This is inconvenient, especially when you have to make an emergency call and find that the contact is missing. If you are looking for a way to fix the disappeared Phone contacts, follow our solutions below.
Why iPhone contacts disappeared after iOS 16 update?
Well, there could be more than one reason why contacts go missing on an iOS device. It could be due to a buggy software update, ill-fated restore, or sluggish syncing owing to the poor internet connection. Having taken a close look at each possible scenario, we have offered possible solutions that can bring back the missing iPhone contacts. With that said, let’s follow along to cut the clutter!
1. Sign out of iCloud and sign back in
The first trick that you should try to force the missing contacts to appear again on your iOS device is sign out and sign back into your Apple ID. More often than not, it fixes this issue, so I hope that it gets the job done for you. After a while, head into the Contacts app to see if you have found success.
2. Change group settings for contacts
Another hack you should try to resolve this problem is to change the contact group settings. Now, you should see all the contacts which you have saved on your iPhone. Check out the missing ones and add them to your address book. Once it’s done, head over to the Group settings and select the “All iCloud” option again.
3. Turn off/on iCloud for contacts
At times, all you need to do to fix this problem is toggle off/on the switch for Contacts syncing. And guess what, we are going to give it a try to see how it fares. Wait for some time to allow the iCloud contacts to perfectly merge with the local ones. After that, open the Contacts app on your device. Check out if your missing iPhone contacts have finally appeared.
4. Make sure On My iPhone is selected as a default
iOS offers the option to choose a preferred account for contacts. So, make sure you have chosen “On My iPhone” as the default account in the Contacts settings.
5. Restore iPhone with Finder/iTunes backup
If none of the above tricks have sorted out the problem, it’s time to embrace the nuclear solution. With it, I mean go back to the drawing board and restore the iPhone from the previous backup. As it’s always been a reliable troubleshooter for recovering lost data, I’m pinning my hopes on it to get the job done. Once your device has successfully restored from a previous backup, go to the Contacts app to see if the missing ones have finally returned to their usual place.
6. Try out trusted third-party data recovery software
No solution as yet? If the disappeared iPhone contacts haven’t returned to the contacts list yet, you should give a third-party data recovery tool a try. While the market is flooded with a ton of data recovery software packages, not all of them work efficiently. The iPhone data recovery tools that I have tried and found quite handy are: FonePaw, PhoneRescue, iMyFone D-Back, and Dr. Fone. What makes these tools so efficient is the ability to recover data selectively. Therefore, you can check out all of your contacts and restore the ones that are missing on your device. But keep in mind, these tools are paid so you will need to shell out some bucks to recover the data as their freemium or trial versions are quite limited.
Video: iPhone Contacts Disappeared? 7 Ways to fix it!
Wrapping Up… So, that’s how you can deal with the “Contacts disappeared from the iPhone” issue and bring back all the missing ones. As I have been on this train a few times, I can feel the agony. Thanks to these helpful solutions, it’s possible to retrieve the contacts. You Might Want To Catch Up With These Posts As Well:
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By the way, have got back all of your iPhone contacts that had gone hiding? Make sure to share your feedback and let us know which tricks worked for you.