How To Delete Read-Only Contacts On iPhone And Android?

The process of deleting read-only contacts from your iPhone can be complicated, especially if you are not used to it. In this post, I’ll explain the steps you must complete to erase contacts that are read-only on your iPhone. I’ll also offer some suggestions to prevent this problem in the near future.

Understanding Read-Only Contacts

Before we begin the steps for deleting read-only contacts, we need to understand what read-only contacts are. A read-only phone number is a contact you are unable to edit or delete on your iPhone. These contacts are typically synchronized with other data sources, such as your email account or your social media professional profiles, and are not editable or deleted from the source.

That means that if you attempt to remove an account that reads only from the iPhone’s Contacts app, you’ll have no way to delete it. Instead, you’ll have to remove your contact’s source—for example, your email account. You can then connect your iPhone to delete that contact.

Uninstalling Read-Only Contacts On Your IPhone

To erase a read-only contact on your phone, you’ll have to take these steps:

Start Contacts on your iPhone. Contacts app for your iPhone
Find the contact with read-only permission that you wish to remove.

Press the contact button to release it.
Scroll to the bottom of the card, then tap “Edit Contact.”
In the event that the person is only reading, you won’t be able to edit any fields. Instead, tap “Linked Contacts” at the top of the screen.

This will display all the accounts the contact is connected to. Find the account the contact is synced to and click it.
On the next page, click “Remove From Linked Contacts” to delete the contact from the account.
Repeat steps 7 and 6 for any other accounts the contact is connected to.

Once you have deleted your contact’s information from any associated accounts, Go back to the contact’s profile and tap “Edit Contact” again.
If you do this, you’ll be capable of deleting the contact by clicking on “Delete Contact” at the lower right of your screen.

Avoiding Read-Only Contacts in the Future

To ensure that you do not encounter read-only contacts at some point in the near future, here are several things that you could do:

If you are adding the new contact information to your iPhone, be sure to connect them directly to the iPhone’s Contacts app rather than sync from a different source. That way, you can ensure your contacts are editable and deletable from your phone.
If you have to sync contacts from a different source, make sure the user has full edit and deletion rights for the contacts. This will ensure that they are not being transferred to your iPhone as only-read contacts.
If you have contacts that are read-only on your iPhone that you would like to keep, be sure to sync them to their account on the source account in order to prevent any problems with deletion or synching in the future.

Delete Read-Only Contacts On Android

Certainly! It’s true! Delete read-only contact information on an Android device may be a little difficult, but it’s certainly doable. I’ll “read-only” walk you through the steps you have to follow to remove contacts that are read-only on your Android device. I’ll also offer some suggestions to avoid this issue in the future.

Understanding Read-Only Contacts

Before we get into the steps needed to delete read-only contacts from Android, it is important to know what read-only contacts are. A “read-only” contact is a contact that can’t be edited or deleted by hand from an Android device. They are typically stored in other places, like your Google profile or your social media account, and are only editable or deleted directly from the source.

This means that if you attempt to erase a contact that is read-only on the Android device’s Contacts application, you will have no way to delete it. Instead, you’ll need to remove contacts from their source, for example, our Google account, and then sync them to your Android device to erase that contact on your mobile.

Removal of Read-Only Contacts from Your Android Device

To eliminate a read-only contact from the contacts on your Android smartphone, you’ll have to follow these instructions:

Start your Contacts application on your Android device.
Find the contact with read-only permission that you would like to erase.
Press the contact button to release it.fields

When the contacts are read-only, you won’t be able to modify any field. Instead, tap the menu icon located in the upper right part of the display.
In the menu drop-down, choose “Delete.”
The user will get an alert message that asks whether they wish to delete this contact from their Google account. Select “Delete” to confirm.

After the contact has been removed from your Google account, it will then be removed from your Android device, too.

