When you get the latest iOS update from Apple, there is a small chance that something will go wrong. Some iPhone users are reporting strange things when getting the latest iPhone or iOS update, such as heating issues and battery drain. But one of the worst things that can happen is iPhone contacts missing after an iOS update. It’s weird, but it happens. So what are you doing?
More importantly, you might want to get to the bottom of this and find out what could possibly be causing this problem. If you have missing iPhone contacts after buying iPhone 14 or 13, or after installing iOS 15 or 16, we have the guide just for you!
Related: How to Sync Contacts from iPhone to iPad Easily
How does iPhone store your contacts?
Despite the presence of a SIM card, an iPhone does not store contacts on it. By default, an iPhone saves contacts to iCloud storage instead of saving them locally. This makes them accessible, especially if (1) you have multiple Apple devices and (2) when you decide to switch carriers. The latter is for convenience – you wouldn’t have to do it manually transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone. Plus, when your contacts are saved to iCloud, parents get extra parental control over which contacts their kids communicate with.
It’s just a beauty to use iCloud; the ease with which you can manage your data such as contacts. You are less likely to lose contacts on your iPhone when using iCloud because those contacts are automatically archived.
Why iPhone Contacts Disappear or Disappear?
Despite iCloud’s good intentions and goals, bugs could lead to iPhone contacts disappearing. This problem is common when updating to the latest version of iOS, and there are several reasons why contacts disappear on iPhones, some obvious, some not.
Here are some of the reasons why you might find your missing contacts on your iPhone:
- iOS Upgrade or Downgrade
- iCloud sync issues
- Contact accidentally deleted
- Your iPhone gets hacked
- Damage resulting from improper jailbreak
Of course, there are other possible reasons why your iPhone contacts disappear. These five are the “common” and the following sections describe the different ways to fix them and more to recover missing contacts on your iPhone.
How to Restore Missing Contacts on iPhone?
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of recovering your missing iPhone contacts. Below are some DIY troubleshooting that you can follow. Just note, the steps below are based on iOS 16 interface.
1. Restore from iCloud Backup
If you regularly create a backup of your iPhone using your Mac or PC, chances are you have a backup point where the missing contacts have a record. To restore your iPhone from a backup point, here’s what you need to do:
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a Lightning cord.
- If you’re using Mac, you should see your iPhone’s name on the Finder under the Locations tab.
- Tap your iPhone’s name to enter the iCloud interface.
- When prompted, grant the connection approval privileges.
- Under Backups, click Restore Backup.
- In the pop-up window, choose a backup point from the Backup drop-down menu.
- If you choose to encrypt each backup log, enter the password you set.
- Click Restore.
From there, just follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore from backup.
2. Force restart your iPhone
After getting the latest iOS update and you find that your contacts are missing or information is missing, a good old force reboot wouldn’t hurt just to see if there was a system problem. and your RAM (random access memory) needs cleaning.
To perform a force restart, press and hold the power/lock button and the volume button on your iPhone simultaneously until the power screen appears. Drag the slider to the right to turn off your device. Make sure to give it at least 15 seconds before turning your device back on.
3. Check iCloud sync settings for contacts
If a quick restart didn’t work, it’s time to check your iCloud sync settings for contacts. This ensures that your contacts are synced from one device, where you may have entered contact information, to another (eg Mac to iPhone and vice versa).
- From your iPhone, open the Settings app.
- Tap your name to access the Apple ID menu.
- Next, tap on iCloud and then select View All under Apps using iCloud on the next screen.
- You will get a list of apps whose data is backed up to iCloud, including contacts.
- Now just make sure the switch is on (green) for contacts.
With the Contacts switch turned off (gray), your Contacts data would not be synced to other Apple devices where your Apple ID is signed in.
