How to Organize Contacts into Lists on iPhone and iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Organize Contacts into Lists on iPhone and iPad

by

In iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, the Contacts app on lets you create multiple lists in which to organize your contacts. Keep reading to learn how it works.

ios 16 contacts merge duplicates
The release of iOS 16 introduced many new standout features for iPhones, like Lock Screen widgets and customization, but it also included plenty of other changes that are a little bit more hidden away in Apple's mobile OS. One such feature is the ability to create contact lists in the Contacts app.

Prior to iOS 16, Apple device users had to use the iCloud website or a Mac if they wanted to create contact lists, but now you can do so right on your iPhone and iPad. It's a great way to organize your contacts into groups such as family, friends, and work colleagues, clients, and so on. Not only does it make contacts easier to find, you can also email everyone in a specific list.

The following steps show you how to create lists in iOS 16.

  1. Open the Contacts app on your iPhone. You can also access contacts using the Contacts button in the Phone app.
  2. Tap Lists in the top-left corner of the Contacts interface. (If you're on ‌iPad‌, it's the sidebar button.)
  3. Tap Add List in the top-right corner, then select an account if required (‌iCloud‌ is the default).
    contacts

  4. Give your list a name, then tap it.
  5. Tap Add Contacts.
  6. Select the contacts you wish to add, then tap Done.
    contacts

  7. You can now contact all the people in the list via email or Messages. To email them, you can tap the Mail icon in the top-right corner of the list. To group message everyone, tap Lists, then long press the list in question and select Message All from the popover menu.
    contacts

Note that you can edit lists or delete them by swiping leftwards across a list in the main Lists screen to reveal edit and trash buttons.

Popular Stories

macbook ultra

'MacBook Ultra' Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Friday July 24, 2026 6:00 pm PDT by
Apple's first high-end MacBook redesign in five years is expected to arrive in the near future, bringing a run of firsts to the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the laptop to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027, with the later window now looking more likely owing to the global memory chip shortage. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects mass production to begin by late 2026. Apple last...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple

Apple to Overhaul Mac Lineup With 11 New Models

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The plans come amid a Mac resurgence, with sales projected to climb for a third consecutive year, partly thanks to a growing following among users who lean on the machines for demanding, agent-based AI workloads. The wave of new Macs will begin this fall with a refreshed...
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Feature

'Apple Upgrade' Program Reportedly Launching Next Week

Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30 am PDT by
Apple and Klarna are partnering on a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The program will allow you to finance most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will be able to pay off the device early during...