How to Find and Delete Duplicate Contacts From Google Account

Summary: Following an iCloud to Google contacts migration, a contact synchronization issue arose. The overlapping entries between the two platforms created an unexpected mess. To remove the clutter, the user decides to delete duplicate contacts from Google account. Read this technical blog post carefully to find out how one can solve this issue. Users can solve this problem with the manual approach or with a specialized vCard Duplicate Remover. This tool efficiently identifies and removes duplicates without losing any piece of data. 

Factors Causing Duplicate Contacts in Google Account

Most duplicate entries occur when they are imported from several sources without proper integration. The points below highlight the factors causing duplicate entries:

• Cross-Device Contact Sync: Logging into various devices with one Google account results in duplicate contacts.
• Performing Multiple Data Restores: Recovering multiple backups often brings back previously stored contacts, producing duplicates.
• Running Multiple Google Logins on a Single Device: When two or more Google accounts are synced on the same phone, it can cause overlapping contact entries. 
• Moving from Android to iPhone: Users migrating data between Android and iPhone may result in repeated contacts due to overlapping sync processes. 
• Modifying the Way Contacts Sync: Frequently modifying the sync settings can trigger the device to re-sync existing entries, leading to duplicates.

How to Remove Duplicate Contacts from Google Account?

In this section, we will focus on different ways to remove the same contacts securely. After reading the methods, you can choose either one. So, let’s start with the manual procedures in detail. Other than that, we will also explore an alternative method for quick and secure output. 

Method 01: Google’s Built-In “Merge & Fix”

It is the easiest way to remove duplicate contacts in Google Contacts. The process uses Google’s built-in “Merge & Fix” feature, which automatically scans the duplicates and merges them. 

Perform the following steps to begin the merge process:

1. Visit contacts.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
2. Now, on your left side, press Merge and Fix.
3. Google will start to identify duplicate contacts. 
4. If a set of duplicates is found, click on Merge or select Merge All. 

Limitations: This process will not be able to detect the partial duplicates. In some cases, the system may suggest incorrect merges. 

Method 02: Manually Delete Duplicate Contacts in Google Contacts

In this method, users manually review the Google contact list, identify the duplicates, and delete duplicate contacts in Gmail. Through this method, no contact will be deleted accidentally. 

The following are the steps to initiate the process:

1. First, open Google Contacts on your web browser.
2. Then, click on Contacts and scroll through the list.
3. Look for the duplicate contact entries.
4. Now, select them one by one and tap Delete.

Limitations: Manually reviewing hundreds of duplicate contacts will be time-consuming. This can also increase the chances of human error. 

Method 03: Check Contacts by Labels

This method detects duplicates created due to imports from SIM cards, CSV/VCF files, iCloud, Outlook, etc. By checking through the labels, users can quickly detect and delete duplicate contacts. 

Use the following instructions to start the procedure:

1. In Google Contacts, sign in with your Google account credentials.
2. Then, click on the Labels option.
3. After that, open the labels one by one: Imported, Other Contacts, etc.
4. Now, look for the duplicate contact entries.
5. Select them and click the Delete button to delete them.

Limitations: For a large contact list, this method becomes inefficient and takes a considerable amount of time. Also, some of the contacts appear again and again in different labels, making it more complex.

Securely Delete Duplicate Contacts from Google Account 

An overcrowded contact list filled with repeated entries creates inefficiency and is frustrating at times. To overcome this challenge, the vCard Duplicate Remover is used for detecting and removing duplicates easily. Also, the software handles multiple vCard files in a single operation through batch processing. This reduces the manual effort and saves time. The tool does all of this while ensuring that no data is lost. It useful for delete duplicates contacts form different pletfor remove duplicate contacts from VCF

Simplified steps to delete duplicate contacts in Gmail:

1. Download, install, and start the tool on your system.
2. Then, tap Click here to Remove Duplicate Contacts from VCF/vCard File(s).
3. After that, click on Add Files to browse and select the desired vCard file.
4. Next, choose the Duplicate Filters and Saving Option as needed.
5. Now, click on File Path to pick the preferred location to save the exported file.
6. At the end, click Next to complete the process.

Conclusion

To conclude, this blog has successfully explained how to remove duplicate contacts in Google account. It has illustrated two manual techniques using Merge & Fix, checking labels, and manually reviewing duplicates. Though these techniques are effective, they are time-consuming and can lead to human error. Alternatively, a specialized and secure vCard Duplicate Remover quickly identifies and delete duplicate contacts from Google account. Users can test the software’s features with its trial version and then choose the required technique.

You May Also Read: Delete Duplicate Contacts on iPhone

Frequently Asked Questions