iPhone Contacts Disappeared? 5 Ways to Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone

User Concern

“I installed iOS 17 on my iPhone 14, and all my contacts are gone. How do I recover them?”

We rely too much on contacts to keep in touch with our family, friends, colleagues, etc. So it is really troublesome when we delete or lose these important contacts from iPhone for various reasons, like upgrading to iOS 17, factory reset, jailbreak, device broken or stolen, etc.

Have your iPhone contacts disappeared or missing? Nowadays, there is no need to feel frustrated anymore. Keep reading as we summarize 5 practical ways on how to recover deleted contacts from iPhone with or without backup.

Way 1. Restore Contacts via iPhone Message App

Few people know that deleted contacts can be returned via the Messages App on iPhone. Through this way, you can find the contacts that you frequently keep in touch with.

1. Open up the Messages App on your iPhone and click to create a new message.
2. Type the name of the contact that you deleted in the "To" field.
3. The contact name and the phone number will pop up automatically. Then, you can tap the "i" icon to save the contact.

Way 2. Restore iPhone Contacts from iCloud

Unlike the Recently Deleted folder for Photos or Messages, there is no built-in function for recovering contacts from iPhone. Luckily, if you have enabled iCloud Sync before your iPhone contacts disappeared, you can easily retrieve them from iCloud.

2.1 Merge Your iCloud Contacts to iPhone

The easiest method you can try is to merge your contacts from iCloud to your iPhone. Follow these steps:

• On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud, find "Contacts" and turn it off. Ignore this if it is already turned off.
• From the pop-up message, select the "Keep on My iPhone" option.
• Then enable Contacts again and choose "Merge" on the pop-up; your contacts will be merged with iCloud.
• After the merging process, your deleted contacts will be back to your iPhone.

2.2 Restore Contacts from iCloud.com

With iCloud.com, you can restore your missing contacts from an earlier version. Here's how to do it:

• Go to iCloud.com in any web browser and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
• Once you've signed in, scroll down and choose "Data Recovery."
• Click on "Restore Contacts". Choose an archive of contacts and click "Restore."

Note

Please note that when you restore contacts from an earlier version, the existing contacts on your iPhone will be replaced. If you made changes recently, you might lose some new contacts.

2.3 Export iCloud Contacts to iPhone

Except for restoring contacts from an earlier version, you can also export iCloud contacts to your computer. Below are the steps:

• Go to iCloud.com and click on "Contacts," then click the Settings button on the bottom-left corner.
• Choose the contacts you want to recover or click "Select All," then click "Export vCard."
• Find the .vcf file on your computer and email it to your iPhone.

Way 3. Restore iPhone Contacts through Gmail

If you have synced iPhone contacts with Gmail before, you can restore them easily, even without a computer. Here's what you need to do:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings and choose "Mail."
2. Click on "Accounts" and select "Gmail," then sign in with your Gmail account and password.
3. Now enable "Contacts" and choose "Keep On My iPhone," then click "Save."

When the sync process is complete, open the Contacts app on your iPhone, and the deleted contacts will be restored to the list.

Way 4. Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone without Backup

If your iPhone contacts are  missing or disappeared and you don't make a backup, never fret; FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery can help users recover deleted or lost contacts directly from iPhone without a bakcup.

Not only contacts but other types of iPhone data, such as text messages, iMessages, photos, videos, WhatsApp chats, KiK history, Viber chat history, notes, voice memos, Safari history, etc., are also supported to be retrieved with the program.

It works well on iPhone 15/14/13, etc., running on iOS 17/16. In addition, this program even offers a free trial version that allows users to preview all recoverable files before recovery. It is really worth trying.

Steps to Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone without Backup

Step 1: Download and install FoneGeek iPhone Contact Recovery on your computer. Launch it and choose "Recover Data from iOS Device" mode. You will be prompted to connect your device to the computer.

Step 2: When your iPhone is connected to this program, choose "Contacts" and then "Scan" to begin scanning. The scanning process will last for a moment and it mainly depends on your iPhone's data size.

Step 3: After the scan, all the deleted and undeleted contacts will be displayed. You have the chance to preview these files in detail, then click "Recover to PC" to save the selected contacts in any folder on your computer.

Way 5. Recover Deleted Contacts from iPhone Backup

If you have made a backup of your iPhone with iTunes or iCloud before you deleted the contacts, then you can get back your lost contacts by restoring your iPhone from the backup.

Note

Keep in mind that the restoring process will erase all the existing data on your iPhone. What's worse, you are not allowed to preview the files stored in the backup and restore only contacts.

Restore Contacts from iTunes Backup:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via a USB cable and launch iTunes.
2. Click on the device icon and click on "Restore Backup" on the Backups menu.
3. Choose an iTunes backup file from the list and click on "Restore" to complete the process.

Restore Contacts from iCloud Backup:

1. Head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and click on "Erase All Content and Settings."
2. Follow the set-up instructions, and on the "Apps & Data" screen, select "Restore from iCloud Backup."
3. Sign in to your iCloud account and choose the backup you want to restore.

Since directly restoring from an iTunes/iCloud backup will overwrite your iPhone and cause new data loss, we strongly recommend you try FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. This tool allows you to extract and recover deleted contacts from iTunes/iCloud backup without restoring your device. Why not download it and give it a free try?

FAQs

Can I see my recently deleted contacts on my iPhone?

No. The Contacts and Phone apps on your iPhone don't have a Recently Deleted folder like some other apps. Once you delete a contact, you won't be able to view it again unless you restore it using the above methods.

Is there a way to recover deleted contacts on iPhone without backup?

Yes. If you don't have an iCloud or iTunes backup of your contacts, you can still rely on third-party data recovery software to recover the lost contacts without backup.

How to keep my contacts safe on my iPhone?

To keep contacts safe on your iPhone, you can turn on iCloud Contacts syncing in your iPhone settings or make regular backups of your iPhone using iCloud/iTunes or third-party tools. All these ensure that your contacts are backed up and can be restored if needed.