Apple Contacts can merge duplicate contacts on an iPhone and on a Mac. On an iPhone, Apple looks for cards with the same first and last name.
It can also link cards from different accounts. A linked card shows the same person once. Apple says linked contacts are not merged.
Below are Apple's steps for an iPhone and a Mac. They start with a backup and end with what Apple's tools can't do.
How Apple Contacts handles duplicate contacts
iPhone:
- Apple says it looks for cards with the same first and last name.
- You tap View Duplicates below My Card. You merge cards one by one or all at once.
Mac:
- Card > Look for Duplicates finds duplicate cards. You click Merge.
- It works on cards in the same account.
- A merge combines the cards and keeps all the unique information in one card.
Linking cards:
- Linking shows cards for the same person in different accounts as one card.
- Apple's note says: "When you link contacts, those contacts aren't merged."
- The card for each account remains.
iCloud.com:
- Apple says: "If you see duplicates in Contacts on iCloud.com, visit Apple Support for help."
How to remove duplicate contacts on iPhone and Mac
Export a backup first. On iCloud.com, open Contacts. Click the Actions button at the top of the list and choose Select All Contacts. Then click the Share button and choose Export vCard. On a Mac, choose File > Export > Contacts Archive.
These are Apple's steps. The Mac steps come from Apple's Contacts User Guide.
On an iPhone:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Below My Card, tap View Duplicates.
- Tap a contact to review and merge it. Or tap Merge All to merge all duplicates.
On a Mac:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Choose Card > Look for Duplicates.
- Click Merge.
To merge cards you choose yourself:
- Open the Contacts app.
- In the list of contacts, select the duplicate cards.
- Choose Card > Merge Selected Cards.
To link cards without merging them, select the cards on a Mac. Then choose Card > Link Selected Cards. On an iPhone, tap a contact, tap Edit and tap Link Contacts.
Where Apple Contacts stops
The same first and last name. On an iPhone, Apple says it looks for cards with the same first and last name. Apple's page names no other rule.
Linking is not merging. Apple says: "When you link contacts, those contacts aren't merged." The same person in iCloud and in Google stays as two contacts, one in each account. To merge them, read how to merge contacts across accounts.
iCloud.com. For duplicates in Contacts on iCloud.com, Apple points you to Apple Support.
Merge iCloud and Google contacts with ContactZapp
Take Maria Garcia. iCloud has 2 cards for her with the same name, so View Duplicates finds them. Google has her as "M. Garcia", with her work email and the same phone number. Apple doesn't merge that one: the name is different, and the card is in another account.
ContactZapp finds duplicates by name, email, phone and address. It looks in each account and across accounts. The shared phone number puts all 3 cards in one group. You merge once. The merged contact keeps both email addresses, and it is sent to iCloud and Google. You can undo the merge for 12 months.
See how merging across accounts works.
FAQ
Can Apple Contacts merge duplicates from different accounts? No. Apple merges cards in the same account. Linking shows cards from different accounts as one, but Apple says linked contacts are not merged. Each account keeps its own card.
How do I remove duplicate contacts on iCloud.com? Apple says: "If you see duplicates in Contacts on iCloud.com, visit Apple Support for help." Apple's own merge is on the iPhone and the Mac.
Does Apple find duplicates with different names? Apple says it looks for cards with the same first and last name. Apple's page names no other rule. "Maria Garcia" and "M. Garcia" are not found as duplicates.
What is the difference between linking and merging? A merge makes one card out of several. A link keeps every card and shows them as one. Link cards when they are in different accounts and you want to keep each one.
How do I connect iCloud to ContactZapp? With an app-specific password, not your Apple Account password. Create one at account.apple.com, under Sign-In and Security › App-Specific Passwords. ContactZapp shows these steps when you connect. The FAQ says how we store it.