Easy way to recover iPhone lost/deleted contacts from iTunes/iCloud backup
"Is there some people know that how to recover iPhone contacts? I felt so sad that my iPhone was stolen, but my contacts are so important for me. Now I hope to restore my contacts without my phone. Fortunately, I synced my iPhone to iTunes constantly on my computer, but I had to switch to another phone, since I could not afford another iPhone. I don't know whether is it possible to recover contacts without iPhone?"
The answer is: You can recover your contacts with or without iPhone! You can extract your contacts from the iTunes/iCloud backup when you lost your iPhone. iTunes can automatically back up your iPhone contacts and update it every time when you sync it. So you really have a big chance to recover contacts from iTunes backup.
How to recover lost/deleted contacts without iPhone?
We will now discuss how to get contacts from the backup file. You need an iPhone contacts recovery tool, and you can have my recommendation here: UFUWare iPhone Data Recovery (Windows) or UFUWare iPhone Data Recovery (Mac). Besides recovering contacts from iTunes/iCloud backups, both of the software can also help to scan and retrieve contacts directly from your iPhone X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s/6s Plus/6 Plus/6/5S/5C/5/4S/4/3GS, if you didn't lose your iPhone. Now we can check the information about powerful iPhone Data Recovery tool.
1. Recover deleted contacts from iPhone without backup, you can get back contact number, job title, address, companies, email and more which you store on phone book. You can export all contacts as several format like VCF, CSV or HTML.
2. Extract unreadable iTunes and iCloud backup, preview the details of backup file and selectively choose the contacts you need to restore, it's more advantages than iTunes. Unlike iTunes, you don't need to replace exisiting iPhone data. This will be more intuitive and save you a lot of time.
3. Support recover 22+ file types for all iPhone iPad iPod running all iOS versions (the latest version of 10.3 is included), including photos, videos, contacts, text messages, iMessages, mms, notes, call history, safari bookmark, voicemail, voice memos, as well as third-party app data like WhatsApp, WebChat, Viber, Kik, line, Skype etc.
4. Provide the best function to fix iOS system problem, you won't lost any data after your phone stuck at apple logo/ recovery mode, white/black screen, start up exception and other issue. When your phone suddenly encountered some system problems so that you can not normally turn on the phone, you still can get data back.
You can download the free trial version below to have a try.
Let's check detailed steps with the Windows version of iPhone Data Recovery.
Way 1. Fully restore iPhone contacts from entire iTunes backup
Many iPhone users often back up their iPhone data to the computer via iTunes, and we know that the backup file can't be read, but you still can get contact back via entire iTunes backup.
You can open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone to it, when the iTunes detect your phone, you can click "File" > "Devices" > "Restore from Backup" or right-click iPhone icon and press "Restore from backup", select the backup file that contains the missing contact, then click "Restore" to import the backup back to iPhone.
But you need to know you will lost all newly created data, including photo, music, contact, messages, note and other data, so you have to carefully select the backup file. In order to avoid the existing data is covered, you can choose to extract the backup file and selectively restore iPhone contact.
Way 2. Selectively restore iPhone contacts by extracting iTunes backup
This iPhone contacts recovery program enables you to recover contacts on iPhone from the backup files on iTunes, no matter you are using iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s/6s Plus/6 Plus/6, iPhone 5S/5C/5, iPhone 4S/4, or iPhone 3GS, or you just lost it, iPhone Data Recovery can help to find the contacts back on your computer. Besides contacts, it also can help you to recover previous SMS, Call History, Notes, Calendar, as well as lost photos and videos, etc.
Step 1. Scan the iTunes backup file
No matter you just lost your iPhone or you still hold it in your hand, don't connect or sync it with iTunes after you lost your contacts, to prevent the backup file from being updated and replaced by the contacts on your iPhone now.
If you have synced different iDevices with iTunes before, there will be more than one backup files, after you choose "Recover from iTunes Backup File" mode, then select an iPhone backup file, and click "Start to Scan" button.
