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Q&A: Cleaning Up Outdated Gmail Contacts

Q.

How can I get rid of old e-mail contact information? Gmail keeps offering these as suggested addresses every time I text or e-mail my family and friends, long after they've stopped using those accounts.

A.

Each time you reply to or forward a message, Gmail automatically creates a new contact for those addresses that are not already in your Contacts list. While helpful in some situations, this feature can lead to outdated or unneeded entries that pile up quickly as suggested addresses for new messages.

To delete the unwanted addresses from the Contacts list, log into your Gmail account. Click the triangle next to the word “Gmail” on the left side of the page and select Contacts from the menu. (You can also go right to the Contacts page at google.com/contacts.)

When you land on the Contact Manager page, select the entries you want to delete from the list by turning on the checkboxes next to the names. Once you have the outdated addresses selected, click the More button at the top of the list and choose Delete Contacts from the menu. Google has more information about managing contacts (including removing them from Google Plus and from contact groups) on its site.