diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/ContactsHelper.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/ContactsHelper.kt
index 20a9e2a9..575c8137 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/ContactsHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/ContactsHelper.kt
@@ -1446,17 +1446,21 @@ class ContactsHelper(val activity: Activity) {
     }
 
     fun addFavorites(contacts: ArrayList<Contact>) {
-        toggleLocalFavorites(contacts, true)
-        if (activity.hasContactPermissions()) {
-            toggleFavorites(contacts, true)
-        }
+        Thread {
+            toggleLocalFavorites(contacts, true)
+            if (activity.hasContactPermissions()) {
+                toggleFavorites(contacts, true)
+            }
+        }.start()
     }
 
     fun removeFavorites(contacts: ArrayList<Contact>) {
-        toggleLocalFavorites(contacts, false)
-        if (activity.hasContactPermissions()) {
-            toggleFavorites(contacts, false)
-        }
+        Thread {
+            toggleLocalFavorites(contacts, false)
+            if (activity.hasContactPermissions()) {
+                toggleFavorites(contacts, false)
+            }
+        }.start()
     }
 
     private fun toggleFavorites(contacts: ArrayList<Contact>, addToFavorites: Boolean) {
@@ -1481,8 +1485,8 @@ class ContactsHelper(val activity: Activity) {
     }
 
     private fun toggleLocalFavorites(contacts: ArrayList<Contact>, addToFavorites: Boolean) {
-        val localContacts = contacts.filter { it.source == SMT_PRIVATE }.map { it.id.toString() }.toTypedArray()
-        activity.dbHelper.toggleFavorites(localContacts, addToFavorites)
+        val localContacts = contacts.filter { it.source == SMT_PRIVATE }.map { it.id }.toTypedArray()
+        LocalContactsHelper(activity).toggleFavorites(localContacts, addToFavorites)
     }
 
     fun deleteContact(contact: Contact) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/DBHelper.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/DBHelper.kt
index 5b454ddd..ed12f089 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/DBHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/DBHelper.kt
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@ import android.content.ContentValues
 import android.content.Context
 import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase
 import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper
-import android.graphics.Bitmap
 import android.graphics.BitmapFactory
-import android.net.Uri
-import android.provider.MediaStore
 import android.text.TextUtils
 import com.google.gson.Gson
 import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken
@@ -18,8 +15,6 @@ import com.simplemobiletools.commons.extensions.getLongValue
 import com.simplemobiletools.commons.extensions.getStringValue
 import com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro.extensions.applyRegexFiltering
 import com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro.extensions.config
-import com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro.extensions.getByteArray
-import com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro.extensions.getPhotoThumbnailSize
 import com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro.models.*
 
 class DBHelper private constructor(val context: Context) : SQLiteOpenHelper(context, DB_NAME, null, DB_VERSION) {
@@ -98,15 +93,6 @@ class DBHelper private constructor(val context: Context) : SQLiteOpenHelper(cont
         mDb.delete(CONTACTS_TABLE_NAME, selection, null)
     }
 
-    fun toggleFavorites(ids: Array<String>, addToFavorites: Boolean) {
-        val contactValues = ContentValues()
-        contactValues.put(COL_STARRED, if (addToFavorites) 1 else 0)
-
-        val args = TextUtils.join(", ", ids)
-        val selection = "$COL_ID IN ($args)"
-        mDb.update(CONTACTS_TABLE_NAME, contactValues, selection, null)
-    }
-
     fun insertGroup(group: Group): Group? {
         val contactValues = fillGroupValues(group)
         val id = mDb.insert(GROUPS_TABLE_NAME, null, contactValues)
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/LocalContactsHelper.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/LocalContactsHelper.kt
index 0a158106..cbec2b6a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/LocalContactsHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/helpers/LocalContactsHelper.kt
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ class LocalContactsHelper(val activity: Activity) {
         return activity.contactsDB.insertOrUpdate(localContact) > 0
     }
 
+    fun toggleFavorites(ids: Array<Int>, addToFavorites: Boolean) {
+        val isStarred = if (addToFavorites) 1 else 0
+        ids.forEach {
+            activity.contactsDB.updateStarred(isStarred, it)
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun getPhotoByteArray(uri: String): ByteArray {
         if (uri.isEmpty()) {
             return ByteArray(0)
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/interfaces/ContactsDao.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/interfaces/ContactsDao.kt
index 2e26861e..10686132 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/interfaces/ContactsDao.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/contacts/pro/interfaces/ContactsDao.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ interface ContactsDao {
     @Query("SELECT * FROM contacts WHERE id = :id")
     fun getContactWithId(id: Int): LocalContact
 
+    @Query("UPDATE contacts SET starred = :isStarred WHERE id = :id")
+    fun updateStarred(isStarred: Int, id: Int)
+
     @Insert(onConflict = OnConflictStrategy.REPLACE)
     fun insertOrUpdate(contact: LocalContact): Long