Step 2. Recover your iPhone contacts
After the scanning finished, you are allowed to preview all lost/deleted data in the scan result. Just click the categories on the top side one by one. Selectively mark which files you want to recover, then click "Recover" button to quickly restore and save them on your computer.
Note: If you only want to get deleted files back, please check box "Only display deleted items" to list deleted files only. It can help you save your time and you can easily restore the deleted files.
If the "Only display deleted items" option is grayed out, it means that you can only backup existing files in that section. Nothing can be recovered there.
Hot:
Best Airdroid for iOS: App like Airdroid for iPhone/iPad/iPhone
MKV to iPhone: Convert MKV video for playback on iPhone X
Blu-ray/DVD to iPhone X - Play/Watch Blu-ray and DVD movies on iPhone X
Way 1. Merge iPhone contacts from iCloud backup
First you can open http://www.icloud.com on your web browser and sign in your iCloud account, click "contacts", if you can see the deleted/lost contact under contacts, follow the below
step to merge iCloud contact.This may be the easiest and most useful way to restore contact to your iPhone.
1. Click "Settings" > "iCloud" > "Turn off Contacts" on your iPhone.
2. Choose "Keep on My iPhone" option in the pop-up which asking you what would you like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone.
3. Turn on contacts again and click "Merge". After a few minutes, You will find that the deleted contacts appear again in your iPhone contact list.
Way 2. Export vCard File From iCloud
When you add a new contact, you can back it up to iCloud and follow the below step to export them as a vCard File, then you can get the lost/deleted contact back from vCard file when you lost some contacts next time.
1. Open http://www.icloud.com on your web browser and sign in your iCloud account.
2. Click "Contacts" > "Settings" icon on the lower left bottom > "Export vCard".
3. Export all contacts as a .vcf file to your computer hard disk drive, then you can us email to send it and use iPhone to open it, then you can restore contact back to your iPhone.
Way 3: Recover iPhone contacts from iCloud Advanced Features
Many people do not know iCloud have a advanced features can help to restore lost contacts, but how to use this function, now we will introduce the detail steps, and you need to know, when you store to a new archive of contacts:
. The archive of contacts you select will replace contacts on all your devices.
. Your current contacts will be archived so that you can get them back if needed.
1. Open a web broswer on your computer, enter http://www.icloud.com in the address bar and open it.
2. When you see a login interface, enter your Apple ID and Password to sign in. After you successfully enter iCloud, tap "Settings" icon to the new page, you will see the "Advanced" at the bottom of the page, tap "Restore Contacts" option and you will see a pop-up.
3.You will see all backup display as a list, choose the one contain all contacts and click "Restore" button to get contacts back to iPhone.
Way 4. Fully restore iPhone contacts from entire iCloud backup
Only need several steps to recover from entire iCloud backup file. Click "Settings" > "General" > "Reset" > "Erase All Content and Settings" on your iPhone, when you see a pop-up, click "Erase iPhone", your phone will restart, just wait for a while, click "Set Up iPhone" > "Restore from iCloud Backup", then you can sign your iCloud account by entering Apple ID and password, choose the most relevant backup to download onto your phone, wait for the operation to complete.
As with iTunes, the recently existing data and setting will be overwritten, so you can choose the below way to extract iCloud backup file and selectively restore iPhone contact.
Way 5. Selectively restore iPhone contacts by extracting iCloud backup
Step 1. Login iCloud account and scan iCloud backup
Launch the iOS Data recovery Software, switch to "Recover from iCloud Backup File" mode, enter your Apple ID and password to login iCloud, then the software will find all iCloud backup files and display as a list, you can choose the one you want to extract to download it. After that, you can directly scan to extract it there.
Note: When you're doing this, do keep your internet is connected.
