How to merge duplicate contacts and clear old calendar events on iPhone
On iOS 16 and later, open Contacts: if iOS finds duplicates, a Duplicates Found card appears under your own card — tap View Duplicates → Merge All. For look-alikes iOS misses, open a contact → Edit → Link Contacts. There’s no built-in bulk delete for past calendar events; Puri lists duplicate contacts and old events for review in one place.
Merge duplicate contacts (built-in)
- Open Contacts (or Phone → Contacts).
- If you see Duplicates Found under My Card, tap View Duplicates.
- Merge sets one by one, or tap Merge All.
- For contacts iOS doesn’t flag, open one → Edit → Link Contacts… and choose the other card.
Clear old calendar events
The Calendar app deletes events one at a time. If a calendar is only old history (for example an imported one), you can delete the whole calendar in Calendars. For selective cleanup, Puri’s Old Events category lists past events so you can select and delete them together after confirming.
With Puri
Contacts and Calendar access are optional and separate from Photos. Puri finds contacts that look like the same person and lets you merge or delete only the ones you confirm. Contacts and events are processed on the iPhone and not uploaded to Puri’s servers.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t my iPhone show “Duplicates Found”?
The card appears only on iOS 16 and later and only when iOS detects exact duplicate cards. Near-duplicates (different spellings) have to be linked manually or reviewed with an app.
Does merging contacts sync to iCloud?
Yes. If your contacts sync with iCloud, the merge applies on every device using the same account.
Can Puri delete calendar events without asking?
No. You select events and confirm; Puri doesn’t delete anything on its own.
Sources: Apple Support: Get rid of duplicate contacts on iPhone