Are your iPhone contacts missing? Here's the fix! (updated to iOS 14)

Apple devices are quite expensive. But at the same time, they provide a number of features and advantages that competing devices cannot boast of.

Sometimes it happens that a user loses contacts. But you can still restore them. To do this, you need to use one of the available methods.

But it’s even better to make sure you don’t lose data in the future and be able to easily return it at any time.

How to Fix Disappearing iPhone Contacts

Before getting into the tricks and all the possible ways to recover lost iPhone contacts, it would be best to get to the root of the problem.

So, why do contacts disappear from iPhone in the first place?

Well, there could be several reasons why contacts disappear on an iOS device. This could be due to software update bugs, a failed restore, or slow synchronization due to a poor internet connection. After carefully studying each possible scenario, we have come up with possible solutions that can get your lost iPhone contacts back. With that said, let's get on with cleaning up the mess!

1. Sign out of iCloud and sign in again
2. Change group settings for contacts
3. Turn iCloud on or off for Contacts
4. Make sure my iPhone is selected as the default account
5. Restore your iPhone using Finder/iTunes Backup
6. Try reliable third-party data recovery software for more flexibility

What to do if there is no backup in icloud or on your computer

How to clear iCloud storage on iPhone if it's full

Sometimes it happens that not only contacts are lost on the iPhone, but they are not in the Apple storage either. This could happen due to lack of synchronization or deletion of records directly from the phone. Fortunately, there are a couple more ways to save backups.

Recovering contacts via Google account

Apple's synchronization services have a number of disadvantages. Some of them are quite obvious and some are not, but that's not the point. To restore, you can use everyone’s favorite Google.

Having installed Gmail just once and configured the service, you don’t have to worry about the entries in your phone’s contact book. Only its creator will have access to the Google account. Moreover, Google provides a chance to return deleted posts from the last 30 days if they are deleted from everywhere.

First you need to create a Google account. After this, synchronization occurs. In the phone settings, you need to select the “Mail, addresses, calendars” item and add the newly created account by selecting the appropriate service from the list. In the synchronization list, select “Contacts”.

After this, contact entries from the Google address book will be transferred to the phone memory and vice versa. To transfer data from an iPhone to Google, you need to enter the same menu item “Mail, addresses, calendars” and select Gmail as the standard account. All you need to do is open the application so that all entries from the phone book are transferred to the Google server.

Sometimes Google is more reliable than Apple

Recovery via SIM card

Some people ask: is it possible to recover deleted contacts on an iPhone using a SIM card. The answer is yes. To import phonebook entries from your SIM card, you must:

1. Correctly install the chip into the card reader.
2. Turn on your phone or unlock it.
3. Go to “Settings”, then “Contacts”.
4. In the application menu, select “Import contacts from SIM card”.
5. Wait for the process to complete.
6. Remove or leave the SIM card as desired.
7. Make sure that all data from the phone book has been successfully transferred.
8. Make a backup copy of them in iCloud.

Solution 1: Sign out of iCloud and sign in again.

The first trick you should try to get the missing contacts to reappear on your iOS device is to sign out and sign in to your Apple ID again. More often than not, it solves this problem, so I hope it gets the job done for you.

1. Launch the Settings app and tap your profile picture at the top.
2. Scroll down and click Sign Out. Side note: If Find My iPhone is enabled on your device, a pop-up will appear asking you to enter your Apple ID to turn off Find My iPhone. Do it.
3. In the "SAVE A COPY" section, turn on the switches for Contacts, Keychain, Safari, and other options to keep them on your device.
   The note:
   • All your optimized photos and videos will be deleted from this iOS device.

   However, your original images and videos will remain available on other devices that use iCloud Photos.

4. All documents and data you have stored in iCloud Drive will also be deleted.
5. Please note that all your health data will remain on this device.
6. Now click "Logout".
7. Then sign in to your Apple ID again.

After a while, check your Contacts app to see if you were successful.

Searching for numbers deleted from an iPhone via instant messengers and messenger backups

Almost everyone has a Viber or WhatsApp account. With their help, you can also return backup copies of records. There are two ways to do this: manually rewrite all available data from the messenger or use special import and export programs. The second option is preferable, since it involves installing a program to “extract” all contacts from your messenger account and save them in a convenient form.

Important! It is best to look for applications with such functionality in the official App Store, since downloading from unverified sources can harm the operating system and the entire device.

A full reset will help clear your contact book.

Thus, it is possible to restore contacts on iPhone or view deleted numbers, even if they were completely erased in iCloud. There are several fairly simple ways to do this.

Solution 2: Change group settings for contacts

Another trick you should try to resolve this issue is to change your contact group settings.

1. Launch the Phone application → Contacts tab.
2. Now click Groups in the top left corner.
3. Uncheck "All iCloud" and click "Done" in the top right corner.

You should now see all the contacts you have saved on your iPhone. Find the missing ones and add them to your address book. Once this is done, go to the group settings and select the “All iCloud” option again.

Apple ID login recovery

In addition to the fact that users forget their passwords, there are often cases when it is impossible to remember their login in the service, especially if the client has several dozen mailboxes, or the function of automatically entering passwords and logins has been installed on the PC for a long time

If the iPad or iPhone is not locked and is in working mode, you can remember or restore your login in a few minutes. To do this, use a simple diagram.

