To recover deleted contacts on an iPhone, sign in to iCloud.com on a computer or tablet, open Contacts, choose Data Recovery, then Restore Contacts, and pick a version from before the contacts were deleted. The restored contacts show up on your iPhone automatically. This works only if your contacts sync with iCloud. To avoid repeat accidents, review how deleting contacts on iPhone works across synced accounts.
These steps come from Apple’s Restore contacts stored in iCloud on iCloud.com guide and its article If you accidentally deleted your contacts, calendars, or bookmarks from iCloud. You need a computer or tablet, because Apple says Contacts on iCloud.com isn’t available on a phone. There’s no “Recently Deleted” folder in the iPhone Contacts app.
How to restore deleted contacts from iCloud
- Go to icloud.com/contacts and sign in with your Apple Account.
- Select the App Launcher button in the toolbar, then select Data Recovery. (Apple’s other article also mentions scrolling to the bottom of the iCloud.com window and selecting Data Recovery.)
- Select Restore Contacts. Versions are listed by the date and time they were archived.
- Select Restore next to a version from before you deleted the contacts, then confirm.
- Wait for the restore to finish. Apple says changes you make during the restore aren’t saved.
Result: the restored contacts appear on every device with Contacts turned on in iCloud settings. Apple warns that the version you pick replaces your existing contacts on all devices, but iCloud archives your current contacts first, so you can switch back if you choose the wrong date. A contact deleted very recently may take up to 24 hours to show up in the archive list.
Make sure your iPhone syncs contacts with iCloud
- Open Settings and tap your name.
- Tap iCloud, then make sure Contacts is turned on in the list of apps using iCloud (tap See All if you don’t see it).
- Open the Contacts app and tap Lists to check which account each contact lives in, such as All iCloud or Gmail.
Result: you know whether your contacts are in iCloud and can be restored there. If you have duplicates afterward, see how to merge multiple contacts on iPhone.
Other ways to get contacts back
- Contacts stored in Gmail, Outlook or another account: they don’t come from iCloud, so use that account’s own restore or trash tools, then let the account sync back to your iPhone.
- Restore an iPhone backup: Apple says you must erase the iPhone first before restoring from an iCloud or computer backup, which replaces everything on the phone with the backup’s contents. Use this only as a last resort; see Restore your iPhone from a backup.
- Check other people: if you only lost a few numbers, a friend or family member may be able to share the contact back with you.
How to avoid losing contacts again
- Keep Contacts turned on in iCloud so iCloud.com keeps archived versions.
- Back up your iPhone to iCloud regularly.
- Export a copy now and then; for example, you can import contacts into Gmail from a CSV file as a second backup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover deleted contacts without a computer?
Not through iCloud.com on a phone. Apple says you need a tablet or computer to use Contacts on iCloud.com.
Will restoring delete contacts I added recently?
It can. The archived version replaces your current contacts, so contacts added after that date may disappear. iCloud saves your current set first, so you can restore it again if needed.
Is there a recovery app I should use?
Try Apple’s free iCloud.com restore first. Many third-party recovery tools charge for features and need access to your phone or backups, so be careful which apps you trust with your data.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.