Contact Problems

How to Delete Categories in the Microsoft 365 People Section

Khadija Khan Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to remove or manage existing contact categories in the Microsoft 365 People section, potentially considering a data restart or import.

How to Delete Categories in the Microsoft 365 People Section

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Organizing the contact database by removing outdated categories or resetting the address book organization.
Observed behavior: Unwanted categories are cluttering the People section, requiring a clear method to delete them across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Before you start

Verify whether you are using Outlook on the Web or the Outlook Desktop application, as the steps to manage categories differ slightly depending on the platform.

Solution 1Recommended

Delete Categories via Outlook on the Web

Use this method if you access Microsoft 365 and your contacts through a web browser.

Managing categories in the web version of Microsoft 365 is straightforward and changes will sync automatically to all your connected devices.

Navigate to the People app

Log into your Microsoft 365 account on the web and click on the 'People' icon from the left-hand navigation pane.

Access Category Management

Select any contact from your list. On the top toolbar, click on 'Categorize' and select 'Manage categories' from the dropdown menu.

Delete the Category

In the Manage categories dialog box, locate the category you wish to remove and click the trash can icon next to it. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

Delete Categories via Outlook on the Web

Data Safety: Deleting a category will not delete the contacts assigned to it; it only removes the color-coded label.

Solution 2

Delete Categories in the Outlook Desktop App

Follow these steps if you use the installed Microsoft Outlook desktop client.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting a category in Microsoft 365 delete my contacts?

No, deleting a category only removes the organizational tag from your list of available categories. The contacts that were previously assigned to that category will remain safely in your address book.

Can I recover a deleted category in the People section?

Once a category is deleted, it cannot be automatically restored. You will need to manually create a new category with the same name and color, then reassign it to your contacts.

Why can't I see the 'Manage categories' option?

This option may be hidden if you are not actively in the 'People' or 'Mail' view. Additionally, if you are using an enterprise account, your IT administrator may have restricted the ability to customize contact categories.

Outlook & Email Problems