Skip to main content

How to make a contact group on an iPhone to message multiple people

apple iphone 15 pro max review cameras up close
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

iPhone has a bunch of cool features, but few are as useful as contact groups. As of iOS 16, Apple lets you pool contacts together into groups, making it easy to spam out messages to family, friends, or colleagues without needing to tinker with a bunch of clunky settings. You don't even need any extra software or apps – as long as you're running iOS 16 or later, you can quickly make a contact group on your iPhone.

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

  • An iPhone

  • An iCloud account

In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to create a contact group on your iPhone, how to send messages to that group, and how to remove contacts or delete groups from your phone.

How to create a contact group on your iPhone

When you create a new contact group, you can add as many contacts as you want. And the steps for doing so are as follows:

Step 1: On the iPhone home screen, tap on the Contacts app. You can also get there by tapping on the Phone app, then selecting Contacts at the bottom.

Open the Contacts app on your iPhone Home screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Tap Lists at the top left.

Adding contacts to a list in the Contacts app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Next, tap Add List at the top right.

Name your new list in the Contacts app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: In the newly formed box, type the List Name. Tap Add List at the top right.

Add contacts to a Contacts group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: On the Lists page, choose the list you just created. Tap Add Contacts. Choose every contact you wish to add to the list. When finished, tap Done at the top right.

How to send a message to your contact group

With your contact group created, you're now ready to send messages to your group. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Go back into the Lists page in the Contacts app, then long press the list you just created.

Prepare to message everyone in a group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Choose Message All. Send a message to the group as you would any other message.

How to remove a contact from your group

The time may come when you want to remove someone from your group. Should the need arise, doing so is quite simple:

Step 1: To get started, go into the Contacts app, then select the list you created above.

Remove a contact from a group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Swipe left on the contact you wish to remove and tap Remove. Your contact has been permanently removed from your group.

How to delete a contact group on your iPhone

Similarly, you can also delete the entire contact group if it's no longer needed.

Step 1: To get started, go into the Contacts app, then choose the List page.

Delete a contacts group in the Contacts app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Tap Edit at the top left.

Step 3: Tap the red icon to the left of the list you wish to delete.

Step 4: Tap the red garbage icon to delete the list. Your list is now deleted.

There are a lot of unique things you can do with the Messages app on your iPhone and iPad. In iOS 17, there's even more, such as creating your own iMessage stickers. You can also edit and unsend messages, along with the option to filter unknown senders. Managing your contacts and messages can be a pain, but if you know how to take control of the settings at your disposal, it doesn't have to be.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Did you know you can customize your iPhone 16’s Camera Control? Here’s how
Camera Control on the iPhone 16.

Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone 16 line is now available. The base model iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now have the Action button and a more powerful A18 chip, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have improved ultrawide cameras and the A18 Pro chip. All of the iPhone 16 phones can run Apple Intelligence once that is released in iOS 18.1 coming in October, and all models also have the new Camera Control.

Read more
How much is Apple Music, and how can you get it for free?
Apple Music pricing September 2024.

Apple Music has become one of the top music streaming services globally, second only to Spotify, providing subscribers access to over 100 million songs, curated playlists, and exclusive content. Since its launch in 2015, Apple Music has consistently grown its library and features, seamlessly integrating with the broader Apple ecosystem to deliver a high-quality user experience. It has become a popular choice for music lovers and a strong competitor to other streaming platforms.

Apple Music's pricing structure is a crucial part of its market strategy, aiming to balance affordability with its value proposition to attract a wide range of users, catering to individuals, families, and students.

Read more
Apple iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Time for an upgrade?
Composite shot of an iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 being held in hands.

For the past two years, Apple’s standard iPhones have felt like awkward compromises, doing little more than bringing over features from their pro-level predecessors without adding anything significantly new to the mix. This year, everything changes.

With the release of the Apple iPhone 16, Apple’s 2024 iPhone lineup is back in unity for the first time since at least 2021. Unlike the Dynamic Island and Action button in previous years, Apple isn’t artificially limiting features like the new Camera Control to the iPhone 16 Pro. The balance between the standard and pro lineups has been restored, with the higher-end models differentiated only by truly Pro-level features and not mere design and user interface aspects. Mix in some unique new design changes, and the iPhone 16 feels like an iPhone that can stand on its own rather than being an also-ran.

Read more