3 Ways to Delete or Merge iCloud Duplicate Contacts Easily

This article will show you how to effortlessly find and remove iCloud duplicate contacts. Developed by Apple, iCloud is a cloud storage service. Contacts on iCloud.com, also known as iCloud Contacts, lets you store and organize contacts. If your iCloud has duplicate contacts, you can follow the instructions in the article to easily get rid of them. There are three easy methods.

The Best App to Delete or Merge Duplicate Contacts in iClould

Cisdem ContactsMate for Mac

• Support contacts from sources like iCloud, Mac Contacts, Gmail, Exchange, etc.
• Identify duplicate contacts in any supported source
• Offer a list of the found duplicates, letting you view and fix them
• Provide multiple options to fix: Merge, Delete, Ignore and Edit, etc.
• Let you view, search, edit, add, group, tag, group, share, print, and sync contacts
• Import and export contacts, supporting multiple formats
• Backup or restore contacts with 1 click
• Easy to use
• Compatible with macOS 10.11 or later, including Big Sur

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A brief comparison

Here’s a comparison of the three methods.

Note that Method 3 provides only the number of contacts to be merged rather than showing you the specific duplicates.

Method 1. How to delete duplicate contacts in iCloud manually

Applies to: macOS, Windows

iCloud doesn’t come with a feature or option for users to handle duplicate contacts. If there are only a few contacts in your iCloud account, then it’s easy and practical to manually identify and eliminate them.

1. Open a web browser. Go to https://www.icloud.com/.
2. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password.
3. Click Contacts.
4. Manually find duplicate contacts and select the unwanted cards.
5. Click the settings icon in the bottom left corner and choose Delete to delete the selected cards.

Tips

• You can set iCloud to sort contacts by the first or last name, which may help you find duplicates by name. To do this, click the settings icon and choose Preferences.
• You can select and delete duplicate contact cards one by one. To improve efficiency, you can select multiple cards at a time. On a Mac, press and hold the Command key and click the cards. On a Windows PC, hold down the Ctrl key as you click.

Method 2. The easiest way to find and remove or merge iCloud duplicate contacts

Applies to: macOS

If your iCloud has a ton of contacts, it will be tedious and time-consuming to manually find and remove duplicates. In such a case, Cisdem ContactsMate can help. In addition to iCloud, ContactsMate can also find and delete duplicate contacts in other places such as Mac’s Contacts app, Google Contacts, Exchange and Yahoo, etc.

1. Download Cisdem ContactsMate and install it.

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2. When you open the app for the first time, it will require access to your contacts. Click OK.
3. In the app, click Add Account in the toolbar.
4. Click iCloud and sign in to it.
5. Select the box next to Contacts.
6. Quit ContactsMate and open it again. Now you should find iCloud in the sidebar. Select iCloud and click Scan in the toolbar.
7. In the Conflict Resolution window, the found iCloud duplicate contacts are listed, grouped by type. Select a contact in a type and choose a solution.
8. Click Fix or Fix All.

Once you finish deleting or merging duplicates, iCloud will automatically detect and sync the changes. The duplicate contacts in your iCloud will also be removed. To verity it, you can open (or reload) https://www.icloud.com/contacts/.

Tips

• ContactsMate can find different types of duplicate contacts in iCloud and provides the best solutions to fix them. If two or more contact cards are exactly the same, they are identified as the Exact duplicate contacts type. Select a contact in the type, choose Delete duplicate contacts as the solution and click Fix All. All the duplicate contacts will be deleted at once, and the unique ones will be kept. When it comes to other types, you can choose Edit as the solution, which lets you view and edit contact information, merge contacts and do more, as shown in the screenshot below.
• You can set the app to include or exclude specific types of duplicates. Here’s how. From the top menu bar, choose Cisdem ContactsMate > Preferences. Choose the Conflicts tab and configure. Now choose iCloud in the sidebar and click Scan to start looking for duplicate contacts in iCloud.
• Before you make changes (e.g. duplicates removal) to your iCloud contacts, it’s recommended to back them up. Here’s how. In Preferences window, go to the Backup & Restore tab, select iCloud and click the Backup button.

Cisdem ContactsMate Benefits

• Support Mac's Contacts app and popular services
• Remove/merge duplicate contacts in Contacts app, iCloud and more
• Let you view duplicates before fixing
• Make it easy to view, edit, organize, print, share, and sync contacts
• Enable you to effortlessly import, export and migrate contacts
• Easy to use and customize
• Support macOS 10.11 or later

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Method 3. How to merge iCloud duplicate contacts with the Contacts app

Applies to: macOS

Both iCloud and Mac’s Contacts app are from Apple. It’s possible and easy to get the job done using the app. You can use its Look for Duplicates feature to find and mass merge duplicate contacts in iCloud. However, there is a downside.

1. On your Mac, open the Contacts app.
2. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Contacts > Add Account.
3. Select iCloud and click Continue.
4. Sign in to iCloud.
5. Check the box before Contacts.
6. In the top menu bar, choose Card > Look for Duplicates.
7. Click Merge.
8. Repeat the previous two steps until there aren’t any duplicates.

The automatic merging is convenient. However, you have little control over it. Use caution with this method.

Bonus tip: How to delete duplicate contacts on iPhone

Now you know how to deal with iCloud duplicate contacts. What about iPhone? As you may already know, syncing iPhone contacts to iCloud and then using one of the methods can help get rid of duplicate contacts on iPhone.

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > your name > iCloud.
2. Enable Contacts.
3. Tap Merge when you are asked if you'd like to Merge or Cancel.
4. When syncing is finished, go and clean up duplicate contacts with one of the methods.

Conclusion

iCloud Contacts is simple but useful online address book. However, it lacks some features such as the one to handle duplicate contacts. Luckily, contact management software like ContactsMate can be used for the task. The app excels at detecting iCloud duplicate contacts and offers a number of useful solutions. It lists the detected duplicates, ensuring more reliability and accuracy. Once you get the duplicates removed, you can better organize and manage your contacts.