How to add or remove accounts in Contacts on iPhone

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.

You can also let third-party apps add contacts to the Contacts app. Those contacts are managed by the app, though, so you can’t edit them in Contacts.

Here’s how to add or remove accounts in Contacts on iPhone.

Add your iCloud contacts

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap [your name], then tap iCloud.
3. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud and turn on Contacts.

Add your contacts from other accounts

The Contacts app can manage your contacts in other accounts, too, such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft Exchange.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.
3. Tap Contacts Accounts and tap Add Account.
4. Choose an account, sign in to it, then turn on Contacts.

Note: Some accounts don’t support Push notifications. If you add one, you can still update your contacts from it on a Fetch schedule. Go to Settings > Apps > Contacts, tap Contacts Accounts, and then tap Fetch New Data. Choose a schedule under Fetch, and if you choose Automatically, your iPhone downloads new data whenever it’s charging and connected to Wi-Fi.

Add contacts from contacts provider apps

Third-party apps can add contacts to the Contacts app if you allow it. Because the third-party app manages them, those contacts can’t be edited in Contacts.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.
3. Tap Providers, then turn on the option for an app.

Choose your default account

If you select a default account, new contacts are automatically added to it.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.
3. Tap Default Account and tap the account you want to make your default.

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

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Contacts.
3. Tap Contacts Accounts and tap Add Account.
4. Tap Add Other Account and then tap Add LDAP Account or CardDAV Account.
5. Enter the account information.

Remove a contact account

Once you remove an account, its contacts no longer appear on your iPhone. They remain in your internet account, like iCloud.com or Google, and on any other devices you had already set up.

• Turn off iCloud contacts: Go to Settings > [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 > 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 > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts, tap the account, then tap Delete Account.

Don’t see Sign Out or Delete Account? Your organization may manage your account, so see an administrator for removal instructions.