that’s it, your contact list will now be free of duplicate contacts with the same first and last name. Notably, this will not delete any contact information; the details from each contact card are merged under one contact card.

Note: To merge duplicate contacts from any device other than your iPhone, ensure that your iCloud Contacts sync is enabled.

Remove Duplicate Contacts from iCloud Using a Mac

As long as your iCloud sync for contacts is enabled, you can merge and remove duplicate contacts. Although, unlike the iPhone, the notification does not pop on the screen; there are some extra steps involved here.

Step 1: Launch Contacts App. Next, click Card and select Look for Duplicates.

Step 2: Click Merge to combine duplicate contacts.

Notably, Mac just tells you the number of duplicate contacts. Like the iPhone, it does not show you the duplicate contact cards that will merge.

How to Merge Contacts With Different Names

If you have several accounts in Contacts, there may be several cards for a single person. Moreover, you might have mistakenly saved a person’s contact details under different names. If so, you can link the contact’s cards, to streamline your contact list.

How to Merge Contacts From Different Accounts on iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Open the Contacts app and search for the contact you want to merge.

Step 2: Tap the contact. Select Edit from the top-right corner.

Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom of this page and tap link contacts.

Step 4: Now, find and tap the contact you want to merge.

Step 5: Verify the information and make sure you’re linking the same contact. Once done, tap Link in the top-right corner.

Step 6: Tap Done to save the changes.

Combine Duplicate Contacts on Mac

Step 1: Launch the Contacts app. Search and select the contact cards you want to merge.

Step 2: Click Card at the top and select Link Selected Cards.