Best 5 Ways to Fix iPhone Contacts Lost After Update Issue

Why Have My iPhone Contacts Lost After Update?

There are a variety of potential factors that could cause the issue of “iPhone contacts lost after update”. Here are some scenarios to consider:

iOS update or downgrade: The act of updating to a new iOS version or reverting to a previous iOS version may result in the loss of contacts. This can happen due to failed synchronization with iCloud or complications during the update process.
iTunes Recovery/Synchronization complications: iPhone system issues or problems with iTunes during the recovery or synchronization process may cause contacts to disappear from your device.

How to Fix iPhone Contacts Lost After Update – Easy Ways

If you are experiencing the “iPhone contacts gone after update” issue, don’t worry! There are 4 easy ways to solve this problem. Please keep reading!

Method 1: Turn Off and Then Turn On iCloud Contacts Again

For various reasons, the Contacts app may stop synchronizing with iCloud. To resolve this issue, you can take the following steps to retrieve your disappeared contacts from iCloud:

Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone > Tap Apple ID > iCloud. Then, locate the Contacts option and then:

• Toggle it to the On position if it is currently Off
• Toggle it to Off and then back to On if it’s already On

Step 2: Choose Remove from My iPhone if you are prompted. Rest assured that your contacts remain intact in iCloud and will return to your iPhone.

Method 2: Go to Contacts Groups Settings

Missing contacts may be caused by contact group settings that may have been hidden or shown on iCloud. In this case, follow the simple steps to find lost contacts after update:

Step 1: Visit the Contacts app > Navigate to the top of the Contacts page where you will find the Groups option > Select All on My iPhone instead of All iCloud.

Step 2: Then, verify if the previously lost contacts have been recovered. If this is not the case, you can explore our third option as an alternative.

Method 3: Reset the Network Connections

Given the potential impact of unstable networks on your contacts, consider using this solution to recover lost contacts. It is important to emphasize that this method does not affect any personal data on your iPhone. Here is a step-by-step guide to do that:

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > General > Reset (Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset in iOS 15 and above) > Tap Reset Network Settings > Enter your passcode to confirm.

Step 2: A warning message may appear instructing you to delete all network settings. Select Reset Network Settings to continue.

Method 4: Change Default Account in Settings Back to iCloud

If you had previously designated Gmail as your default account, you can revert to iCloud to retrieve your vanished contacts. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Access the Settings app on your iPhone > Navigate to Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Choose Default Account under the Contacts section.

Step 2: Choose iCloud as the default account, replacing On my iPhone.

Method 5: Find Lost Contacts on iPhone via FoneTool

Chances are that your iPhone contacts are not lost but invisible temporarily. In this case, you can rely on a third-party tool like FoneTool to scan and get missing contacts back to your iPhone. FoneTool provides you with advanced scanning technology and fast scanning speed, making it easy to finding your iPhone contacts. Follow the steps to have a try.

Step 1. Click the icon below to download FoneTool, and install it to your Windows PC. Connect your iPhone to PC using compatible USB.

Step 2. Now, launch FoneTool, and go to Toolbox > Click iOS Data Recovery to continue.

Step 3. From the next page, check Contacts > Click Start Scan to let FoneTool scan all your iPhone contacts deeply.

Step 4. From here, you can see all contacts on your iPhone. If there are contacts you need, you can simply choose them and tap Recover to PC to save them on your computer.

To get these contacts back to your iPhone, you can use PC to iPhone transfer function in FoneTool to make it in one click.

Bonus Tip: How to Recover Lost Contacts After Update

The above methods cover the common ways to solve the problem of “iPhone contacts lost after update”. If your contacts are still missing after trying these methods, you may need to turn to reputable third-party tools such as MyRecover for iOS - a free and safe iPhone data recovery tool.

Highlights of Using MyRecover for iOS to Recover Lost Contacts:
Comprehensive Data Recovery: MyRecover for iOS provides a powerful solution to retrieve lost contacts in a variety of situations, ensuring that you can recover your contacts regardless of the reason for their loss.
Selective Recovery: With this iPhone data recovery software, you can preview the recovered contacts before restoring them, allowing you to selectively choose which contacts to recover.
Quick and Efficient: MyRecover for iOS employs advanced algorithms for quick and efficient data recovery, minimizing downtime and saving you time.
User-Friendly Interface: MyRecover for iOS provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced users.

So, how to recover lost contacts using MyRecover for iOS? Now click the download button to install this software on your PC and then follow the simple steps.

Step 1: First establish a secure connection between your iPhone and the system using a reliable charging cable > Launch MyRecover for iOS on your PC.

Step 2: Click the Scan Now button to start the scanning process, which will start an exhaustive scanning process to find your lost contacts or other lost data on your iPhone.

Step 3: Once the scan is complete, navigate to the Contacts category > select the contacts you want to recover > click the Recover button to start the recovery process.

After following these instructions, your contacts will be successfully recovered. You can easily access and view the retrieved contacts on your iPhone. Also, MyRecover for iOS can help you recover deleted photos from Photo Vault iPhone.

The Bottom Line

That’s all about how to fix the “iPhone contacts lost after update” issue. In this post, there are 4 methods, and you can choose one of them to solve this problem. If your contacts are still missing, you can make use of the recovery tool called MyRecover for iOS to recover lost contacts and various other data. It’s important to note that backing up your iPhone data to a PC or external hard drive regularly can help you avoid data loss. Download FoneTool and use it right now!