Are you trying to delete a read-only contact from your iPhone? Well, we’ve got you covered.
There may be a contact that you’re struggling to delete because it’s a read-only contact.
When you try and delete it, you will see a message saying “Not all contacts were deleted. One or more of the contracts may be read-only.”
Also, you may not see a delete button at all on the contact.
In this article, we will explain what a read-only contact is, and how to delete a read-only contact from your iPhone.
Let’s get right into this!
What is a read-only contact on your iPhone?
A read-only contact is a contact that has been synced from your iCloud, or another online service, like your email account. It may also be from WhatsApp. You can’t directly delete these contacts because they weren’t created on your iPhone, or another app created them.
But, don’t worry. We will now guide you through how you can delete read-only contacts.
How to delete read-only contacts from your iPhone
Here are the steps in order to delete read-only contacts.
1. Turn off iCloud contacts
The first way you can delete read-only contacts from your iPhone is to disable iCloud contacts.
iCloud contacts are where you have your contacts synced from your iCloud.
In order to turn iCould contacts off, you need to open up the Settings app.
By default, you can find the Settings app on the first page of apps, unless you have moved it.
If you can’t find it, then you can search for it by dragging your finger down on your screen, and a search box will be visible.
Alternatively, you can swipe from right to left and once you have passed all of your app pages, you will come across your App Library which has a search function as well.
Next, you need to go to your Apple ID settings. So, tap on your name at the top of your settings.
Then, you need to tap on the iCloud option. You can find the option in the second list or section on the Apple ID settings page.
Once you are viewing the iCloud settings, you need to scroll down until you see the option for Contacts.
On the right-hand side, you will see a switch. If it’s switched on, you need to turn it off. All you need to do is tap on the switch.
Now, you will get a menu slide up from the bottom of your screen.
You need to choose what you would like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone.
Either way, you can keep them on your iPhone, or delete them from your iPhone.
You can always access them again by switching iCloud contacts on again.
If you want to delete read-only contacts from your iPhone, you should tap on “Delete from My iPhone”.
Then, the contacts will be removed from your iPhone!
2. Delete it from your iCloud contacts
If you don’t want to completely turn off iCloud contacts because you find a lot of them useful, then you can delete specific iCloud contacts.
However, you cannot do this on your iPhone. You need to go to https://www.icloud.com/ and sign in using your Apple ID.
Then, you can tap on Contacts on the iCloud website.
Now, you will see all of the contacts you have on iCloud and you can find the contact that you want to delete.
Once you have found the contact, you need to click on it.
Next, you need to click on “Edit” in the top left of the screen.
At the bottom of the screen will be a “Delete Contact” button.
You will need to confirm your decision to delete the contact by clicking “Delete”.
Now, the contact will be deleted from your iPhone contacts as well because you sync them from iCloud!
3. Delete the contact from WhatsApp
Another reason why you may not be able to delete the contact is that WhatsApp created the contact.
So, you need to open WhatsApp and find the conversation you have with the contact that you are trying to delete.
Once you have found it, you need to either swipe on the conversation and tap on More.
Then, you will see a list of options. You need to tap on “Delete Chat”.
Now you should try deleting the contact again.
4. Contact Apple Support
If you have tried all of these methods and you are still having problems deleting read-only contacts, then you should try contacting Apple.
Apple has multiple different ways for you to contact them.
These include email, phone, and live chat as well.
If there is more of a technical problem with your device as well, they have a repair service.
Final words
Now you know what a read-only contact is, and how you can delete them from your iPhone.
We hope you found this useful.
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