How to Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone without Backup 2022

User Concern

“All my contacts lost while syncing my iPhone 12 to new laptop with new itunes. Dear members please help me to recover my iPhone contacts without backup” - Emily from Apple Community

You can save the contact info to Contacts app to make a call or send texts to your friends or your family anytime at anywhere. The result can be imagined if you lost the iPhone contacts and you found that you had never backed up the contacts. The question is how to recover deleted contacts on iPhone without backup.

Someone may have told you that it is impossible to retrieve deleted contacts on iPhone without backup. This may not to be correct. This article can help you out if you need to restore contacts on iPhone without backup. Here are some important things to notice before recovering deleted contacts.

• Do not use your iPhone to add or delete contacts in case that the deleted contacts will be permanently overwritten.
• Turn off the network connection on your iPhone if the device has been backed up to iCloud. This could avoid unnecessary loss of contacts on iCloud.
• Before the attempt to recover deleted contacts by deeply scanning with any 3rd-party tools, you’d better confirm whether the contacts have been backed up on.

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone without Backup

The tips we mentioned above will prevent the result of permanent loss of deleted iPhone contacts. However, to retrieve deleted contacts on iPhone without backup, the best software called FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery is recommended. It is used as a recovery tool for recovering deleted contacts and 22 more types of data from different iOS devices. With this software, you can easily get deleted contacts back even if you have not backed up the device.

• Deeply analyze and scan the iPhone to look for deleted data with exclusive algorithm.
• Recover contacts from iPhone without backup by using the recovery mode of ‘Recover from iOS Device’ or recover them from iTunes/iCloud backup if there are available backup files.
• Supports the data recovery of 22+ types of data, for example, contacts, SMS, photos, WhatsApp messages, notes, etc.
• Preview deleted contacts from iPhone/iTunes/iCloud before the recovery.
• Compatible with iOS 15 and iPhone 13/12/11/11 Pro/XS, etc.

Here are the procedures to restore contacts on iPhone without backup via FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. Again, please stop adding more contacts on your iPhone after deleting contacts accidentally.

Step 1. Download the Windows or Mac version of this FoneGeek software on your computer and run it. You will see several recovery modes. Choose ‘Recover Data from iOS Devices’ from the dashboard.

Step 2. Select ‘Contacts’ and click on ‘Start Scan’ to allow the software to scan the deleted contacts.

Step 3. After successful scanning, you can browse all the contacts. Or simply, you can click on “Show only the deleted ones” to quickly filter out the deleted ones. Mark all the deleted contacts and click on ‘Recover to Computer’ to save the recovered contacts to computer.

The contact info recovered to computer include contact name, job title, Email, phone number, etc.

Things You Need to Know:

• The recovered contacts will be saved as the format of HTML and CSV so that you can simply read, edit or print the contacts.
• If you have occasionally backed up enabled an iTunes or iCloud backup on your computer, you can easily retrieve deleted contacts from iTunes backup with FoneGeek as well.
• The technology applied to this program allows you to have access to deleted contacts on iPhone and recover them in only 3 steps.

Part 2. Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone from iCloud

Don’t be panic if you hae synced your iPhone with iCloud. You can recover deleted contacts by restoring from iCloud. Go to https://www.icloud.com and log in with your iCloud account, then tap on Contacts icon to see if there are deleted contacts onyour iCloud account. If yes, there are 3 methods for you.

2.1 Sync iPhone Contacts with iCloud Again

• Go to iPhone Settings > your name > iCloud to disable Contacts.
• Then select “Keep on My iPhone” and turn on Contacts.
• Select “Merge” and all the contacts saved on iCloud will be loaded on iPhone again.

The deleted contacts shall come back when the loading process is finished.

2.2 Export iCloud Contacts to Computer

• After logging in iCloud on your computer, click on Contacts and choose all contacts.
• Tap on the Settings icon in the lower left corner and choose “Export vCard…”.
• The contacts will then be exported as the format of vCard (.vcf). You can then share the vCard (.vcf) file via email on your iPhone.

2.3 Restore iPhone Contacts from Settings on iCloud

• First of all, go to the home page of iCloud on the web.
• Log into iCloud with your personal iCloud account.
• After the web loading the iCloud info, click on ‘Account Settings’.
• The tap on ‘Restore Contacts’ at the bottom-left corner.

When the restore process is finished, you will receive a notification.

Part 3. Restore iPhone Contacts via Message App

Few people know how to recover lost contacts on iPhone via Message. This method will at lease recover the contact  that you frequently contacted with.

• Open the Messages app on iPhone and click on “Create New Contact”.
• Enter the name or number of the contact the you want to recover in the “To” field.  
• There is a strong possibility that the contact info will appear. Click on “i” icon to add the new contact.

Part 4. Retrieve iPhone Contacts from Google Contacts

You can also restore contact from Google if you have synced iPhone contacts with Google account.

• Go to iPhone Settings > Passwords & Accounts. Click on Add Account > Google.
• Then enter the Google email and passcode.
• Click on Sign in and Allow to enable Contacts.

Part 5. Frequently Asked Questions about Deleted iPhone Contacts

How do I know whether my contacts are backed up to iTunes?

iTunes will keep every backup you create on your computer. You can check each iTunes backup by navigating to the default place that saves the backup files. This article has offered the guidance for you.

I have finally recovered the deleted contacts to my computer, can I transfer them to my iPhone?

If you get back deleted contacts by restoring from iTunes or iCloud backup, you can definitely return them to your iPhone.

Conclusion

You have figured out how to retrieve deleted contacts on iPhone without backup with FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. This software is suitable for you under all circumstances of data loss on iPhone. You can download the free trial version to preview deleted contacts on iPhone for free now!

Joan J. Mims is interested in researching all tips about iPhone, iPad and Android. He loves to share useful ideas with all users.

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