While messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber are available now, they require an internet connection. That’s why it’s still essential always to have the contact numbers of people you often talk to.
But what should you do if you need to message someone, don’t have an internet connection, and notice that your contacts are missing? This article will discuss why your iPhone contacts disappeared and what you should do to recover them.
Why Your Contacts Disappeared from Your iPhone
Accidental deletion is the most common reason for losing your contacts. However, this is not always the case, as software issues may lead to your contacts suddenly ghosting you.
Here are the reasons why your iPhone contacts disappeared:
- Accidental Deletion.
If you have recently managed your contacts list, you may have deleted some contact numbers you were not supposed to. - Poor Internet Connection.
Did you back up your contacts using iCloud, iTunes, or other device management systems? If your phone fails to sync with it due to internet issues, you may lose your contacts even without deleting them. - Changes in Settings.
You may have accidentally turned off iCloud Contacts, resulting in the loss of some contact numbers. These contacts will return once you have turned the setting back on. - Update Glitch.
Updating, downgrading your iOS incorrectly, or installing an incompatible iOS version may cause sudden contact loss. - iOS Jailbreaking.
While jailbreaking your iPhone can let you access additional features, it can cause software and system issues. Instead of a jailbreak, you can have your iPhone unlocked by a professional. However, this is not free. Here’s the cost of unlocking an iPhone. - Outdated Backup.
iCloud consistently backs up your contacts. However, if you accessed an outdated backup, you may not see your recent contacts, making you think they have disappeared. - Incorrect Contacts List.
The iPhone’s contacts consist of lists, particularly “All Contacts”, “All Gmail”, and All iCloud”. If a contact is missing, it may just be hiding in a different contact group.
How to Recover Lost Contacts on an iPhone
When device management systems were unfamiliar, you couldn’t do anything if you lost some contact numbers from your phone. But now, losing apps, media, or even contacts is no longer an issue, as there are easy ways to recover them.
These are the solutions you can do when your contacts disappear from your iPhone:
1. Restart Your iPhone
The good old restart often resolves software glitches. It refreshes your device’s connection with the internet and iCloud, thus restoring your lost contacts.
Here’s how to restart your iPhone:
- iPhone 11 & Later.
Press and quickly release the “Volume Up” button. Then, do the same with the “Volume Down” button. Finally, press and hold the “Power” button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. - iPhone 6, 7, 8, & 2nd or 3rd Gen SE.
Press the “Power” button and drag the power off the slider. - iPhone 5, 1st Gen SE, & Earlier Models.
Press the “Top” button and drag the power off slider to turn off your phone.
Regardless of your iPhone model, wait a minute before powering it back on by pressing the “Power” button until the Apple logo appears.
Here is a detailed guide to restarting your iPhone from Apple Support.
2. Turn Your iCloud Contacts Off & On
If your iPhone and iCloud did not resync after a device restart, turning iCloud Contacts off and on can fix the missing contact issue.
To turn your iCloud Contacts off and on, go to “Settings > Apple Account > iCloud”. Under “iCloud”, look for “Contacts” and tap the slider next to it.
A message box will appear asking what you want to do with the previously synced contacts. Select “Keep on My iPhone”. Tap the slider again and select “Merge”.
3. Update Your iOS
Apple releases iOS updates to fix software bugs and glitches that may have been affecting your contacts. These updates can restore missing iPhone contacts.
While your device may automatically download updates, you may need to install them manually. To do this, navigate to “Settings > General > Software Updates”. Choose the update you want to install, tap “Update Now,” type your passcode, and follow the instructions that will appear on your screen.
Find out everything you need to update your iPhone in Apple Support.
4. Change Your Contact List to “All Contacts”
Your iPhone syncs contacts from email and iCloud to those you manually saved. If the contacts displayed on your device are from the “All Gmail” or “All iCloud” lists, you might not see those not synced to these groups.
To get your contacts back on your iPhone using this solution, go to the “Contacts” app, tap on “Lists at the top left of the screen”, and select “All Contacts”. This contact group displays all the saved contact numbers on your device regardless of which group they are from.
5. Restore iCloud Backup
Restoring your contacts from a backup will restore your entire device, potentially causing you to lose the files that have not been backed up yet.
You should only perform this solution if you have exhausted all the solutions above and nothing has helped you get your contacts back on your iPhone.
For a thorough explanation of how to restore your iPhone contacts from an iCloud backup, check out this video from Apple Support:
Here’s another walkthrough of how to restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup from Apple Support.
5. Contact Apple Support
If all the solutions above did not work and you don’t know why your contacts disappeared from your iPhone, contacting Apple Support can help you. While they may not restore your lost contacts, they can help you navigate your problem and offer better solutions.
Restoring Lost iPhone Contacts
Your iPhone contains a lot of nitty-gritty, which may make it difficult to navigate and find apps, files, and even contacts. Bugs and glitches may also affect your device’s contents, so updating your iOS whenever there is a new version is crucial.
There are many reasons why your contacts have disappeared from your iPhone. However, as long as you have your iCloud backups, you can always restore them. Just ensure that all your recent files have been copied to your device management system to ensure you will not lose anything during the backup process.
