Top 8 Ways to Fix iPhone Contacts Disappeared

by Jenefey Aaron   Updated on 2022-08-18 / Update for  iPhone Recovery

Some Apple users say that their contacts disappeared on iPhone without knowing the reason. This is actually a very common problem and although the causes may be varied, you should take heart in the fact that your iPhone contacts are not completely gone.

Usually it is a simple setting that could be out of sorts, causing you not to see your contacts on the iPhone. This blog will tell you why the contacts disappeared randomly and how to fix the problem or recover the contacts.

Part 1: Possible Reasons for Contacts Disappeared on iPhone

There are several reasons the contacts on your iPhone have disappeared, some of the most common ones include the following:

  • Accidental deletion
  • A jailbreak attempt that wasn't well executed.
  • Physical damage to the phone such as water damage
  • Restoring the device or syncing in iTunes
  • Changing the password on the email you use to sync contacts with
  • A malware attack

Part 2: 6 Ways to Fix iPhone Contacts Disappeared Randomly

The following are some of the solutions you can implement when your iPhone contacts disappear from the device.

1. Restart iPhone

Rebooting can solve almost all device issues. If your iPhone loses contacts without knowing the exact reason, then follow the steps below to restart your iPhone.

restart iphone

Restart iPhone SE (1st generation), 5, or earlier

  • Press and hold the top button until the slider appears.
  • Drag the slider to the right and wait for a while.
  • Then turn on the iPhone again.

Restart iPhone SE, 8, 7, and 6

  • Press the side button until you see the slider appears.
  • Slide the bar to the right and wait for a while.
  • Then turn on the iPhone again.

Restart iPhone X, 11, 12, or 13

  • Press the volume down button and the home button.
  • Then slide the bar to the right.
  • Wait for a while and turn on the iPhone again.

2. Reset the Network Connections

Resetting your network settings can also easily fix the problem. This is especially true if you sync your contacts with iCloud. To reset your network connections, follow these simple steps;

  • Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone Reset > Reset >Reset Network Settings

    reset network settings
  • When prompted, enter your passcode to confirm the selection.

  • A warning message will appear on your screen telling you, this action will delete all your network settings. Tap on "Reset Network Settings" to continue.

3. Toggle iCloud Contacts Off and On

If you have enabled iCloud to sync your iPhone contacts one way to get them back is to Toggle Contacts in iCloud on and then off. This will refresh the contacts putting them back on your device.

  • To do that go to Settings > Tap iCloud and then turn off Contacts.

    iCloud contacts
  • Wait a few seconds and turn it back on. When prompted, select "Delete from my iPhone" and your contacts should be back on the device.

4. Choose "All on My iPhone" from Contacts Groups Settings

Here is another method you can try to fix "my contacts disappeared on my iPhone".

  • Open the Contacts app and then click on "Groups" at the top.

    icontacts group settings
  • Choose "All on My iPhone" instead of "All in iCloud."

Now check to see if the contacts are back.

5. Update the Password of the Mail that Synced with Contacts

Update the mail password that synced with your contacts may also help fix the iPhone contacts missing issue.

  • Open Settings on your iPhone and then go to "Mail, Contacts, Calendars".

  • On the account with "Contacts" turned on, make sure that the password is updated. You can do that by simply clicking on it. If the password is not updated, the account will prompt you to "Re-enter the password."

    update mail password
  • Once you've reentered the password, the contacts should be back on your device.

6. Change Default Account Settings Back to iCloud

You should also consider changing the default account settings back to iCloud. Follow these simple steps to do that:

  • Open Settings on your iPhone and tap on "Mail, Contacts, Calendars." Tap in "Default Accounts" under contacts.
  • Select "iCloud" as the default account.

    Contacts Default Account

Note: This will not work for iOS 11 since the default account function in contact's setting is missing.

Part 3: How to Recover Contacts Disappeared on iPhone? 3 Effective Methods

What if you still can't find your contacts after trying the above methods? Don't worry, 3 methods that can help you get back the disappeared contacts.

1. Recover Missing Contacts on iPhone Without Backup(The Most Useful)

If you've lost the data on your device because of accidental deletion or a damaged device, you can use a data recovery tool to recover them. Tenorshare UltData program is the ideal solution whether you have a backup or not. With this tool, you can easily recover any and all lost data from your iOS device and iTunes or iCloud backups.

Download and install Tenorshare UltData on your computer and then follow these simple steps to recover your contacts.

  • Connect the iPhone to the computer and wait for the program to detect it. You need to unlock your iPhone and tap Trust to trust the computer. Then click "Recover Data from iOS Device".

    connect device
  • Select the data you'd like to recover (in this case contacts) and click "Scan" to allow the program to begin scanning the device for the selected data.

    select data
  • Once the scan is complete, you should see a list of both available and deleted contacts on your device. Select the files you'd like to recover and then click on "Recover to Device" to save those contacts to your computer.

    recover contacts

If there are no contacts after scanning, then you need to click "Recover from iCloud" or "Recover from iTunes Backup".

2. Restore From iCloud Backup (Delete Current Data)

If you’ve already turned on the iCloud Backup on your iPhone, you can restore the iCloud backup to iPhone. Note that you need to delete all your current data and settings.

  • Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase all content and settings.

    erase iphone
  • Then after the process is complete, you should set up your iPhone again. When you see the “Apps & Data” screen appears, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.

    restore icloud backup
  • Then you need to sign in to your iCloud account and follow the on-screen instructions to restore.

3. Restore Contacts From iTunes Backup (Overwrite Data)

I lost all my contacts on iPhone and failed to retrieve them from the device and iCloud backup, How should I do? Try iTunes Backup. If you’ve ever backed up your iPhone with iTunes, you can get your contacts back by restoring iTunes backup.

However, this method will overwrite your device current data.

  • First, you need to launch iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone to the computer. iTunes will automatically detect the iPhone.

  • Then click the phone icon above.

  • Now choose Summary and you’ll see “Restore Backup” in the Backups. Click on it. Then you just need to choose the backup that you want to restore and follow the on-screen instructions.

    restore itunes backup

Here's the video Guide:

Summary

We suggest you regularly backup your iPhone. But if iPhone contacts disappear from the device without a backup, you can also easily get them back by UltData.