Having read-only contacts in your address book can be frustrating, especially when you want to remove old or duplicate entries. Thankfully, deleting read-only contacts is possible with a few simple steps. In this article, we’ll walk through the reasons contacts get stuck in read-only mode, how to identify them, and the best methods for removing read-only contacts on both iPhone and Android.
What Causes Contacts to Become Read-Only?
There are a few main reasons why you may find yourself unable to delete certain contacts from your phone:
- They are stored on your SIM card – Contacts saved directly to your SIM card cannot be deleted like regular contacts. This was more common on older phones.
- They are linked contacts – Linked contacts are connected to accounts like Facebook, and are synced from that external account. Since they aren’t directly controlled by your phone, they show up as read-only.
- They are stored on a read-only contacts account – Some accounts, like a Corporate Directory from your work email, do not allow contacts to be removed. These types of accounts will show all contacts as read-only.
- There is a syncing error – Sometimes a syncing glitch can cause contacts to become stuck in read-only mode, even if they are not linked or stored externally.
In most cases, read-only contacts are caused by the first three issues in the list above. The contacts are either stored externally, linked to an external account, or part of a read-only address book that prevents deleting them. Fixing sync errors rarely occurs, but can also cause this problem occasionally.
How to Identify Read-Only Contacts
Figuring out why certain contacts are read-only is an important first step to deleting them. Here are the main ways to identify a read-only contact on both iPhone and Android:
On iPhone
- Open the Contacts app and select the read-only contact
- Scroll down and look for an Account field – this will show what external account the contact is synced with if it says something like “Facebook” or “Company Directory”
- Try to edit or delete the contact – you’ll get a popup saying “A read-only contact cannot be edited or deleted”
On Android
- Open the Contacts app and select the read-only contact
- Look for the labels icon in the top right – if the contact is stored on the SIM card, it will say “SIM” here
- Tap the Menu button (3 vertical dots) and try to delete the contact – if it’s read-only, you’ll see a message that the contact cannot be deleted
Once you’ve identified a read-only contact, make note of whether it is stored on the SIM card, linked to an external account, or part of a read-only address book. This info will determine the best way to delete that contact.
How to Delete Read-Only Contacts on iPhone
For iPhones, here are the steps to remove read-only contacts based on why they cannot be deleted:
Delete SIM Card Contacts
- Go to Settings > Contacts
- Tap “Import SIM Contacts”
- Uncheck all contacts you want to remove from the SIM
- Tap “Import” to save the changes
This will remove the SIM contacts from your address book while keeping them stored on the SIM card itself. You can re-import them in the future if needed.
Unlink Linked Contacts
- Open the Contacts app and select the linked contact
- Tap Edit > Accounts
- Uncheck the account it’s linked to, like Facebook
- Tap Done to save the changes
This will break the link between that contact and the external account, making it editable and deletable.
Delete Contacts from Read-Only Accounts
For read-only accounts like corporate directories, contacts cannot be deleted from your phone directly. You will need to sign into that external account and delete the contact there. Once it’s removed from the source, your phone will sync the change.
How to Delete Read-Only Contacts on Android
For Android devices, here is how to remove read-only contacts:
Delete SIM Card Contacts
- Open Contacts and tap the Menu icon (3 dots)
- Choose Contacts to display
- Uncheck your SIM card
- Tap OK to hide all SIM contacts
This will hide the SIM card contacts from your address book. The contacts will remain stored on the SIM card if you ever need to re-import them.
Unlink Linked Contacts
- Open the Contacts app and select the linked contact
- Tap the Menu icon (3 dots)
- Choose Linked accounts
- Tap the X icon next to the linked account to unlink it
Once unlinked from the external account, the contact will be editable and removable from your phone.
Delete Contacts from Read-Only Accounts
Similar to iPhone, contacts from read-only corporate directories or other accounts cannot be deleted from your Android phone directly. You’ll need to sign into that external account online and delete the contact there. Your phone will then sync the removal.
Other Methods for Removing Read-Only Contacts
In some rarer cases, you may find a contact stuck in read-only mode without an obvious linked account or source. Here are a couple additional solutions to try removing stubborn read-only contacts:
- Clear the Contacts app cache and data – In your Android settings, find the Contacts app info. Tap Clear Cache and Clear Data to reset the app and your contacts.
- Remove and re-add the Google account – For Android users, signing out of your Google account attached to Contacts and then re-adding it can clear up issues.
- Full phone reset – As a last resort, performing a factory reset on an iPhone or Android will wipe all contacts and accounts, resolving any read-only contacts.
Hopefully the read-only contact will disappear after using the steps for your device type. But if not, one of these additional troubleshooting methods should remove it for good.
How to Avoid Read-Only Contacts
While it may be tricky to delete read-only contacts sometimes, there are ways to avoid accumulating them over time:
- Be selective when linking accounts – Only link contacts from external accounts if you need to, and unlink ones you no longer use.
- Delete contacts from the source – If an external account has a contact you want to remove, delete it directly from that app or website.
- Don’t store contacts on your SIM – Modern phones keep contacts synced across devices, so saving them directly on your SIM isn’t necessary.
- Export contacts frequently – Export your contacts to a file occasionally as a backup. This makes it easier to clear your address book and start fresh if issues occur.
Following these best practices will minimize the number of read-only contacts and avoid the need to delete them as often.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting read-only contacts might seem tedious, but a few simple steps are all you need: Identify the source of the contact, remove it properly for iPhone or Android, and try additional solutions if the issue persists. Avoiding too many linked contacts and clearing your address book periodically can also prevent contacts getting stuck in read-only mode.
With this guide, you now have the knowledge to successfully delete those stubborn read-only contacts. No more getting frustrated because you can’t remove old contacts and duplicates! Just follow the steps for your specific situation and you’ll be able to clean up your address book.
Did you find this guide helpful? Share it with friends and family who also struggle with read-only contacts. Our goal is to make managing your address book quick and easy, so you can spend more time actually connecting with the people who matter most.
