By Anna Sherry

Updated on 2025-09-11

100 % Helpful

iPhone Data Recovery

Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone (Step-by-Step Guide)

By Anna Sherry

2025-09-11 / iPhone Data

As is well known, all contacts on iphones are of vital importance to us, including our voice calls, text messages and emails, etc. We usually keep in touch with the outside world through the contacts on our iphones in our daily life. Therefore, when we carelessly lose contact info on iphone, we will be very anxious.

However, here we offer you a guide that will reveal the reasons and various methods that how to restore lost contacts on iphone.

1.Common Reasons for Lost Contacts on iPhone

2.Solutions for Retrieve Deleted Contacts on iPhone

Solution 1: iCloud to Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone
Solution 2: iTunes Backup to Fix Lost Contact Numbers on iPhone
Solution 3: Contacts Group to Reset
Solution 4: UltData without Backup to Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone

Final Thought

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Reasons for Lost Contacts on iPhone

You are expected to find out what caused the loss of your iPhone contacts and then look for the corresponding solution to avoid wasting time. Here are the four main reasons to help you recover lost all contacts on iphone.

iOS System Update Failed

After updating to the latest iOS, some users report lost contacts on iPhone. This often happens when iCloud syncing isn’t completed correctly during the update, leading to missing or incomplete contact lists.

Device Setting Changes

A small tweak in your iPhone settings may cause lost contact info on iPhone. For instance, disabling iCloud Contacts or changing the default contacts account could make numbers appear to disappear, even though they are still stored on the device or cloud.

Carelessly Deletion

Accidental taps or bulk-deletion during cleanup are common reasons why people say: “I lost my contacts on iPhone.” Once removed, contacts may not show in the list but could still be recoverable.

iPhone Jailbreak Problem

Jailbreaking your iPhone can interfere with system stability and apps like contacts, sometimes causing contacts to disappear or become corrupted.

Solutions for Retrieve Deleted Contacts on iPhone

Solution 1: iCloud to Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone

In many cases, the lost contacts on iPhone are not permanently deleted but temporarily hidden due to a syncing issue between your device and iCloud. You can fix this problem by refreshing the iCloud Contacts feature:

iCloud Contacts Syncing

On your iPhone, open the "Settings" app. Tap "your name" to access your Apple ID settings. Select iCloud from the list of options. Find the toggle switch for Contacts and turn it off. A message will appear asking whether you want to keep or delete the previously synced contacts from your iPhone. Choose Delete from My iPhone. Don’t worry — your contacts are still stored safely in iCloud.

Now, switch the "Contacts" toggle back on. When prompted with the message “Merge contacts with iCloud? ”, tap "Merge". Your iPhone will now re-download all the contact information from iCloud and merge it with your local data. This quick refresh often restores missing or hidden numbers, solving the issue where you thought “I lost my contacts on iPhone”.

iCloud.com Repairing

If syncing doesn’t solve the issue, you can check whether your contacts are still backed up on iCloud’s website. Here’s how:

Open a web browser on your computer and go to iCloud.com. Sign in using your Apple ID and password. Make sure it’s the same account that was synced with your iPhone.
Once logged in, click on your profile icon (your name) in the upper-right corner, then go to iCloud Settings (or directly find the settings option if available).
Scroll down to the Advanced section. Click on Restore Contacts. You will see a list of archived versions of your contacts, organized by date. These are automatic backups that iCloud saves.
Select a backup version that was created before you lost your contacts, then click Restore. Confirm your choice. iCloud will replace your current contact list with the selected backup.
After the restore is complete, you’ll receive a notification on iCloud.com and also on your iPhone.

Solution 2: iTunes Backup to Fix Lost Contact Numbers on iPhone

If you regularly back up your iPhone with iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later), you can use one of those backups to restore lost contacts on iPhone. This method is very effective if your contacts were recently deleted and are still stored in a past backup.

Here’s how you can do it:

Prepare your computer. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed (if you’re using Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier). Connect your iPhone. Plug your iPhone into your computer using a USB cable.
If prompted on your iPhone, tap Trust This Computer and enter your passcode. Open iTunes and select your device. In iTunes, click the iPhone icon that appears in the top-left corner of the window.
Restore from backup. In the “Summary” (iTunes) tab, look for the option Restore Backup. Choose the correct backup. Review the list of backups carefully. Pay attention to the date and time each backup was created. Select a backup that was made before you lost your contacts on iPhone, so you’re restoring the correct information.
Begin the restore. Click Restore and wait while the process completes. Keep your iPhone connected to the computer during the entire restore. Once it restarts, your contacts should reappear.

