[Detailed Guide] Fixed: “can't Delete Contact iPhone”

Why can’t delete contacts on iPhone?

When you need to delete contacts from your iPhone, there may be some faults such as seeing a message, “Not all contacts were deleted. One or more of the contacts may be read-only”.

This means that your device may have been set to the read-only mode or your contact might have been created on a different device and subsequently synced to your iPhone. So you can only view the contact but are unable to edit it. And the “can't delete contact iPhone” issue may trouble you a lot.

Besides, sometimes when you delete some contacts, they will keep reappearing on your iPhone and this may be caused by iCloud synchronization. If you want to delete contacts permanently, this article will give you some useful ways to tackle the trouble.

One-click to fix “can't delete contact iPhone” 

Let's look at these methods more thoroughly below, examining the most effective ways to remove your iPhone contacts. And FoneTool presents the simplest solution to resolve this issue with just one click.

Easily and permanently delete contacts on iPhone

When you get a big headache about “Why can't I delete a contact on my iPhone,” FoneTool will be a great solution to help you a lot. As a professional iPhone data erase, it enables you to force delete all contacts completely no matter if they are read-only or reappearing.

Additionally, FoneTool offers a backup feature, which is highly recommended to selectively back up your contacts before the deleting process in case one day you will need them.

To get started, simply click the download button, and we will provide you with step-by-step guidance on how to back up your contacts and effectively remove the targeted contacts using FoneTool.

Part 1. Back up iPhone Contacts to computer

In case you have already backed up your contacts or do not require a backup, feel free to proceed directly to part 2.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB > If asked, tap Trust to let your computer access iPhone data.

Step 2. Open FoneTool, and click Phone Backup > Selective Backup > Click Get Started.

Step 3. Check the Contacts icon, and ensure that the others are unchecked. Preview the list of contacts and select the ones you wish to back up to your computer. Once you've finished, click on OK to confirm your choices.

Step 4. Then select a backup destination by clicking Backup Storage Path, and tap Start Backup.

Note:✎...

You can also back up your iPhone to an external hard drive to avoid data loss by clicking Backup Storage Path.

Then you can one click to erase all your contacts on the iPhone without worrying about data loss.

Part 2. How to delete contacts permanently on iPhone

Step 1. Go to Toolbox and choose Data Eraser. Go to Erase private data and click Get Started.

Step 2. Navigate to the Contacts option and if necessary, you can enable Deep Erase Technology to completely delete them. Then click on Start Erase to initiate the process.

After the deletion, you can go to Backup History, then select the backup and press the Restore button to restore the contacts you need to your iPhone.

How to fix “iPhone can't delete contact read only”

There are also some other ways to delete your contacts when they are read-only. And you can also clear reappearing contacts by deleting them from iCloud.

Disable iCloud contacts sync

If you don’t want to download another tool to solve the problem, you can try to disable the iCloud contacts sync.

Step 1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone > Tap on your Apple ID name located at the top of the screen.

Step 2. From the list of settings, select iCloud and scroll down until you locate Contacts and then click it.

Step 3. Disable the toggle switch next to Contacts to stop the synchronization process.

Step 4. Then try to delete your iPhone contacts. And take it easy, they will remain securely stored in iCloud.

Step 5. Now you can check if the read-only contacts still exist in your Contacts app.

Remove read-only contacts from iCloud

If the problem “I can't delete a contact on my iPhone” is still unsolved, you can try to remove it from iCloud.

Note:✎...

Except for removing read-only contacts, this method may help you to delete contacts completely which keep reappearing on your iPhone after the deletion.

Step 1. To begin, visit iCloud.com and log in using your Apple ID, which is the same one you use on your iPhone.

Step 2. Once logged in, access the Contacts app on iCloud. Select the specific contact you want to delete.

Step 3. Hit the Delete button to start the deletion process for the selected contact.

Step 4. Confirm to delete the contact, and reconfirm it on the subsequent prompt that appears.

After completing these steps, check if the contact is still present in the Contacts app. If it’s no longer listed, which indicates that the issue of "can't delete contact iPhone" has been successfully resolved.

Delete contacts from the associated accounts

The contacts linked to some accounts may cause the read-only issue. Then you can see where contacts are linked:

Going to Contacts > Groups > Select one account at a time. If the contacts are linked to an email account, try going to that webmail account, then deleting the contact.

For example, if they are linked to WhatsApp, launch the app on your iPhone and delete contacts. Then see if this method works.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to fix the “can't delete contact iPhone” issue, if you need to delete them from your device directly, you can try to disable iCloud sync or remove them from iCloud and the associated accounts. And FoneTool will be useful to delete your contacts permanently in a one-click operation.