How to Delete Contacts in Gmail Step-by-Step

Deleting Gmail Contacts: A Simple Approach

If you've been wondering how to delete contacts in Gmail or how to edit them, you're in the right place. Whether it's a simple clean-up or a total overhaul, our guide is about to make deleting contacts from Gmail a breeze. Let's get started!

How To Easily Review Your Contacts Before Deciding What to Do with Them

Gmail makes it tough to get a sense of who in your address book is actually emailing you by not letting you sort by contact - which can make it a real pain to figure out who is worth keeping in touch with and who can probably be ditched.

Luckily, Clean Email makes this a whole lot easier - by showing you every single email from every single sender in its Senders view, all in one neat little place.

Try it for Free on iOS, Android, or any desktop device.

And to make life even simpler, the Top Senders Smart Folder helps you identify the folks who keep contacting you most regularly, while the Smart Folders automatically sort senders into groups based on what the heck they're emailing you about - this helps you work out who's really worth keeping an eye on and who can safely be chucked in the bin.

Clean Email lets you try out its features for free on iOS and Android, so you can have a play before deciding whether or not it's worth putting your money where your mouth is.

Important: Clean Email is designed with privacy at its core. The app never reads the content of your emails or shares your data with third parties. All processing happens securely, using only the minimal information needed to perform cleaning actions. Clean Email fully complies with Gmail’s API requirements and Google’s strict privacy policies, ensuring your data is handled safely and confidentially at every step. Read More: Is Clean Email Safe?

How to Edit Contacts on Gmail

Just because a contact contains inaccurate or outdated information doesn't mean you have to delete it right away. Gmail makes editing address book entries just as easy, so there's no reason not to simply edit it instead. Here's what you need to do:

1. Click the Google apps button at the top of your inbox and select Contacts. Alternatively, you can log in to Google Contacts directly with your Gmail email address and password.
2. Find and open the contact you want to edit.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. Modify the contact information.
5. Click the Save button.

Delete Contacts in Gmail: Individual Removal

Maybe you're looking to declutter your Gmail contact list or remove someone you no longer communicate with. Whatever the reason, deleting individual contact addresses is a straightforward process. Here's how to delete contacts from Gmail one by one:

1. You can either click the Google apps button situated at the top of your inbox and then choose Contacts, or simply access Google Contacts directly, logging in with your email address and password.
2. Use the search bar to find the contact you want to remove or browse through your list.
3. Hover over the contact and click the checkbox.
4. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner or on the right to the selected contact.
5. Select the Delete option.

If you have the contact open, you can also delete it directly from the contact card by clicking the trash can icon in the upper right corner.

Deleting Gmail Contacts in Bulk

Perhaps your Gmail contact list has grown out of control, filled with old acquaintances or business connections you no longer need. Maybe it's simply time for a spring cleaning. Whatever your motivation may be, you can delete contacts from Gmail in bulk without breaking a sweat. Here's how:

1. Select Contacts by clicking the Google apps button found at your inbox's top, or bypass that by heading straight to Google Contacts and using your email address and password to log in.
2. Check the checkboxes next to the addresses you want to delete.
3. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select the Delete option.
4. Confirm the action by clicking Move to trash.

If you're aiming for immediate permanent deletion, don't forget to empty the trash in Google Contacts (Trash → Empty Trash now). Otherwise, they will be deleted automatically after 30 days.

Removing Contacts from Gmail on Mobile Devices

Now that you know how to delete email contacts in Gmail on desktop, it's time for us to explain how to do the same on mobile devices. Whether you're an iPhone or Android user, learning how to remove contacts from Gmail on the go is as easy as pie.

How to delete Gmail contacts on iPhone:

1. Open the Contacts app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Gmail account you wish to manage if you have multiple accounts.
3. Locate the contact you want to delete and tap on it.
4. Tap the Edit button in the top right corner.
5. Scroll down and confirm your decision by tapping Delete Contact at the bottom.

Of course, you can also use the Contacts app to update Gmail contacts instead of deleting them.

How to delete Gmail contacts from Android phone:

1. Open the Contacts app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on the contact you want to delete.
3. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
4. Select the Delete option.
5. Confirm the deletion by tapping the Move to Trash button.
6. After 30 days in Trash, your contacts will be deleted permanently. If you don’t want to wait, go to the Trash folder and empty it immediately.

How to export Gmail contacts before deleting them

If you want to clean your contact list but are unsure if you'll need these contacts in the future, it's a good idea to save them as a CSV file.

1. In Google Contacts, check the box(es) next to the contact name(s) you want to export or select all.
2. Click the three dots (More actions) in the top right.
3. Select Export from the menu.
4. Under Export as, choose the desired backup file format.
5. Click Export.

This file can be used to import your contacts later elsewhere.

Wrap-Up

With the simple steps in this article, you can easily take control of and delete your contacts in Gmail, whether it's editing a single connection or deleting lots at once – or even from your phone. And with Clean Email, you can declutter not just your contacts but your entire inbox.