iPhone · App access

Give apps only the contacts they need

Why it matters

You control which of your contacts an app can access. Instead of all of them, you can pick individual people.

If you leave it

An app may keep access to more contacts than it needs.

Where to find it

  • Settings
  • Privacy & Security
  • Contacts
  • The app
    Choose: “Limited Access”

Step by step

  • 1.
    Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
  • 2.
    Tap Contacts, then the app.
  • 3.
    Below Contacts Access, choose how much access the app gets.
  • 4.
    With Limited Access, tap Edit Selected Contacts, select the people the app may see and tap Done.
Path from the official guide by Apple for iOS 26, as of 3 Oct 2026.
Open the guide on support.apple.com