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Contacts Disappeared on Android Phone?
Zakira PatelJanuary 14, 20222 min read

Contacts Disappeared on Android Phone? Here’s How to Recover Them!

 

The main purpose of your mobile phone is to receive phone calls and text messages. When all of the contacts suddenly disappear on your device, it can be very worrying.

 

What Can Cause This Issue?  

  • You haven’t chosen where you want to show contacts from in your settings (from a SIM card, Google account, or phone memory)
  • Problems with synchronization of your Google account
  • System failure
  • Contacts are in hidden mode
  • The device has a virus
  • A factory reset has been performed
  • The SIM card memory is full

 

First, check to see if your contacts have really disappeared. Sometimes your contacts won’t show up because of your phone settings. Open the Contacts app on your phone, press the three-dots icon in the top right corner, select the option “Contacts to display”, and select “All contacts”. If your contacts still aren’t showing up, don’t worry, there are a few other tricks you can try!

 

Take the SIM card out of the phone to check for damage 

 

If you don’t see any damage, then insert the SIM card back into your device and wait a couple of minutes. Next, check the contacts as they should’ve reappeared.

If the SIM card has no external damage, but the contacts are still not appearing, then insert it into another phone. If contacts are shown on another device, then your Android smartphone is likely broken.

 

If the loss of contacts occurred due to an unsuccessful Android update, then you should go to "Settings" and select the "Restore and reset" option. Be sure to regularly backup your device so you have an up-to-date backup to install if you ever need to restore your phone.


If the loss of contacts is associated with a virus and you don’t have a backup, then follow the instructions below:

 

  • Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
  • Install the software that comes with your device.
  • On the device, select USB Debugging.
  • On the computer, open the application for your device, find the "Contacts" tab, and then restore the missing numbers by following the prompts on your screen.

 

There’s a chance that your contacts are still on your phone, but only the numbers stored from your SIM card are showing or vice versa.

To fix this issue:

 

  • Launch the "Contacts" app.
  • Click on the three-dots icon and select the option “Contact filter”
  • Change the source of the contact list. If "SIM" is selected, then select “Phone”. If “Phone” is selected, then select “SIM”.
  • Return to your home screen and then check to see if your contacts have reappeared.

 

If your contacts were stored within your Google account, you should be able to get them back with the following steps.

 

  • Go to "Contacts" and select the three-dots icon.
  • Choose the option "Import / Export".
  • Enter the source of information - "Google Account".
  • Select the location for saving contacts: SIM card or device memory.
  • A list of contacts that are located on the server will be shown. Select the required numbers and click "OK".

 

As you can see, there are many methods to help you restore your Android contacts, so don’t panic!

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