6 Duplicate Contacts Removers for Contacts Stored Anywhere

Duplicate contacts may accumulate on your contacts list over time, causing disorganization or confusion. In this article, I will share duplicate contacts removers that can help you handle those duplicates, regardless of where they are (such as Exchange, Outlook.com, Google, Mac, iPhone, Android, and more). 

 

Different types of duplicate contacts

There are two types of them.

• Exact duplicates: If you have two or more records for the same person on your contacts list and all records are exactly the same, then they are a set of duplicates. The way to handle them is to keep one record and delete the rest. Duplicate contacts removers often provide deleting or merging as the fix option, and both actually achieve the same result.
• Partial duplicates: It’s also possible to have partial duplicates. For example, there could be multiple records of the same person, with each having incomplete information. In such a case, merging those records may be the best choice. Also, there might be situations where you need to do some editing.

 

Top 6 duplicate contacts removers

Below you will find the apps that can help you easily find and manage the duplicates on your contacts list.

 

1. Cisdem ContactsMate

Compatible OS: Mac, Windows

Supported contacts sources: Google, Exchange, Outlook.com, Mac’s Contacts app, iCloud, and a few more

Cisdem ContactsMate is an easy-to-use contact manager app for Mac and Windows. Supporting contacts from various sources, it allows you to easily access, use, organize, and manage your contacts. Its deduplication feature can help you easily handle various types of duplicates.

Steps on Mac

1. Download and install ContactsMate. Open it.

Free Download macOS 10.11 or later

2. Optionally, go to the ContactsMate settings and select the type(s) of duplicate contacts you want to handle this time.

3. On the left, choose the contacts source where duplicates exist. Then, click Scan in the toolbar.

4. When the scan for duplicate contacts is complete, you will see a list of duplicates, categorized by type. You can manage them type by type.

• Exact duplicate contacts: On the left, select a random contact in this type. Stick to the default Delete duplicate contacts solution. Then, click Fix All. This way, all exact duplicates will be removed at once.
• Other types of duplicates: Select a random contact in a certain type, choose the Edit solution, and click Fix. This way, you can easily view and compare contact information side by side. Then, choose to merge or edit this set of duplicates. Continue handling other sets and types.

As you can see, this duplicate contacts remover provides both efficiency, flexibility, and reliability.

 

Steps on Windows PC

1. Download and install ContactsMate. Open the app.

Free Download Windows 10 or later

2. Add your contacts source(s), like Outlook or Google.

When the sync is complete, all your contacts will show up in ContactsMate, and the app will automatically scan for duplicates.

3. Click Merge & fix in a source of your choice, and you will see all the detected duplicates.

4. Manage duplicates as needed.

• Exact duplicate contacts: Click this type, then click Merge all at the top. This will automatically merge each set of duplicates at once.
• Other types: Go through any other types of duplicate contacts and fix them by manual editing.

 

2. Look for Duplicates

Compatible OS: Mac

Supported contacts sources: Mac’s Contacts app, iCloud, and a few more

Look for Duplicates is a feature in Mac’s Contacts app (and is somewhat hidden). Since the feature comes with this app, you can use it instantly. It finds duplicates and allows you to merge them with a click. If you click the Merge button, auto deduplication will start, which is quick and effortless.

However, it doesn’t list the found duplicates. In other words, you can’t view them. Also, this feature doesn’t have settings for you to configure. You will have little control over the entire process.

1. Open the Contacts app.

2. From the Card menu, choose Look for Duplicates.

3. Once the process is done, you will see a message that tells you the amount of duplicates found along with a Merge button.

4. When you are sure that you want to merge those duplicates all at once, click Merge.

 

3. View Duplicates

Compatible OS: iPhone

Supported contacts sources: iPhone’s Contacts app, iCloud, and a few more

If you are using iOS 16 or later, the Contacts app on your iPhone can automatically detect duplicate contacts. Thanks to the built-in duplicate detection, managing those redundant contacts can be easy.

1. Open the Contacts app.

2. Tap All iPhone to open your contact list.

3. Tap View Duplicates in the Duplicate Found section. (Duplicate detection is completely automatic and works in the background. If you can't see the said section, just wait for the detection to complete.)

4. On the screen that appears, tap a set of duplicate contacts. View contact information and tap Merge or Ignore based on your decision. Continue handling other sets.

Alternatively, in step 4, simply tap Merge All to remove all duplicates at once.

 

4. Cleanup Duplicate Contacts

Compatible OS: iPhone

Supported contacts sources: iPhone’s Contacts app, iCloud, and a few more

If the said built-in duplicate detection fails to work (which can happen), you can use a third-party duplicate contacts remover for iPhone. Cleanup Duplicate Contacts is primarily designed to deal with duplicate contacts and offers a few extra contact management features. It’s very easy and quick to use.

1. Install Cleanup Duplicate Contacts from the App Store. Open it.

2. Tap Analyze.

3. On the Results screen, you will see a list of the types of duplicate contacts that have been found. Tap the type that you want to remove.

4. Tap Merge in the top right corner of the screen.

 

5. Google Contacts

Compatible OS: Web, Android

Supported contacts sources: Google

Google Contacts is a contact manager by Google. You can use it as long as you have a Google account.

1. Optionally, if there aren't any contacts in your account, you need to import contacts from CSV or vCard files.

2. In the left sidebar, click Merge and fix to see the found duplicate contacts.

3. There are three options.

• Merge all: Clicking the Merge all button will automatically merge each duplicate set at once.
• Merge individual sets: Each set provides a Merge button, and clicking it will do an automatic merging.
• Edit: Editing is also available as a fix, although there isn't an Edit button. You can just click a contact to open the Edit window.

 

6. Easy Contacts Cleaner

Compatible OS: Android

Supported contacts sources: Default Contacts app (and probably other sources, depending on your phone)

In the Google Play Store, Android users can find a number of apps designed for this purpose. And two of them are very popular: Duplicate Contacts Remover and Easy Contacts Cleaner. I choose the latter based on my tests and user experience. Easy Contacts Cleaner is easy to use and kind of feature-rich. It has a simple and intuitive interface.

1. Get Easy Contacts Cleaner from the Google Play Store.

2. Open it, and you will be presented with a list of the types of duplicates that have been found, including exact duplicates, partial duplicates, and even similar names.

3. Fix each type of duplicates by merging or editing duplicates.

 

FAQs

What's the best Duplicate Contacts Removers?

Cisdem ContactsMate is the best duplicate contacts remover that helps clean up duplicate contacts efficiently. Unlike many other apps, it let you preview detected duplicate contact cards before remover. So you don't need to worry about losing any data in the process. It offers 4 flexible options to handle duplicates.

How to bulk delete duplicate contacts?

To bulk delete duplicate contacts, you can use Cisdem ContactsMate. This app scans your contact list and categorizes duplicates by type. You can choose a duplicate type and click Fix All to delete them in bulk.

Is there a free duplicate contacts remover?

Yes. The "Look for Duplicates" feature in Apple Contacts is free to use. However, it automatically merges duplicate contact cards without letting you preview them. It's not a good option.

 

Wrapping up

By removing duplicates from your contact list, you can make contact management easier and communication more efficient. Although it’s possible to manually find them, it’s usually better to use a duplicate contacts remover (which provides better accuracy and therefore safety). But even with the help of a dedicated tool, you need to be cautious when handling them.