We back up data like contacts because we trust Google. Even if something went wrong with our phone, at least contacts would be living safely in the Google cloud. Unfortunately, sometimes Google also breaks our hearts by deleting data. Did this happen to you too? Missing contacts on your phone? Learn how to restore deleted Google contacts on Android and iPhone.
Sometimes we accidentally delete contacts from our phones. Other times we forget that removing contacts from one device will remove it from all connected devices. In most cases, contacts are also deleted due to incorrect synchronization.
Whatever the reason for the contacts lost, here is how to recover deleted Google contacts.
Wait… Check If Contacts Have Been Deleted
Before trying to restore contacts, make sure they are deleted. This is because Android phones allow you to customize which contacts are displayed on your phone. You may have accidentally hidden your contacts.
To verify this, open the default Contacts app on your phone. Tap the three-dot icon at the top (or tap the three-bar icon on the left) and select Settings. Go to ‘Contacts to view’. Select All contacts.
note: The steps may differ depending on your Contacts app. You need to look for the People to View setting.
If the contacts are not available, let’s check how to restore them.
How to Restore Deleted Contacts from Google
For that, you’ll need to enlist the help of a native feature in Google Contacts known as Undo changes. As the name suggests, it undoes changes made to contacts.
When you use this, you will be asked to select the period for which you want to undo any changes. You can choose between 10 minutes and 30 days. Now all changes made in the contacts list since the selected date will be deleted. That is, if the contacts were deleted, they would come back. But it also means that if you added any new contacts from that period, they will be deleted. So, be careful and backup your current contacts before doing this.
Restore Deleted Google Contacts on Computer
For this, follow these steps:
Stage 1: Open contact.google.com on your computer and sign in to your Google account where you want to restore contacts.
Step 2: Click on the settings icon at the top. Select undo changes from it.
Stage 3: You will be asked to choose when you want to undo the changes for your contacts. For example, select 1 hour ago if the contacts were deleted an hour ago. You can even choose a special period of 30 days. Click Confirm.
Step 4: Wait a little. Next, search for deleted contacts.
Restore Deleted Google Contacts on Android
If you’re using a stock Android phone, your phone must have the Google Contacts app. You should use it to restore contacts as shown below. If you don’t have the Google Contacts app, go to the next section.
Stage 1: Open the Google Contacts app and tap the three-bar icon at the top.
step 2: Select Settings from the menu.
Stage 3: Scroll down and tap on Undo changes. If more than one Google account has been added to your phone, select the account you want to restore contacts from.
Step 4: To undo the changes, select the time and tap on Confirm.
Step 5: Wait 2-3 minutes for Google to allow it to process your data.
Retrieve Deleted Contacts from Google without Google Contacts App (Samsung, iPhone, Mi, etc.)
If you have an iPhone or phone running a custom Android skin, such as a Samsung or Mi Mi, you’ll need to use the Google Contacts mobile site. This method only works if you have synced your contacts with Google. The steps will not work if you use other cloud services such as Samsung Cloud.
To get Google contacts back, follow these steps:
Stage 1: Open contact.google.com in your phone’s browser.
Step 2: Tap the settings icon at the top and select Undo changes. Select the time and tap on Confirm.
Conditions for Retrieving Deleted Contacts
If you can’t retrieve deleted Google contacts, there could be two reasons.
Contacts Must Be in Google Contacts
You can only restore existing or synced contacts with Google Contacts. If the contacts had been saved on the SIM or the phone, those contacts would not come back undoing the changes in Google Contacts.
30-Day Time Limit
As mentioned above, you can only recover deleted contacts up to 30 days. If contacts were deleted before that, it is not possible to get them back.
Stop Deleting Contacts
We hope you were able to recover lost Google contacts. To stay safe in the future, you must find out what caused the connections to be lost. Check the communication permissions granted to recently installed third-party apps. Also, take a look at the battery saver settings. It may be preventing contacts from syncing.
Next: Removing a Google account will delete contacts from your phone. Find out what else happens when you remove the Google account from your phone.
