So you’ve got an iPhone 12. It’s a workhorse. But your "Favorites" lists in Safari, the Phone app, or even Maps are probably looking like a digital attic full of things you don't need anymore. We've all been there. You save a link for a vacation you took three years ago, or a contact for a person you haven't spoken to since the iPhone 12 was actually brand new.
Honestly, cleaning this stuff out is one of those small tasks that feels weirdly satisfying once it's done. Whether you’re trying to declutter your browsing or stop accidentally calling your ex because they're still pinned to your speed dial, I'll walk you through how to handle it.
How do I delete my favorites on an iPhone 12 in Safari?
Safari is usually the biggest culprit. You open a new tab and suddenly you're staring at twenty icons for websites you haven't visited in months. It’s messy. To fix this, you don’t even have to dig into the Settings app.
- Open Safari.
- Tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom (it looks like a little open book).
- Look at the tabs at the top of that menu. Make sure the far-left one (the book icon) is selected.
- Tap on the Favorites folder.
- Now, you have two choices. You can either swipe left on any individual bookmark and hit "Delete," or you can tap Edit in the bottom corner.
- If you tap Edit, you’ll see red minus signs. Just tap those to clear out the junk.
The cool thing about the iPhone 12 and the newer iOS versions is that you can also do this directly from the "Start Page." If you open a new tab and see those icons, just long-press on any icon. A menu pops up. Tap "Delete" and it’s gone forever. Easy.
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Cleaning Up Your Phone App Favorites
Your speed dial list (the Favorites tab in the Phone app) should be for people you actually talk to. If it’s clogged with your old landlord or a pizza place from your old neighborhood, it’s time for a purge.
Go into the Phone app and hit the Favorites star in the bottom left corner. Tap Edit at the top. You’ll see those familiar red circles. Tap the circle and then hit Delete. Don't worry—this doesn't delete them from your contacts. It just kicks them off the VIP list.
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Sometimes, people think they have to delete the whole contact to get them off the Favorites list. Definitely don't do that. You just need to remove the "Favorite" status. If you want to rearrange them instead of deleting, those three horizontal lines on the right of each name are your best friend. Just drag and drop.
Apple Maps: Removing Saved Locations
Maps can be the most annoying one because it suggests "Favorites" every time you want to go somewhere. If you've moved house or changed jobs, having those old locations pop up is just confusing.
Open Maps and swipe up on the search card. You’ll see a section titled Favorites. Tap See All.
From here, it’s the same old story: swipe left on the location and hit Delete. Or tap the "i" icon next to a location like "Home" or "Work" and select Remove Favorite.
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What About Photos?
People often forget about the Favorites album in the Photos app. This is where every photo you've ever "hearted" goes to live. If you want to remove a photo from this album, you have to go into the photo itself.
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to Albums and find Favorites.
- Tap a photo you no longer want there.
- Tap the Heart icon at the bottom. Once the heart is just an outline (not filled in), the photo stays in your library but leaves the Favorites album.
It's basically a toggle. If you have hundreds of photos and want to clear them all at once, you can tap Select at the top of the Favorites album, select multiple photos, and then tap the heart icon or the "..." menu to remove them from favorites in bulk.
Why Your iPhone Might Be Acting Up
If you delete something and it magically reappears, you're probably dealing with an iCloud sync issue. This happens a lot if you have a Mac or an iPad signed into the same Apple ID.
Basically, your iPhone 12 tells the cloud "hey, delete this," but the cloud gets a mixed signal from another device. If this happens, try turning off Safari or Contacts sync in your Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud menu, wait a minute, and turn it back on. It usually forces a refresh.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your Safari Start Page: Open a new tab and long-press any icon you haven't clicked in 30 days. Delete it immediately.
- Check your VIPs: Open the Phone app and make sure your top 5 Favorites are actually people you've called this month.
- Update your "Home" address: If you’ve moved, go into Maps and delete the old "Home" favorite before adding the new one to avoid navigation errors.