We can have several head numbers memorized in our heads, but we would not be able to remember all those contacts on our agenda . It is easy to accumulate hundreds of contacts among which family, friends, coworkers or those who are not able to remember what they do in our agenda are mixed. In any case, losing them can be a catastrophe of biblical resignations, although luckily we have tools to try to fix the disaster.
There are several reasons why our contacts may suddenly disappear, including an unintentional failure that processes their deletion. However, it is also possible that when we change our SIM card we lose contacts, or that the synchronization with our account has been lost. Let’s take a look at the most common cases on both Android and iOS.
Is it possible to recover the contacts?
Before getting into material, it should be borne in mind that protective measures must be taken before the problem occurs. In other words, many of these solutions will be useless if we have not previously put our contacts in a safe place using one of the many tools at hand. It is something like putting the case on the mobile once it has broken after a fall due to not wearing it.
On Android
Where are the contacts?
The first step is to make sure if the contacts have disappeared due to a configuration problem. It is very common to change mobile and that the contacts that were stored on the SIM card do not appear on the new phone. Ideally, the mobile phone shows all the contacts, whether they are stored in the SIM itself, Google account or phone storage. To do this we will have to go to the contacts application and click on options. Then we selected “Contacts to Show” and marked “All contacts”. Now all the numbers that we could previously see should appear.
Take a look at the old SIM
It is one of the classic problems and it happens every day. Many of the contacts have been saved on the SIM card. In this way, either because we need a new SIM or because we have made a portability, when we turn the phone on again we do not find any contact. The solution is to re- enter the old SIM and copy the contacts , either to the phone memory or to our Google account. The option to import contacts is also within the “contacts” settings. In addition, in the event that the contacts have been left in the internal storage of another Android phone, we can check the option “import via Bluetooth”. When the process ends we will have the contacts in our agenda again.
Mobile with DualSIM?
It is very common for a DualSIM mobile to make the contacts we had before disappear suddenly. Many terminals read the main SIM by default, and this can cause us to stop seeing them until we change the default SIM of the two we have entered. To do this we go to Settings / Wireless and networks / SIM card settings. In this section we will have to change the main SIM and check if the problem has been solved.
Gmail can be salvation
Gmail is one of the Google applications, and is associated with our email account. In that case we can recover the lost contacts. For this we go to Gmail and click on “Contacts”. Then click on “Contacts”. Then we will have to click on the settings from top to left and click on “Restore” . Now it only remains to choose the period of time that we want to reset and the application will start copying the contacts to our device again.
Recently removed
The good news is that some mobiles, such as Huawei with EMUI, allow you to recover recently deleted contacts, in a kind of contact recycling bin, which is within their settings. For this we go to the settings of the contacts and click on Manage contacts / Organize contact. Inside we will have to click on “Recently deleted” in order to restore the contacts that we have been able to delete by mistake or that have disappeared from our agenda.
On Google Drive
This method is valid like many others, as long as we have done the duties of the relevant backup before. For this we will only have to enter the Google Drive app and access with our Google account. Once done, we can choose the data we want to restore, including the contacts or other elements such as the calendar. The restoration process will take a few minutes.
Software to the rescue
In the event that we do not have a human way to recover the contacts, or that it is the first time that you read the words “Backup“ , we can always try to get a third-party app to solve the ballot. There are dozens available for Google Play , and sometimes it is a matter of trying to find the one that gives us the best result. We leave you with an example, since this free app will dive deep into our mobile to try to recover those contacts that have disappeared, including those that we may have mistakenly deleted. Also. This application will allow us to make backup copies of our contacts to avoid future scares.
On iPhone
Although the way of proceeding is similar to that of Android, we must be clear that if we have not made previous backups, it is possible that in some cases it will be very difficult to recover the contacts.
From iCloud
The Apple Cloud is responsible for watching over and restoring our contacts in case problems arise. In other words, we can restore our contacts and contact groups from a previous version. From “Configuration” we go “Advanced” and click on “Restore contacts” . Now we will see the available versions, which will be ordered by date and time of creation. Now it only remains to click on Restore to recover our lost contacts.
From iTunes Backup
In order to restore contacts from this method, we will have to have the latest version of iTunes installed on our computer. Also, you must have previously created a backup using iTunes. Also, the Find my iPhone option in iCloud must be turned off.
In order to carry it out we have to connect the mobile to the PC and wait for iTunes to start. Now we will have to click on Restore Backup from the section on the right side of the application. The last step is to choose the backup file that contains the contacts and click Restore.
With the help of third parties
As in the case of Android, if necessary, we can also count on the help of software developed especially for these cases. In the case of iPhone, one of the most famous is DrPhone , which allows data recovery, thanks to its application for Windows or Mac. As with Android, this app will allow us to make backup copies of our contacts to avoid future problems .
