How to Restore Deleted Contacts on iPhone

Apple says a contact you delete is permanently removed from your device. Whether you can get it back depends on where it was stored, such as iCloud or a Google account, or whether you kept a copy.

If your contacts suddenly disappeared

• Same Apple Account, Contacts on: Apple says to check you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on all your devices and that Contacts is turned on in iCloud settings.
• Check your lists: in Contacts, tap Lists and make sure All iCloud is selected.
• Refresh: swipe down on the contacts list, or close the Contacts app, wait about a minute and open it again.
• Date and time: Apple also suggests checking that your iPhone’s date and time are correct for your location.

Restore deleted iCloud contacts on iCloud.com

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   Step 1: Open iCloud Contacts

   On a computer or tablet, go to icloud.com/contacts and sign in with your Apple Account.

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   Step 2: Open Data Recovery

   Select the App Launcher button in the toolbar, then Data Recovery, then Restore Contacts.

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   Step 3: Restore a version

   Versions are listed by the date and time they were archived. Select Restore next to the one you want.

Restore Gmail or Google contacts

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   Step 1: From Trash

   In Google Contacts on a computer, scroll down on the left and click Trash, select the contacts, then click Recover. Google says deleted contacts stay there for 30 days.

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   Step 2: Undo changes

   To roll back every change from the past 30 days at once, click Settings › Undo changes, choose a time to go back to, then click Confirm.

Google notes that contacts added after the time you choose won’t appear, and that contacts deleted permanently from Trash can’t be recovered. Google contacts appear on your iPhone when that account’s contacts are turned on in Settings › Apps › Contacts › Contacts Accounts.

Import a vCard you exported earlier

If you exported your contacts as a vCard, import it on iCloud.com: select the Add button, choose Import Contact, then pick the file. Apple says contacts from the vCard are added to the All Contacts list. To keep a copy for next time, see how to back up contacts on iPhone.

CleanX

Restore from a CleanX backup

If you backed up your contacts in CleanX before deleting some, open Back Up on the Contacts tab and restore that backup. CleanX adds back the contacts from it that aren’t in your address book with the same name and phone numbers, without changing or removing any current contact. Names, phone numbers and email and postal addresses come back; photos, birthdays and notes don’t. If you merged contacts or changed a name or number after the backup, the older cards are added back next to the current ones.

• Restore adds back missing contacts only
• Current contacts aren’t changed or removed
• Restoring is free; creating backups needs CleanX Pro

See everything CleanX does →

If none of these work

• Contacts stored only on your iPhone are included in an iCloud or computer backup of the iPhone. If you have one from before the deletion, you can restore it. To restore an iCloud backup on an iPhone that’s already set up, Apple says you first erase it.
• If the contact was stored only on your iPhone and there’s no backup or export, Apple’s tools have no copy to restore.
• Check the other places it might be saved: a Gmail or work account, or an old phone or SIM you still have.
• To avoid this next time, turn on iCloud Contacts and export a vCard now and then.