4. Import SIM Contacts to iPhone
If you still find that some iPhone contacts are missing names and other information, you may want to import information from your SIM card. This is useful for those who are transitioning from other types of smartphones to iPhones whose contacts are saved on their SIM cards.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Open the Settings app, scroll down, then tap Contacts.
- Next, tap on Import SIM contacts.
- Finally, select where the new contact information will be stored. Make sure to select iCloud.
The last step is noteworthy because, again, your iPhone does not store contact information on your device.
Related: How to Sync iPhone Contacts to Gmail (100% Working)
5. Do this if contact names are missing
In your iPhone contacts settings, you will have several ways to change or customize your iPhone contacts interface. Here you can choose to display your contacts’ full names, only their first names, or only their last names. Additionally, you can choose to display only their nicknames. This is one reason why you may find that your iPhone contacts have missing names.
Here is how to solve this problem:
- Open the Settings app, scroll down, then tap Contacts.
- Tap the Short Name tab.
Here you can choose how to display your contact information. Be sure to select First name and initial or First initial and last name. Avoid using first name only or last name only to avoid problems.
How to Restore Missing Contacts on iPhone without iCloud?
At worst, none of the above steps worked. However, there are still other ways to recover missing contacts from your iPhone. This time, we would require the use of third-party apps that provide functionality to help recover those contacts without iCloud.
1. TenorShare UltData
TenorShare UltData is an effective third party application tool to recover lost mobile data or files due to accidental deletion or damage. Whether you have made a backup or not, this application will surely provide the results. Here is how you can use TenorShare UltData to recover missing iPhone contacts:
- Download TenorShare UltData and install it on your Windows PC or Mac.
- Connect your iPhone to your laptop and wait for the app to recognize the connection.
- Make sure your iPhone is unlocked and grant trust privileges.
- Next, click Recover Data from iOS Device.
- On the next screen, select the data you want TenorShare UltData to recover. Select all that apply, including contacts.
- Click Scan to begin the recovery process.
- After the scan is complete, the app will show all available and deleted contacts data.
- Click all the contacts you want to recover and then click Recover to Device to save the information to your PC/Mac.
If you don’t see any contacts after scanning, you can select “Recover from iCloud” or “Recover from iTunes Backup”.
Download TenorShare UltData here
2.PhoneRescue
PhoneRescue is another third-party app that you can use to recover deleted contacts from your iPhone. It is another easy to use app with a fairly simple process.
- Download PhoneRescue on your Windows PC or Mac.
- Connect your iPhone to your laptop and let the app recognize the connection.
- From the context menu, select Recover from iOS Device. Then click the right arrow below to continue.
- In the next context menu, make sure to check Contacts. So okay.
- Allow the app to scan your device. Once done, you will get a list of available and deleted contacts from your device.
- Select the contacts you want to recover. Then, click To Device to save it to your iPhone, Windows PC, or Mac.
Download PhoneRescue here
3. Trans Shelbee Copy
CopyTrans Shelbee gives you a chance to recover your deleted contacts without risking further accidental deletions. The app is 100% free and easy to use.
- Download CopyTrans Shelbee and install it on your Windows PC (CopyTrans is not available for MacBooks as of now).
- Connect your iPhone to your PC.
- On the application screen, click Custom Restore.
- Click on the green pencil icon to open the iCloud backup log you have.
- Select a backup log; preferably the most recent.
- On the Select Data to Restore screen, select Contacts. Then click Next.
- Next, select a destination where CopyTrans Shelbee will save the data, then click Start.
From there, just wait for the process to complete. Once done, your device will reboot to complete restoring the requested data.
Download CopyTrans Shelbee here
Missing iPhone Contacts: Recovered
We may not have included it in our list, but if all goes well and nothing works, it would be best to contact Apple Support for further assistance. Nevertheless, we hope that this guide solved your problem and answered your questions. Ultimately, your contacts shouldn’t disappear after receiving an update; new updates are always vulnerable to bugs. Going through these fixes will surely help you resolve your issues.
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