How to Restore Contacts on Your iPhone

Updated on September 23, 2017. Contacts recovery for iOS 11 devices is supported .

"It makes me confused when I continually see facebook status updates/tweets/emails from friends and acquaintance broadcasting panicked message and asking everyone to send phone numbers to them. They are saying that "My iPhone has been lost/stolen/eaten by my pet dogs."

Losing iPhone contacts is actually a great excuse to ask everyone to send you their numbers. But how can you stand that then you need to input these countless numbers into your iPhone one by one? So for those of you who are still haven't figured out a better way, without further ado I will introduce some workable ways for you.

FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery offers an affordable and convenient data recovery solution for you. With this iPhone contacts recovery tool, you can recover iPhone contacts from iTunes backup or iCloud backup. Or if you have no backup, you can directly restore contacts from iPhone X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s Plus/6s/6 Plus/6/5s/5c/5. Next are three solutions to show you how to get back lost contacts on iPhone and a tip to re-download contacts from iCloud.

You can get a trial version download here and have a try under the instructions below.

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• Solution 1: Restore Contacts on iPhone X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s/6/5s Directly
• Solution 2: Restore iPhone Contacts from iTunes
• Solution 3: Restore iPhone Contacts with iCloud
• Tip: Recover Contacts By Re-downloading from iCloud(Delete Existing Contacts)

Solution 1: Restore Contacts on iPhone X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s/6/5s Directly

Step 1: Run the software and connect iPhone

To restore contacts from iPhone without backups, please download the iPhone Data Recovery and install it in your computer. Then, launch it and connect your iPhone to the computer (Windows or Mac).

Step 2: Scan contacts on iPhone

Tap "Start Scan" button, the program will start to scan your iPhone for the missing contacts. The whole progress is decided by the amount of the data on your device.

Step 3: Preview contacts from iPhone

After scanning, all your iPhone data, including the missing ones and the existing ones are listed in category. You can preview them one by one, contacts, videos, music, photos, text messages, calendars, and so on, according to categories. You can also choose "Contacts" only to preview your iPhone phonebook including Name, Company, Phone, Email to save time.

Step 4: Recover contacts from iPhone

After marking down all you want in previewing, click "Recover" button at the right corner of the bottom to get back the lost iPhone phone numbers. The contacts will be exported in CSV, HTML and VCF files on your computer. If necessary, you can import them back to your iPhone. 

That's how you restore iPhone deleted/lost contacts without iTunes or iCloud. If you have iTunes, iCloud backups, follow the below steps to extract lost contacts from the backups.

Solution 2: Restore iPhone Contacts from iTunes

Step 1: Choose "Recover from iTunes Backup File"

By using this way, you need to assure that you have backup your iPhone data before with iTunes. Then choose "Recover from iTunes Backup File" on the left panel. Then all iTunes backup files will show up on your computer automatically.

Step 2: Scan the contacts of iTunes

Select the one you want in all iTunes backup files which have been found and click "Start Scan" button to extract it quickly.

Step 3: Preview contacts found in the scanning

By finishing scanning, lost data files will be shown orderly. You can choose "Contacts", preview them one by one, and select those contacts you want back at last. You can turn on the button "only display the deleted items" to refine the results.

Step 4: Recover Contacts from iTunes

After marking all you want back, click "Recover" on the lower-right corner of the interface. And wait till the process ends.

Solution 3: Restore iPhone Contacts with iCloud

Step 1: Sign in iCloud

Launch the program and select "Recover from iCloud Backup File". Sign in iCloud with your Apple ID and password as required.

Step 2: Download and export iCloud backup

You will see the backup files of your iCloud backup account automatically after entering the program. Choose any data you want to recover by clicking "Download" button on the right side of the table.

Step 3: Scanning and previewing

The software will scan the data in the backup automatically after downloading. Please click "Contacts" item to preview all lost contacts.

Step 4: Recover deleted contacts

Proceed to "Recover" button to restore your iPhone contacts on your computer.

Tip: Recover Contacts By Re-downloading from iCloud(Delete Existing Contacts)

If you have made iCloud backup before, you can get back the lost contacts by re-downloading from iCloud.

Step 1. On iPhone, open "Settings" > "iCloud". Toggle on the button next to "Contacts". If the button is on, switch it off. You'll be asked what to do with the exsiting contacts, choose the "Delete from My iPhone".

Step 2.  Then turn on "Contacts" again. Tap on "Merge" on the pop-up window. The iCloud contacts will be re-downloaded to your iPhone.

Note: You may lose the exsiting contacts during the process. So FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery is a better option which will not change a simple thing on your iPhone as well as recover iPhone photos , messages, contacts, videos, etc. effectively.

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