Delete a contact in three steps
To delete a contact in Outlook, open your Contacts folder, right-click the name you want to remove, and select Delete. The contact moves to your Deleted Items folder. If you want it gone permanently, empty your Deleted Items folder afterward.
The exact steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on your computer, Outlook on the web, or Outlook on your phone. This guide covers all three.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted contacts go to your Deleted Items folder first — they are not gone until you empty that folder.
- On your computer, right-click the contact name and choose Delete from the menu.
- On Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, click the contact, then click the trash icon at the top.
- On your phone, swipe left on the contact name (iPhone) or long-press and select Delete (Android).
- Deleting a contact from one device does not automatically delete it from your other devices unless they sync through the same account.
Delete a contact on your Windows or Mac computer
Open Outlook and click the Contacts icon at the bottom of the window. This opens your contact list. Find the name you want to delete by scrolling or typing in the search box at the top.
Right-click the contact name. A menu appears. Click Delete. The contact disappears from your main list and moves to Deleted Items. If you change your mind, you can go to Deleted Items, right-click the contact, and select Restore to put it back.
To permanently remove the contact, click the Deleted Items folder in the left sidebar. Right-click the contact name and select Delete again, or select it and press the Delete key. The contact is now gone from Outlook entirely.
Delete a contact on Outlook.com or Outlook on the web
Sign in to Outlook.com or your work Outlook account in a web browser. Click the People icon (it looks like a person's head) in the left sidebar. Your contact list appears.
Click the contact name you want to delete. The contact details open on the right side of the screen. At the top of the details panel, click the trash icon. A confirmation message appears asking if you are sure. Click Delete to confirm.
The contact moves to your Deleted Items folder. To permanently remove it, click Deleted Items in the left sidebar, find the contact, click it, and click the trash icon again. You can also right-click the contact name in Deleted Items and select Delete Permanently.
Delete a contact on iPhone
Open the Outlook app and tap the People icon at the bottom. Your contact list appears. Find the contact you want to delete and swipe left on the name. A red Delete button appears on the right side.
Tap the red Delete button. The contact is removed from your list. Outlook moves it to Deleted Items. If you need to restore it, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left, scroll down, and tap Deleted Items. Find the contact, swipe left, and tap Restore.
Delete a contact on Android
Open the Outlook app and tap the People icon at the bottom. Your contact list appears. Long-press the contact name you want to delete. A menu appears with several options.
Tap Delete. The contact is removed from your list and moved to Deleted Items. To restore it later, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left, scroll down, and tap Deleted Items. Long-press the contact and tap Restore.
What happens when you delete a contact
When you delete a contact, Outlook does not remove it immediately. Instead, it moves the contact to your Deleted Items folder, where it stays until you empty that folder or until Outlook automatically clears old deleted items (usually after 30 days, depending on your settings).
If you delete a contact from one device, it does not automatically disappear from your other devices unless they are all connected to the same Outlook account and syncing is turned on. For example, if you delete a contact on your phone but your computer is not syncing with that account, the contact remains on your computer until you delete it there too.
Contacts stored only on your phone or computer (not synced to Outlook) will not appear on your other devices at all, so deleting them only affects that one device.
Restore a deleted contact
If you delete a contact by mistake, you can restore it as long as it is still in your Deleted Items folder. On your computer, click Deleted Items in the left sidebar, right-click the contact name, and select Restore. The contact returns to your Contacts folder.
On Outlook.com or the web, click Deleted Items in the left sidebar, click the contact name, and click the restore icon (it looks like an arrow pointing left) at the top of the details panel. On your phone, long-press or swipe left on the contact in Deleted Items and tap Restore.
Once you permanently delete a contact (by deleting it a second time from Deleted Items), Outlook cannot restore it. There is no undo after that step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete multiple contacts at once?
Yes. On your computer, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click each contact you want to delete, then right-click and select Delete. On Outlook.com, click the first contact, hold Ctrl or Command, and click the others, then click the trash icon. On your phone, you can usually only delete one contact at a time.
Does deleting a contact delete their emails?
No. Deleting a contact only removes the name and information from your Contacts folder. All emails from that person remain in your mailbox. You would need to delete those emails separately if you want them gone.
What if I delete a contact and then sync my phone to my computer?
If your devices are synced through the same Outlook account, the deletion syncs across all devices. The contact disappears from your computer too. If your devices are not synced, deleting on one device does not affect the other.
Can I recover a contact after I empty Deleted Items?
Once you empty your Deleted Items folder, the contact is permanently gone and cannot be restored through Outlook. If you have a backup of your Outlook data, you might recover it from there, but Outlook itself has no recovery option after permanent deletion.