1. Open section "Settings".

   
   

2. Select any service: iTunes Store, App Store, iCloud.

3. In the window that opens at the top, you will see the email that was used to create the account, this will be your Apple login >

Solution 3: Turn OFF/ON iCloud for Contacts.

Sometimes all you need to do to fix this problem is to turn off/on the contact sync switch. And guess what we're going to try to see how it goes.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone → Profile → iCloud.
2. Now click on the switch for Contacts.
3. A pop-up window will then appear at the bottom of the screen asking, “What do you want to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone?” Select "Save to My iPhone." Important Note: You can also select "Delete from iPhone" to erase all previously synced contacts and trust iCloud to restore all contacts without any glitches. But I would recommend you select "Save to my iPhone" just in case. Since iCloud does offer the option to merge iCloud contacts with those existing on the device, "Save to My iPhone" seems to be the best option.
4. Then reboot your device. (Press and hold the side button and then swipe to turn off the power. Then press and hold the side button again to turn on the device.)
5. Go to Settings → your avatar → iCloud and then tap the contacts switch.
6. Now select "Merge" from the pop-up window to merge contacts with existing ones on your device.

Wait a while for your iCloud contacts to fully merge with your local contacts. After that, open the Contacts app on your device. Check if your missing iPhone contacts have finally appeared.

When you need it

Situations are different. But first you need to answer the main question: is it possible to recover lost contacts that were stored on the iPhone. Yes, it can be done. And in several different ways at once.

Such a need may arise for several reasons:

• the user accidentally deleted a contact, and there is no way to recognize him through someone else;
• someone else accidentally or deliberately deleted contacts;
• the SIM card has been damaged;
• There was a software glitch, which doesn’t happen very often.

Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains a fact. Necessary and sometimes very valuable contacts have disappeared. But they can be returned.

Solution 5: Restore iPhone using Finder/iTunes Backup.

If none of the above techniques help solve the problem, it's time to take a nuclear solution. By using it, I mean going back to the drawing board and restoring the iPhone from a previous backup. Since it has always been a reliable troubleshooter for recovering lost data, I am putting my trust in it to get the job done.

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC using a Lightning cable and launch Finder (on macOS Catalina) / iTunes.
2. Now select your iPhone.
3. Click Restore Backup and select your preferred backup.

Once your device is successfully restored from a previous backup, go to the Contacts app to see if the missing ones are finally back in their usual place.

Recovery" via the official website

If you don’t have enough information to recover your password: you can’t open your email, you’ve lost your trusted phone, etc., recover your data through the developer’s official service. To do this, use the instructions.

1. Open the official Apple ID website.
2. Click on the “Forgot your Apple ID or password?” column.
3. Fill out the form in as much detail as possible, creating a full-fledged request.
4. Click on the "Submit" option.
5. Open your email, the details of which you left in the request.

Within a few minutes you will receive a response from the developer indicating that your request has been accepted, indicating the recovery time.

During this time, check your mailbox regularly, you will receive step-by-step instructions with technical instructions on what to do. To access your account.

Information! If you indicated a contact phone number, information about the procedure for restoring your account. records can be dictated by the company operator

In order to speed up the recovery process, indicate your bank card number in the request, if its number appears in the account services as a means of payment. In this case, Apple support will send an authorization request to the bank that issued the credit (debit) card.

Information! In 40% of cases, the automated banking system rejects authorization requests. It is recommended to personally call the bank and warn about the possibility of transferring data using their service

Methods for removing anal folds

Most municipal institutions can only remove fringes surgically, by excision of the skin. In commercial clinics, along with surgery, they offer:

• cryodestruction – treatment of the anal area with liquid nitrogen;

radio wave method, in which heat is applied to the problem area, due to which the anal growths are destroyed; laser therapy, in which skin folds are cauterized using special infrared radiation. Under the influence of a laser, they are cut off, and a scar remains at the site of the operation.

Using iTunes

In addition to restoring deleted contacts via iCloud, you can also use iTunes functions. This is a tool from Apple with which you can easily save all the necessary data from your smartphone on your computer.

To return deleted numbers with names to your smartphone using the iTunes application, you need to have a computer onto which all the necessary data has been copied in advance. If this is the case, then the further sequence of actions is as follows:

1. launch iTunes on your computer;
2. Click on the mobile device icon in the upper left corner;
3. select “Summary” in the left panel;
4. On your smartphone, open settings, then iCloud, where you activate the “Find My iPhone” function;
5. Click the “Back Up Now” button to start copying information to your smartphone from your computer.

Synced contacts are saved in iTunes

iBackupBot

This option requires an iTunes backup and iBackupBot. To return a contact, follow the instructions:

• open the application, after which it will automatically scan to find a backup copy;
• select a copy, click “File”, then “Duplicate”;
• now in the lower block click on the “Contacts” item;
• A list will open where you need to select the required contact;
• export it in vCard format and save it;
• send the file to your phone.

The difference between this method and a simple backup is that here you can restore a specific number without affecting other data.