Deleting a Gmail contact happens in Google Contacts, because Gmail uses those saved people and address suggestions when you compose mail. Some names are real saved contacts, while others live in autocomplete. Start with the main Google Contacts delete flow, then clean up suggestions or sync settings if the name comes back.
Delete a saved Gmail contact on a computer
Use Google Contacts when you want to remove one saved person, several contacts, or your whole contact list.
- 1.Open Google Contacts in a desktop browser.
- 2.For one contact, check the box next to the contact name. For multiple contacts, check the boxes next to every contact you want to delete.
- 3.To select all contacts, check the box next to any contact, click the top-left Down arrow, then choose All.
- 4.At the top right, click More, then click Delete.
- 5.Confirm with Move to trash.
Start from Gmail instead
In Gmail on a computer, click Show side panel, then Contacts to view contacts. For deletion, open Google Contacts directly in a desktop browser and follow the steps above.
Remove Gmail autocomplete names
Gmail suggestions can come from saved contacts and from people automatically saved in Other contacts after interactions with Google services.
On a computer, open Google Contacts and click Other contacts on the left.
Point to each name you want to remove and check the box that appears.
At the top, click More, choose Delete, then confirm with Delete. Other contacts does not appear on iPhone, iPad, or Android, so use a desktop browser for this cleanup.
Stop Gmail from adding people back
Deleting an Other contacts entry removes that saved entry. To stop Gmail from saving emailed recipients again, change its automatic contact-saving setting before deleting the entry.
On a computer, open Gmail and go to Settings, then See all settings. In Create contacts for auto-complete, select I'll add contacts myself.
Click Save changes to stop Gmail from automatically saving recipients. To also stop contact saving from other Google interactions, open your Google Account, go to People & sharing, select Contact info saved from interactions, and turn off Save contact info when you interact with people.
Clear the contact from Trash permanently
Deleted saved contacts stay in Trash for 30 days unless permanently deleted sooner. Entries deleted from Other contacts bypass Trash. To recover those entries, use Google Contacts Settings > Undo changes, select a time within the past 30 days, then click Confirm. This rolls back all contact changes since that time, including later additions, so export your current contacts first. Permanent deletion from Trash cannot be undone.
Open Google Contacts, click Trash, select the contact, then click Delete forever. Use this only when you do not want the contact restored.
If this method fails, wait for the 30-day automatic permanent deletion or try again from a desktop browser.
Delete a Gmail contact on Android
Use the official Google Contacts app when you want to delete Google contacts from an Android phone or tablet. Some of these steps work only on Android 6.0 and later.
- 1.Open the Contacts app.
- 2.For one contact, tap the contact, open Contact settings, tap Delete, then confirm with Delete.
- 3.For multiple contacts, touch and hold one contact, tap the other contacts, tap Delete, then confirm with Delete.
- 4.To delete all contacts, touch and hold one contact, tap More, choose Select all, tap Delete, then confirm with Delete.
Stop Android device and SIM contacts from returning
This applies when contacts from your phone or SIM card are being backed up into your Google Account. Turning off the sync setting stops future device and SIM contacts from being saved to Google, but contacts already saved stay there until you delete them manually.
Open Android Settings. Tap your profile photo or icon, then All services; if that option is absent, use Google > All services. Under Backup & restore, open Google Contacts sync, find the account marked Sync on with backup, and tap View settings.
Under Sync options, turn off Backup device-only & SIM contacts automatically.
After changing that setting, return to Google Contacts and delete the contacts that were already saved.
Delete or hide Google contacts on iPhone
When a Google contact is synced into the iPhone Contacts app, deleting it from that email account also deletes it from every device signed in to that email account. Open Contacts, tap the contact, tap Edit, scroll down, tap Delete Contact, then tap Delete Contact again.
To remove Google contacts from the iPhone without deleting them from Google, open Settings, then Apps, Contacts, and Contacts Accounts. Tap the Google account and turn off Contacts.
To remove the account from the iPhone Contacts app entirely, go to Settings, Apps, Contacts, and Contacts Accounts, tap the account, then tap Delete Account.
Fix work or school contacts that will not delete
Some contacts in Gmail come from a Google Workspace Directory instead of your personal Google Contacts.
Ask your Workspace admin whether the person is a shared directory contact, a shared external contact, or an organization user.
An admin with the Directory settings administrator privilege can manage Directory visibility in the Admin console under Directory, Directory settings, Sharing settings, and Contact sharing. These settings affect Directory visibility across the organization.
For a personal contact saved in your Google Account, use the Google Contacts deletion steps above.
Use Google Contacts first whenever you are unsure whether a name is personal, suggested, or synced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a Gmail contact delete emails from that person?
Contact removal happens in Google Contacts. To delete email messages, use Gmail's separate procedure: select the messages on a computer, then click Delete.
Can I delete a contact directly from Google Voice?
For Google Voice on Android, Google directs you to delete contacts in the Android Contacts app.
How long do deleted Google Contacts stay in Trash?
Deleted saved contacts remain in Trash for 30 days unless permanently deleted sooner. Entries removed from Other contacts do not appear in Trash.
Can I hide a suggested Gmail recipient instead of deleting it?
Yes. In Gmail on the web, click Compose, type the name in the To bar, right-click the contact, and choose Hide suggestion. This hides the suggestion but does not delete a saved Google Contact.