Note:

Restoring an iTunes backup will replace all current data on your iPhone — not just contacts. That means photos, apps, and settings will also be rolled back to the backup version. Always double-check that the backup contains the contacts you need before proceeding.

Solution 3: Contacts Group to Reset

Sometimes, contacts don’t disappear; they’re just filtered out. To retrieve them: Open the Phone or Contacts app. Tap Groups (top-left corner). Select All iCloud or all accounts to display every saved number.

This fix is best when you lost contact numbers on iPhone due to hidden groups or changed default accounts.

Solution 4: UltData without Backup to Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone

If you don’t have an iCloud or iTunes backup, don’t worry — your lost contacts on iPhone may still be recoverable with the help of professional data recovery software. One of the most reliable tools for this is Tenorshare UltData.

What is UltData

UltData is an iOS data recovery tool designed to help users retrieve deleted, lost, or disappeared files directly from their iPhone without requiring a backup. Unlike iCloud or iTunes, which overwrite your device when restoring, UltData allows you to:

Recover lost contacts on iPhone without backup.
Retrieve not only contacts but also photos, videos, WhatsApp messages, notes, Safari history, and more.
Preview files before restoring, so you can selectively recover only what you need.
Work across multiple iOS versions, including the latest iOS updates.
Keep your current data safe — recovery does not erase or replace existing files.

This makes UltData an excellent choice when you say: “I lost all my contacts on iPhone and I don’t have a backup.”

How to Use UltData to Recover Lost Contacts on iPhone

Follow these steps to restore your deleted contacts using UltData:

Download and Install UltData

Visit the official Tenorshare website and download UltData iPhone Data Recovery for Windows or Mac. Install the program and launch it on your computer.

Select recovery mode

On UltData’s main screen, choose Recover Data from iOS Device. This option scans the iPhone directly without needing a backup.

Connect Your iPhone

Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to the computer. Unlock your device and tap Trust This Computer if prompted.

Start the Scan

Click Start Scan, and UltData will begin analyzing your iPhone. The process may take a few minutes, depending on your device size and data.

Preview and Select Contacts

Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of recoverable data. Go to the Contacts section to preview all deleted or disappeared contact info.

Recover Lost Contacts

Select the contacts you want to restore. Click Recover to PC to save them on your computer, or Recover to Device to put them back directly on your iPhone.

Conclusion

When you are suffering the experience of all contacts deleted on iPhone, you can recover data from iCloud and recover data from iTunes. Nevertheless, the drawback is that these methods will overwrite your existing data. At this time, UltData iPhone Data Recovery without backup becomes your best choice.

UltData Contacts Recovery for iOS allows you to scan your iPhone directly and restore lost contacts, photos, videos, WhatsApp messages, documents, voice memos, and other files without erasing the current data. In addition, it supports selective recovery, preview before restoring, and is compatible with the latest iOS versions, making the process safer and more efficient. If you still cannot solve your problem using UltData, please reach out to Apple Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why did I lose all my contacts on iPhone?

A: The most common reasons for lost contacts on iPhone include iOS system update failure, changes in device settings, accidental deletion, or jailbreak issues. Identifying the cause is the first step before learning how to recover lost contacts on iPhone.

Q2: How do I recover lost contacts on iPhone without backup?

A: If you don’t have iCloud or iTunes backup, you can use third-party tools like UltData to retrieve lost contact numbers on iPhone directly. This method works for accidental deletions, jailbreak problems, or other system glitches.

Q3: Can I restore lost contact numbers on iPhone from iCloud?

A: Yes. If you enabled iCloud sync, you can restore lost contact info on iPhone by toggling Contacts sync in iCloud settings or logging into iCloud.com to recover deleted contacts. This is one of the fastest ways to get back contacts.

Q4: Does restoring contacts from iTunes erase my iPhone data?

A: Yes. When you use iTunes to restore lost all contacts on iPhone, it will replace your current iPhone data with the backup version. If you don’t want to lose your latest photos, videos, or messages, consider using data recovery tools instead.