Step 2. Preview and recover iPhone contacts
When the scan is over, all contacts will display in the contacts category of the scan result, you can preview all contacts detail, mark the contact you want to recover and click "Recover" button to restore them onto your computer with one click.
The answer is: You can recover your contacts with or without iPhone! You can extract your contacts from the iTunes/iCloud backup when you lost your iPhone. iTunes can automatically back up your iPhone contacts and update it every time when you sync it. So you really have a big chance to recover contacts from iTunes backup.
How to recover lost/deleted contacts without iPhone?
We will now discuss how to get contacts from the backup file. You need an iPhone contacts recovery tool, and you can have my recommendation here: UFUWare iPhone Data Recovery (Windows) or UFUWare iPhone Data Recovery (Mac). Besides recovering contacts from iTunes/iCloud backups, both of the software can also help to scan and retrieve contacts directly from your iPhone X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/SE/6s/6s Plus/6 Plus/6/5S/5C/5/4S/4/3GS, if you didn't lose your iPhone. Now we can check the information about powerful iPhone Data Recovery tool.
1. Recover deleted contacts from iPhone without backup, you can get back contact number, job title, address, companies, email and more which you store on phone book. You can export all contacts as several format like VCF, CSV or HTML.
2. Extract unreadable iTunes and iCloud backup, preview the details of backup file and selectively choose the contacts you need to restore, it's more advantages than iTunes. Unlike iTunes, you don't need to replace exisiting iPhone data. This will be more intuitive and save you a lot of time.
3. Support recover 22+ file types for all iPhone iPad iPod running all iOS versions (the latest version of 10.3 is included), including photos, videos, contacts, text messages, iMessages, mms, notes, call history, safari bookmark, voicemail, voice memos, as well as third-party app data like WhatsApp, WebChat, Viber, Kik, line, Skype etc.
4. Provide the best function to fix iOS system problem, you won't lost any data after your phone stuck at apple logo/ recovery mode, white/black screen, start up exception and other issue. When your phone suddenly encountered some system problems so that you can not normally turn on the phone, you still can get data back.
You can download the free trial version below to have a try.
Let's check detailed steps with the Windows version of iPhone Data Recovery.
Part 1: How to Recover iPhone Contacts from iTunes Backup?
Way 1. Fully restore iPhone contacts from entire iTunes backup
Many iPhone users often back up their iPhone data to the computer via iTunes, and we know that the backup file can't be read, but you still can get contact back via entire iTunes backup.
You can open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone to it, when the iTunes detect your phone, you can click "File" > "Devices" > "Restore from Backup" or right-click iPhone icon and press "Restore from backup", select the backup file that contains the missing contact, then click "Restore" to import the backup back to iPhone.
But you need to know you will lost all newly created data, including photo, music, contact, messages, note and other data, so you have to carefully select the backup file. In order to avoid the existing data is covered, you can choose to extract the backup file and selectively restore iPhone contact.
Way 2. Selectively restore iPhone contacts by extracting iTunes backup
This iPhone contacts recovery program enables you to recover contacts on iPhone from the backup files on iTunes, no matter you are using iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s/6s Plus/6 Plus/6, iPhone 5S/5C/5, iPhone 4S/4, or iPhone 3GS, or you just lost it, iPhone Data Recovery can help to find the contacts back on your computer. Besides contacts, it also can help you to recover previous SMS, Call History, Notes, Calendar, as well as lost photos and videos, etc.
Step 1. Scan the iTunes backup file
No matter you just lost your iPhone or you still hold it in your hand, don't connect or sync it with iTunes after you lost your contacts, to prevent the backup file from being updated and replaced by the contacts on your iPhone now.
If you have synced different iDevices with iTunes before, there will be more than one backup files, after you choose "Recover from iTunes Backup File" mode, then select an iPhone backup file, and click "Start to Scan" button.
Step 2. Recover your iPhone contacts
After the scanning finished, you are allowed to preview all lost/deleted data in the scan result. Just click the categories on the top side one by one. Selectively mark which files you want to recover, then click "Recover" button to quickly restore and save them on your computer.
