Imagine this: You're scrolling through your iPhone and searching for a contact to call, but you don't find any results. Then you remember that you were trying to delete a contact with a similar name last night and somehow deleted the wrong one. Or your child accidentally deleted some contacts. These situations are enough to make you feel lost. But don't worry; here's how to easily recover deleted contacts on your iPhone.
Contacts can disappear or be lost on your iPhone for two reasons. First, they were deleted, which can be recovered. Second, they were disabled in the Settings app, which can also be easily re-enabled. Let's take a look at all the ways to recover contacts on your iPhone.
1. Enable iCloud or Google Contacts on your iPhone
Sometimes, contacts on your iPhone can simply disappear with an accidental tap. Let's fix this from Settings and restore your contacts. Here are the steps to take:
Step 1: Open Settings On your iPhone, scroll down to Contacts, and tap on it.
Step 2: Click on the accounts.
Tip: On the Contacts settings page, take a quick look at the default account. For example, in my case, it's Gmail, which means any contacts I create and save on my iPhone will also be saved to my Google account.
Step 3: Here are all the accounts that display contacts on your iPhone. If your contacts are stored in iCloud, tap iCloud; Otherwise, click gmail Or other.
Tip: If you don't know whether the contacts that disappeared from your iPhone were saved to iCloud or Gmail, you can try enabling them individually.
Step 4: Click on iCloud once again.
Step 5: in iCloud page, Click on Show all.
Step 6: Now, make sure the toggle is enabled. ContactsOnce finished, press and hold the button. Return On iCloud in the top left.
Step 7: A list of previous directories will open in a pop-up window, click the accounts.
Step 8: Now, press Gmail.
Step 9: Again, make sure to Enable contact switching.
That's it. Now, all your lost contacts should reappear on your iPhone.
2. Get contacts back on iPhone from iCloud website
If you've deleted a contact saved to your iCloud account, iCloud on the web allows you to restore contacts without much effort. Let's take a look at the simple steps you need to follow:
Note: Before accessing iCloud on the web, make sure you've enabled iCloud data access on the web on your iPhone. Here's how.
Step 1: turn on Settings On your iPhone, tap your name/Apple ID.
Step 2: Click on iCloud.
Step 3: Scroll down and turn on the toggle switch. Access iCloud data on the web.
Further, let's move to your Mac or PC for further steps to access iCloud on the web and follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open iCloud In any browser on your Mac or PC, click Data Recovery.
Additionally, contact Apple Support.
If you cannot recover iCloud Contacts If you are unable to use the above method, we suggest you contact Apple Support for further assistance as soon as possible.
However, if you want to recover Google contacts, let's move on to the next section.
3. Recover Deleted Google Contacts on iPhone
Google also lets you recover deleted contacts, whether they were deleted from your iPhone or Android device. Here's how.
Step 1: Open Google Contacts in any browser on your Mac or PC and click Trash.
Step 2: Move the mouse pointer to Contact which you want to recover and click to select it.
4. Restore contacts on iPhone from iCloud backup
You can also try restoring from an iCloud backup. But note that you will need to Wipe your device First, follow the steps below to restore it from your iCloud backup. Your contacts will be automatically restored to your iPhone, along with the device backup.
Note: This is a long process, and you cannot use your device during the scan and restore; therefore, proceed with caution.
Step 1: Turn on your iPhone and follow the prompts until you see the Apps & Data page. Tap Restore from iCloud backup.
Step 3: Click on Backup To restore them to your iPhone. Let your iPhone recover.
Once the restore process is complete, follow the prompts to finish the setup, and your contacts will be restored to your iPhone.
5. Recover deleted contacts on iPhone from PC or MAC backup
If you want to recover deleted phone numbers on your iPhone without using iCloud, you can also Use a Finder backup for your iOS deviceHowever, you should have recently backed up your iPhone to ensure you can recover your deleted contacts. Here's what you need to do:
Note: This takes a long time, and you cannot use your device while scanning and restoring; therefore, proceed with caution.
Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with the help of USB cable.
Step 2: Now open Settings On your iPhone, go to Name/ID. Apple > Find My.
Step 3: Click on Find My iPhone.
Step 4: Now, turn off all the toggle buttons on the page. Find My iPhone, Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.
Now go to your Mac (PC) for further steps.
Step 5: Open Finder On your Mac, click on your iPhone from the sidebar.
Tip: If you're using a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier or a PC, open iTunes instead of the Finder.
Step 6: Now, click Restore iPhone. Then choose Backup To recover it and follow the prompts to recover it.
Once the restore process is complete, your iPhone will boot up with the restored contacts. That's it.
common questions:
Q1. How old is the iCloud contact archive that I can recover from?
The answer: You can restore the last 10 versions of your iCloud contacts from the contacts restore archive.
Q2. Can I access my older iCloud contacts archive?
The answer: No. Typically, a maximum of 10 versions of your contact archive are available on iCloud; for more help, contact Apple Support.
Q3. Why are the restored iCloud contacts not showing up?
The answer: It should appear soon. Try restarting your iPhone or signing in and out of your Apple ID, and that should work.
Q4. Why are my restored Google contacts not showing up?
The answer: Give it some time to sync; turn off battery saver if it's enabled. It should appear immediately.
Get your contacts back
In short, if all of your contacts are missing, you may have accidentally turned off the toggle for your contacts, which can be fixed by turning it back on. If only some of them are missing or you deleted them, you can recover them from iCloud or Google Contacts by following the steps above. Go ahead and recover all your contacts on your iPhone.
