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iPhone User Guide

Add or remove accounts in Contacts on iPhone

In the Contacts app, you can add multiple accounts—such as iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Google, and Yahoo. You can choose a default account, set up LDAP or CardDAV accounts, show or hide accounts, and delete accounts.

Add your iCloud contacts

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
     on your iPhone.

  2. Tap [your name], then tap iCloud.

  3. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud, then turn on Contacts.

Add your contacts from other accounts

You can use the Contacts app to manage your contacts in other accounts, such as Microsoft Exchange, Google, and Yahoo.

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
     on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.

  3. Tap Contacts Accounts, then tap Add Account.

  4. Choose an account, sign in to it, then turn on Contacts.

Note: If you add an account that doesn’t support Push notifications, you can set a Fetch schedule for updating your contacts from the account. Go to Settings 👁 Image
 > Apps > Contacts, tap Contacts Accounts, then tap Fetch New Data. Under Fetch, choose a schedule. If you choose Automatically, new data is downloaded when your iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi.

Add contacts from contacts provider apps

You can allow third-party apps to add contacts to the Contacts app. The contacts are managed by the third-party app and can’t be edited in Contacts.

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
     on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.

  3. Tap Providers, then turn on the option for an app.

Choose your default account

You can select a default account where new contacts are automatically added.

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
     on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.

  3. Tap Default Account, then tap the account you want to make your default.

Set up an LDAP or CardDAV account to access business or school directories

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
     on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.

  3. Tap Contacts Accounts, then tap Add Account.

  4. Tap Add Other Account, then tap Add LDAP Account or CardDAV Account.

  5. Enter the account information.

Remove a contact account

When you remove an account, the contacts in that account no longer appear on your iPhone. The contacts remain in your internet account (for example, iCloud.com or Google) and any other devices you had already set up.

  • Turn off iCloud contacts: Go to Settings 👁 Image
     > [your name] > iCloud. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud, then turn off Contacts.

    You can choose to keep or delete the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone.

  • Temporarily stop using an account: Go to Settings 👁 Image
     > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts, tap the account, then turn off Contacts.

    To view the contacts in that account on your iPhone again, turn on Contacts.

  • Delete an account: Go to Settings 👁 Image
     > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts, tap the account, then tap Delete Account.

    If you don’t see Sign Out or Delete Account, your account may be managed by your organization. See an administrator for removal instructions.

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