My deleted contacts still show up when I want to send a text message

This seems crazy in this day & age. You delete a contact or replace an old number with a new one, and the old one's just going to keep appearing? Apple REALLY needs to make a fix for this. There has to be some way to clear the DELETED number out of the memory. I'm not wiping my phone over it, but come on--Pretty big bug in need of a fix.

I think i found out a way? When ever you want to delete the contact. Go to that contact click the edit button. Then go to the name box and empty out first and last (however you name your contacts) and then when its empty go to the number box and empty it. Basically, empty out all the text boxes! I recently just tried it and when i typed in that name on my message box when i wanna send a text, the name, nor a number comes up. Basically problem solved for me now.

This is a big problem!!!!!! Deleting is deleting!

I'm surprised more people aren't annoyed by this bizarre Apple tech problem.

I love my Apple iPhone, but...

This problem is enough for me not to buy another iPhone :(

This should be simple to solve, Apple...right???????????????????

Dear Apple, PLEASE FIX this BUG in NEXT UPDATE asap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most appreciated.

Apple needs to fix this issue in an update because restoring phone like its new as the only solution is unacceptable

I fixed the problem myself!!!

1. Try to send a new text message

2. Type the Name of the person (duplicate contact)

3. When the deleted number shows up as an option, click on the information icon (or letter I). As a reference, it will show up as a contact.

4. scroll down and delete the number. I Hope this helps

Try deleting the SMS/iMessage text message thread that was associated with that particular contact.

I think I finally figured this out. You need to actually have a text convo with the person you want to delete. Go to the top contact in the text convo, hit edit contact, and delete that contact. I have been able to permanently delete two contacts so far this way ... after being on the line with Apple for four hours and receiving no help! Let me know if this works for everyone else! Some contacts that I want to delete I no longer have texts from so I cannot be sure that this works.

Hi, not sure if anyone has said but this is how you do it...

Open a blank text, type the deleted contacts name, you will see an information symbol to the right of their name ('i' in a circle), click it. Then click 'remove from recents' which is in red. Et voila 🙂 (see below)

Tekneek wrote:

Restore as new is not a solution. It is not even really a workaround. It being the only way to fix this problem means Apple actually has no solution at all. A full nuke-and-pave of any computing device isn't a fix, it means you don't know how to fix it and instead choose to start over.

Only Apple can implement a change to the operating system. I've no doubt they could change the way this works if they chose to. They have not chosen to do so. You can submit feedback to them requesting such a change:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Until that time, the only way to completely eliminate the offending numbers is to restore the phone as new. No, we can't "fix" it.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4416769?start=0&tstart=0

Here's the solution to your problem:

EVERYONE on this discussion board (especially Meg St._Clair) should send the following message to Apple so that they can recognize how serious it is and fix this problem FAST with the NEXT UPDATE:

TO: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html (Apple.com Product Feedback)

RE: iPhone 5 Text Message Auto-Populate List or Pop-Up Short List (AutoComplete List) can NOT be Deleted

Apple, please fix this problem. Here’s the problem: When creating a text message, as you type the name/phone on the “To Line” of the person you are sending the text to, the iphone automatically pops-up a short list to choose from (similar to “AutoComplete” in Internet Explorer) of previous names that you have ever PREVIOUSLY sent a text message to. This short list is a DIFFERENT list from your “Phone’s Contact Address Book List”. This Auto-Populate feature stores these names and number in a different place on your iphone and even if you have DELETED the person’s name from your “iphone’s Contact Address Book List” that name still can NEVER be deleted from this “Auto-Populate” pop-up short list. The ONLY way to remove this data from your iphone is to restore your iphone as a new device in iTunes, NOT from the backup. However, you will LOSE ALL your contacts and information performing this. This is not a good fix because after a short while, the SAME problem will happen again. The fact that DELETED CONTACTS are auto populating and popping up as a short list in both emails and text messages (and can NOT be DELETED) is something that should have been fixed a long time ago! Please fix this problem with the next update. Thanks

<Edited By Host>

You can delete all contacts with app "Contacts In : Import CSV & Manage Groups"

(https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/contacts-in-import-csv-manage/id549639443?mt=8&a ffId=1822652)

You can select all your contacts with one click and delete with another

click Action menu and choose "Delete contacts". Then confirm deletion.

The ONLY way to remove this data from your phone, is to restore your phone as a new device in iTunes, NOT from backup. You either do that, or you live with it. Currently, there is no way to edit this data on any iPhone.

I contacted apple and they said only way to fix this issue is restore as a new iphone and upload from icloud. I don't know if it is worth it. I don't believe I had this problem when I first got my phone.

I have reported this issue to apple support team , let us hope they work

On a fix before next X-mas ! Lol

It is fustrating that it has not been resolved by now.

It is really crazy in this day n age of technology

Thnks for all the tips

This is seriously a major problem. I have submitted a feedback...the fact that deleted contacts are auto populating in both emails and text messages is something that should have been fixed way long ago! I don't get how people in the top at apple aren't annoyed enough by this to fix it!