How to add and remove e-mail contacts

Updated: 03/10/2024 by Computer Hope
Notification of new e-mail.

All modern e-mail services and clients are loaded with features. One popular feature is the ability to store information about other users you communicate with frequently, whether it's a friend, business acquaintance, or company. This page shows you how to add and remove contacts in several popular webmail and e-mail programs. To proceed, select your e-mail service from the list below and follow the steps.

Google Gmail logo.

Google Gmail

This section shows you how to add and remove contacts in Gmail.

How to add a contact in Gmail

  1. Open your Gmail account and sign in, if prompted.
  2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the Google Apps menu Gmail Apps button icon.
  3. Find and select the Contacts icon.

Gmail contacts option in Google apps list.

  1. In the upper-left corner of the Contacts window, click the Create contact button and select Create a contact in the drop-down menu.

Create contacts button in Gmail.

  1. Enter the new contact's information, and click the Save button at the top-right of the new contact form.

Gmail new contact creation form.

How to remove a contact in Gmail

  1. Open your Gmail account and sign in, if prompted.
  2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the Google Apps menu Gmail Apps button icon.
  3. Find and select the Contacts icon.

Gmail contacts option in Google apps list.

  1. Scroll down and move your mouse cursor over the contact you want to delete, and click the More actions icon on the far-right side.

More icon

  1. Select Delete from the drop-down menu.

Delete a contact in Gmail

  1. Click Delete in the prompt.

Gmail delete contact

Outlook.com logo.

Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail)

This section shows you how to add and remove contacts on Outlook.com.

How to add a contact on Outlook.com

  1. Log in to your Outlook.com account.
  2. On the left side of the window, click the People icon.

People icon in Outlook.com.

  1. In the People section, click the New contact button at the top of the window.

New contact button.

  1. Fill out the relevant information and click the Outlook.com Create button. button at the bottom of the prompt.

How to remove a contact on Outlook.com

  1. Log in to your Outlook.com account.
  2. On the left side of the window, click the People icon.

People icon in Outlook.com.

  1. Right-click the contact you want to delete and select Delete in the drop-down menu.

Delete contact in Outlook.com.

  1. Click the Delete button to confirm.

Delete contact in Outlook.

Tip

You can also remove a contact by selecting the entry and clicking the Delete icon at the top of the menu.

Yahoo! mail logo.

Yahoo! Mail

This section shows you how to add and remove contacts on Yahoo! Mail.

How to add a contact on Yahoo!

  1. Log in to your Yahoo! e-mail account.
  2. Click the Contacts icon in the upper-right corner of the window.

Yahoo contacts icon.

  1. In the bottom-right corner of the browser window, click the Add a new contact button.

Add a new contact button.

  1. Fill out the appropriate information and click the Yahoo Save button. button.
  2. After saving, you there is a Contact created confirmation. confirmation in the center of the screen.

How to remove a contact on Yahoo!

  1. Log in to your Yahoo! e-mail account.
  2. Click the Contacts icon in the upper-right corner of the window.

Yahoo contacts icon.

  1. Select a contact from the list.
  2. At the top-right corner of the contact, click the kebab menu icon.

Kebab menu icon

  1. Select Delete Contact from the drop-down menu.

Delete contact

Microsoft Outlook Logo

Microsoft Outlook

This section shows you how to add and remove contacts in Microsoft Outlook.

How to add a contact in Outlook

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Click the People option in the navigation bar on the left side of the program window.
  3. On the Home tab in the Ribbon, click the New Contact option in the New section.
  4. Enter all the contact's details.
  5. If you need to save the newly entered contact and add another contact, click the Save & New option. If you only need to save the one new contact, click the Save & Close option.
Tip

You can also add a contact by opening an incoming e-mail message, right-click the name of the person you want to create a contact for, and selecting Add to Outlook Contacts.

How to remove a contact in Outlook

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Click the People option in the navigation bar on the left side of the program window.
  1. Find and select the contact you want to delete.
  2. Click the Delete option in the Ribbon, or right-click the contact and select Delete from the drop-down menu.
Tip

After selecting the contact, press Ctrl+D as a shortcut to delete the contact.

Apple Mail logo.

Apple Mail

To add and remove the contacts associated with Apple Mail, you need to access the Contacts app in macOS because they are tied to that program.

How to add a contact to Apple Mail

  1. In the Dock at the bottom of the screen, click the Finder icon.

Finder icon in the Dock.

  1. On the left side of the screen, under the Favorites section, click the Applications selector in macOS. selector.
  2. After clicking Applications, click the Contacts shortcut in the section to the right.

Contacts icon in macOS.

  1. In the right section of the Contacts app, click the + sign.

Adding a Contact in macOS.

  1. Select New Contact from the drop-down menu.

New Contact selector in macOS.

  1. Click the field next to Email and select an address type from the drop-down menu.

Home e-mail selector in Contacts in macOS.

  1. Type an e-mail address in the Email field and press return.

E-mail address entered in the New Contact form.

  1. If desired, enter any other contact information, such as a physical address or birthday. When you're finished, click the Done button at the bottom of the window.

Done button in Contacts in macOS.

Now, when you open Apple Mail, the new contact appears under Apple Mail add contact to message button. when you compose a message.

New contact in Apple Mail.

How to remove a contact from Apple Mail

  1. In the Dock at the bottom of your screen, click the Finder icon.

Finder icon in the Dock.

  1. On the left side of the screen, under the Favorites section, click the Applications selector in macOS. selector.
  2. After clicking Applications, click the Contacts shortcut in the section to the right.

Contacts icon in macOS.

  1. In the middle section of the Contacts app, right-click an existing contact.

Selecting a contact in macOS.

  1. Select Delete Card from the drop-down menu.

Deleting a contact in macOS.

Thunderbird logo

Mozilla Thunderbird

This section shows you how to add and remove contacts in Mozilla Thunderbird.

How to add a contact in Thunderbird

  1. Open Thunderbird.
  2. Select Address Book at the top of the screen.

Address Book in Mozilla Thunderbird

  1. In the Address Book window that opens, click New Contact.

New Contact button in Thunderbird.

  1. Fill out the appropriate information.
  2. Click the OK button.

How to remove a contact in Thunderbird

  1. Open Thunderbird.
  2. Select Address Book at the top of the screen.

Address Book in Mozilla Thunderbird

  1. In the Address Book window that opens, find and select the contact you want to delete.
  2. Click Delete in the toolbar above your contacts list.

Delete contact in Thunderbird

  1. Click OK in the prompt to confirm the deletion of the contact.