Avoiding Read-Only Contacts in the Future

To ensure that you do not encounter read-only contacts at some point in the near future, here are several things to do:

When you are adding additional contacts to the contacts app on your Android device, be sure to directly add them to the device’s contacts app rather than sync them with another source. It will guarantee that your contacts are editable and deleted on your device.
If you need to transfer contacts from another source, ensure that the user has full edit and deletion access rights to those contacts. This will ensure that they are not being transferred onto your Android device as read-only contacts.
If you have contacts with read-only permissions on the Android phone that you would like to keep, be sure that they are synced with their source account in order to prevent any problems with deletion or syncing in the future.

Alternative Method for Removing Read-Only Contacts

If this method isn’t working for you, try another option you could test:

Start Google Contacts on your computer or other device. Google Contacts website on your PC or other device.
Log in using the same Google account you used to sign in on the Android device.

Find the contact with read-only access that you would like to delete and click it to open it.
You can click on “More” in the “More” menu (represented by three vertical dots) in the upper-right edge of your screen.
Choose “Delete” from the dropdown menu.

There will be a pop-up that asks you if you would like to delete this contact from your Google account. Select “Delete” to confirm.
It is recommended to sync with your Android device to erase the contact from your phone.

Alternative Methods To Delete Read-Only Contacts

The process of deleting read-only contacts can be a hassle, particularly when the traditional methods fail. However, don’t fret because there are other methods you can use to remove contact information that is read-only from your device. I’ll show you some alternatives.

Method 1: Synchronise with a Different Account

If you’re not able to erase a contact that is read-only on your smartphone’s Contacts application, you could try syncing the device with another account with editing rights for the contact.

For instance, if the read-only contacts are synced to the account you use for your Google accounts, you could try syncing your device using either your Microsoft account or a different Google account with editing privileges for that particular contact. The steps below will help you follow them:

Open the smartphone’s Settings app.

Scroll down and tap “Accounts.”
Tap on “Add Account.”
Choose the account you wish to connect to (e.g., Microsoft or Google).

Log in to your account and then follow the steps to finish the configuration.
After the account is synced, open your Contacts app and delete the read-only contact once more.

Method 2: Use a Third-Party App

There are many third-party apps that are available in the Google Play Store that can assist you in removing read-only contacts from your phone. One of these apps is called Contact Remover Plus. Below are some steps to take:

Installation of Contact Remover Plus via the Google Play Store
Launch the application and grant it all the permissions it needs.
Click on “Select Account” and choose the account with which the read-only contact syncs.

Find the contact with read-only and choose the read-only option.
Click “Delete” to delete the contact from your device.
Synchronise the device you are using to make sure the contact is deleted from any synced account.

Method 3: Use Google Contacts on a Computer

If you’re not able to remove the read-only contact on your device, try making use of Google Contacts on a computer. These are the steps to follow:

Visit Google Contacts on a computer.
Log in using the same Google account that you are using for your mobile device.

Find the read-only contact you wish to erase and click it to open it.
Select “More” in the “More” menu (represented by three vertical dots) located in the upper-right part of the display.
Choose “Delete” from the dropdown menu.

The device you synchronise with will remove contacts from the device.

Method 4: Clear Cache and Data

If none of these methods work, you may attempt to clear out the data and cache from the Contacts application on your device. These are the steps you should follow:

Visit the phone’s Settings app.

Tap on “Apps.”
Locate the Contacts app, then tap it.
Tap on “Storage.”

Click “Clear Cache” and then “Clear Data.”
Try clearing the read-only contact once more.

Method 5: Reset Your Device

If nothing else works, then you could try setting your device back to its default settings. It will wipe out all settings and data on your device, so be sure to backup your data before beginning. These are the steps you should follow:

Open the phone’s Settings app.
Scroll down, and then tap “System.”
Click “Reset options.”

Click the button that says “Erase all data (factory reset).”
Follow the instructions in order to finish the reset procedure.
Install your device, and then delete the contact that reads only.

