This may be necessary if you have lost your smartphone and switched to a new one, or accidentally reset it to factory settings. Fortunately, this is not a critical issue: contacts can be recovered in various ways.
Losing data from your phone is a serious problem for many users. This is especially true when it comes to contacts, which can be lost for various reasons, from software malfunctions to accidental or even intentional deletion by the user. In most cases, the problem can be solved, although sometimes it is worth taking care of this in advance.
In this article, we will look at what to do if your contacts are missing on Android and how to recover all the data in your gadget’s memory. We will tell you about seven ways to recover your contacts, and it is up to you to choose which method is best for you.
How to recover lost contacts
Before talking about the possibility of recovering contacts and how to do it, let’s list the reasons for the problem:
- transferring contacts from an old smartphone to a new one;
- user actions, both intentional and accidental;
- restoring the smartphone to factory settings with memory formatting;
- software failures, including those caused by viruses or when obtaining root privileges.
- updating the operating system;
- unsuccessful synchronization of the phone with the account;
- Physical damage to the gadget.
Even if the user deleted the contacts on Android themselves, it is possible to recover the numbers and data, as well as restore all the settings that have been lost, using a number of methods. This may require access to the profile or SIM card, and sometimes special programs.
Method #1. Recovering data from a SIM card
One of the most reliable ways to recover contacts on an Android phone is to do it using a SIM card. However, in this case, only the phone numbers of contacts can be recovered, and only if they were saved on the SIM card.
The recovery process is as follows:
- Open the standard “Phone” app.
- Go to the contacts tab (in some versions of Android OS, this is not necessary).
- Select settings — usually, you need to tap the icon with three dots to do this.
- Find and select the option responsible for importing and exporting.
- Specify the SIM card from which the contacts will be restored.
- Select the location where the restored information will be saved.
- Select the contacts you want to restore by checking the boxes next to them.
The final step in the restoration process is to save the contact list to your smartphone or profile.
Method #2. Restoring contacts via Google account
If the information was saved to your Google profile in time, there is another way to restore contacts on Android after resetting or reinstalling the software.
This option is suitable for restoring data even if you lose your phone along with your SIM card. You can easily transfer information from your Google account to other locations. However, for this to work, you will need to log in to your account, enable synchronization, and follow these steps:
- First, go through the authorization process in your profile. You can do this on your phone or PC.
- Select “Contacts,” which are displayed as a list of numbers.
- Go to settings (gear icon).
- Indicate that you want to undo the changes.
- Select the date to undo the changes — from 10 minutes to several days.
- Synchronize with the account on the desired phone, after which the information will be exported automatically.
There is another way to restore numbers and other data stored in your profile. To do this, select “Export” in the contact list and specify the Google CSV format. Then transfer the saved file to your phone in any convenient way (via Bluetooth or email) and open it there from the “Contacts” menu by selecting “Import.”
Method #3. Restoring contacts from the trash
Another method for restoring contacts from the trash on Android is suitable for owners of devices running Android 10 and above. When numbers are deleted, they are stored for 15 to 30 days, depending on the system version.
To restore the data, open the Contacts app, select Trash, select the desired numbers, and choose to restore them. However, not all smartphones have a Trash feature: for example, we found it on Samsung, but not on realme.
Method #4. Contact your mobile operator
To recover accidentally or intentionally deleted numbers, you can contact your mobile operator’s support service and request service details.
The data provided should include a list of calls and messages that you can use to manually find the people you need. However, with the help of the operator, you will only be able to recover data for those contacts with whom the user has recently been in contact.
Method #5. Recovery via messengers
One of the ways to recover deleted contacts on Android is to search for the necessary information in messengers. Telegram, for example, offers a good opportunity for this. When you log into your profile, you can find your contacts’ phone numbers in the information about them (in the “Contacts” menu).
You can also use the Viber messenger to search for the necessary data, where users are also identified by their phone number. Just go to the “Calls” section and click on the chat name (the name of the contact).
You can also try to restore previously deleted contacts from a backup via the settings menu and the “Account” section.
Another popular messenger, WhatsApp, also allows you to restore data. The number information is contained in the contact card. However, as with all other communication programs, this restoration will only work if other users have the same application. But if the data was deleted after the backup was created, WhatsApp will allow you to restore it.
Method #6. Data recovery for Samsung phones
There is a specific data recovery method for Samsung smartphones:
- Open your phone settings.
- Select “Clouds and accounts.”
- Go to the backup menu.
- Select data recovery.
- Specify that contacts are to be recovered.
The information will be recovered from Samsung Cloud storage, which can store up to 15 GB of information. It is designed not only for phone numbers, but also for photos, music, and notes. To use it, simply log into your account.
Method #7. Using special programs
Among the methods for restoring contacts on Android, there is an option to use third-party software. You can find suitable programs in the Play Market and other sources, but for greater security, it is best to download them from the developers’ websites.