Note: If you only want to get deleted files back, please check box "Only display deleted items" to list deleted files only. It can help you save your time and you can easily restore the deleted files.
If the "Only display deleted items" option is grayed out, it means that you can only backup existing files in that section. Nothing can be recovered there.
Hot:
Best Airdroid for iOS: App like Airdroid for iPhone/iPad/iPhone
MKV to iPhone: Convert MKV video for playback on iPhone X
Blu-ray/DVD to iPhone X - Play/Watch Blu-ray and DVD movies on iPhone X
Part 2: 5 Ways to Recover iPhone Contacts from iCloud Backup
Way 1. Merge iPhone contacts from iCloud backup
First you can open http://www.icloud.com on your web browser and sign in your iCloud account, click "contacts", if you can see the deleted/lost contact under contacts, follow the below
step to merge iCloud contact.This may be the easiest and most useful way to restore contact to your iPhone.
1. Click "Settings" > "iCloud" > "Turn off Contacts" on your iPhone.
2. Choose "Keep on My iPhone" option in the pop-up which asking you what would you like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone.
3. Turn on contacts again and click "Merge". After a few minutes, You will find that the deleted contacts appear again in your iPhone contact list.
Way 2. Export vCard File From iCloud
When you add a new contact, you can back it up to iCloud and follow the below step to export them as a vCard File, then you can get the lost/deleted contact back from vCard file when you lost some contacts next time.
1. Open http://www.icloud.com on your web browser and sign in your iCloud account.
2. Click "Contacts" > "Settings" icon on the lower left bottom > "Export vCard".
3. Export all contacts as a .vcf file to your computer hard disk drive, then you can us email to send it and use iPhone to open it, then you can restore contact back to your iPhone.
Way 3: Recover iPhone contacts from iCloud Advanced Features
Many people do not know iCloud have a advanced features can help to restore lost contacts, but how to use this function, now we will introduce the detail steps, and you need to know, when you store to a new archive of contacts:
. The archive of contacts you select will replace contacts on all your devices.
. Your current contacts will be archived so that you can get them back if needed.
1. Open a web broswer on your computer, enter http://www.icloud.com in the address bar and open it.
2. When you see a login interface, enter your Apple ID and Password to sign in. After you successfully enter iCloud, tap "Settings" icon to the new page, you will see the "Advanced" at the bottom of the page, tap "Restore Contacts" option and you will see a pop-up.
3.You will see all backup display as a list, choose the one contain all contacts and click "Restore" button to get contacts back to iPhone.
Way 4. Fully restore iPhone contacts from entire iCloud backup
Only need several steps to recover from entire iCloud backup file. Click "Settings" > "General" > "Reset" > "Erase All Content and Settings" on your iPhone, when you see a pop-up, click "Erase iPhone", your phone will restart, just wait for a while, click "Set Up iPhone" > "Restore from iCloud Backup", then you can sign your iCloud account by entering Apple ID and password, choose the most relevant backup to download onto your phone, wait for the operation to complete.
As with iTunes, the recently existing data and setting will be overwritten, so you can choose the below way to extract iCloud backup file and selectively restore iPhone contact.
Way 5. Selectively restore iPhone contacts by extracting iCloud backup
Step 1. Login iCloud account and scan iCloud backup
Launch the iOS Data recovery Software, switch to "Recover from iCloud Backup File" mode, enter your Apple ID and password to login iCloud, then the software will find all iCloud backup files and display as a list, you can choose the one you want to extract to download it. After that, you can directly scan to extract it there.
Note: When you're doing this, do keep your internet is connected.
Step 2. Preview and recover iPhone contacts
When the scan is over, all contacts will display in the contacts category of the scan result, you can preview all contacts detail, mark the contact you want to recover and click "Recover" button to restore them onto your computer with one click.