Preventing Read-Only Contacts On IPhone And Android

Avoiding contacts that are read-only for iPhones as well as Android devices is crucial to avoiding frustration from not being able to modify or delete contacts directly on your phone. I’ll guide you through some helpful tips and tricks that will help stop read-only contacts from happening on either your iPhone or your Android device.

Tip 1: Add Contacts Directly to Your Device

One of the simplest ways to avoid read-only contacts is to include them directly in your phone’s Contacts application. This will ensure that your contacts can be edited from your mobile device. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Start the Contacts application on your device.
Click on the “+” icon to create the contact.
Enter the contact’s details and save the contact’s information to your device.

By importing contacts directly onto your device, you’ll be able to be sure to avoid any sync issues that could lead to contact information that is read-only.

Tip 2: Use the Same Account for All Synced Contacts

If you have to transfer contacts from a different source, like those on a Google or Microsoft account, be sure it’s the identical account for all the synced contacts. This will ensure that all your contacts are editable and can be deleted by your mobile device. These are the steps to follow:

Visit the phone’s Settings app.

Tap on “Accounts.”
Select the account that you wish to sync contacts with.
Check the contacts synced to the same account.

If you sync all your contacts to one account, you will get rid of any read-only contacts that could occur when you sync contacts from multiple accounts.

Tip 3: Check Editing and Deleting Privileges for Synced Accounts

If you are syncing contacts from a different source, make sure there is full editing and deletion access to those contacts. This will ensure that all contacts are editable and can be deleted on your phone. These are the steps to follow:

Open the phone’s Settings app.

Tap on “Accounts.”
Select the account that you want to sync contacts with.
Be sure your account has editing as well as deletion access to contacts.

By making sure you are granted full editing and deleting permissions for synced contacts, you will be able to avoid read-only contacts that might result from inadequate rights.

Tips 4: Keep contacts synchronised to their source account

If you have contacts that are read-only on your device that you would like to keep, ensure that you sync them with their primary account in order to avoid issues with sync or deletion later on. These are the steps you need to take:

Open the smartphone’s Settings app.

Tap on
Choose the account from which the read-only synced contact comes from.
Verify that the contact account is linked to the account that is used as the source.

By keeping your contacts synced to their original account, you can be sure that they can be edited and deleted on your device.

Tip 5: Keep your device and apps updated.

Maintaining your devices and applications will ensure you are using the most current features and that bugs are fixed. This can prevent issues when deleting or syncing contacts, even read-only ones. These are the steps you need to follow:

Visit the phone’s Settings app.

Click “System” (for Android) or “General” (for iPhone).
Tap on “Software Update.”
If there is an update available, follow the instructions for downloading and installing it.

By making sure your devices and apps are up-to-date, you will stay clear of a

FAQ’s

How do I get rid of multiple contacts that are read-only?

How to Delete Read-Only Contacts on Android 9 “Pie” and Android 8 “Oreo”

Launch the Contacts app on your phone.

Select the read-only contact you want to remove from your cell phone.
Go to the menu.
Tap View to view linked contacts.

Press Unlink, and then confirm your choice by tapping Unlink.
Click on the contacts you would like to remove.

Why can’t I delete all the contacts I read on my mobile?

It is not possible to erase these read-only contacts by hand; however, you can eliminate them from your contacts by removing the sync feature in the third-party application or by disabling the application itself.

How can I switch the status of my Android contacts from read-only to normal?

In Android, under contacts, go to settings and choose “Contdisplay,” where you can choose which account you want to add to the list of contacts. You can also choose one of them in the menu “Customise.” 2. to manage accounts that are read-only You can log on to the respective service (e.g., Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, etc.).

How do I unlink contacts?

If, for any reason, incorrect contacts are linked, you can simply remove these contacts from your app. Tap the contact to reveal its information, then select the main menu located at the top-right corner. Select “View linked contacts.” After that, tap “Unlink” and then tap on the “Unlink” button, and all the contacts will be removed from linking.