Due to bad instructions on the part of AT&T support, I've lost all contacts added since I bought my iPhone 4. What's the best/easiest way to recover them?
Recovering contacts
- Thread starter Bacchus
- Start date
Recovering contacts
- Thread starter Bacchus
- Start date
If they were backed up, you can retrieve them when you restore from that backup.
Were they synced to your device from an email account, or did you just save them to your iPhone?
Were they synced to your device from an email account, or did you just save them to your iPhone?
Do you have any backups of your phone in itunes? If so, your contacts should be in the backup. Restoring from the backup should get back the contacts that were on the phone at the time the backup was made.
Good morning to both of you, J.A. And SciFan57. Thanks for weighing in.
When I bought my iPhone (new) I think my existing contacts were transferred from my old phone. Those contacts I still have. All contacts I've added since then were entered by me. Those are the ones I've lost. I'm not sure I know how to do it by email.
If I restore from a backup to iTunes, do I have a choice of which backup to restore from or is there only the last (over-writing) backup available? I'd prefer to know the date of the backup I'd be using - if that's possible.
When I bought my iPhone (new) I think my existing contacts were transferred from my old phone. Those contacts I still have. All contacts I've added since then were entered by me. Those are the ones I've lost. I'm not sure I know how to do it by email.
If I restore from a backup to iTunes, do I have a choice of which backup to restore from or is there only the last (over-writing) backup available? I'd prefer to know the date of the backup I'd be using - if that's possible.
I don't know whether or not it's possible to choose the backup in iTunes, but I know that it's certainly possible when you restore from a backup in iCloud. In this case, you don't need to connect to iTunes, simply erase all content and settings (Settings - General - Reset). When you set it up again, select the backup that was made before you lost the contacts. As far as I know you can choose from the three last iCloud backups.
See, now that's where I have a problem with restoring from a backup in iCloud. That one short instruction is what caused my problem in the first place.
Settings-general-reset. That's the instruction the AT&T support person assured me wouldn't lose anything but my lock and home screen photos but which lost all my passwords and contacts as well. Each time I think about restoring from iCloud, I get to that point and I know better than to do that reset.
I guess if it won't restore via iTunes I'll just have to live with it.
Settings-general-reset. That's the instruction the AT&T support person assured me wouldn't lose anything but my lock and home screen photos but which lost all my passwords and contacts as well. Each time I think about restoring from iCloud, I get to that point and I know better than to do that reset.
I guess if it won't restore via iTunes I'll just have to live with it.
Settings - General - Reset has a few choices depending on what you intend to reset.
If you want to restore from a backup, you'll have to wipe the iPhone completely, which has to be done with "Erase all Content and Settings". This will set it back to factory settings, and you'll be able to restore from the backup afterwards.
Restoring in iTunes isn't different. It will also clear every information from your device. It's possible to restore from a backup afterwards, exactly like it's possible when you restore from an iCloud backup.
If you don't trust erasing it in Settings - General - Reset, connect it to iTunes and restore it. When it's restored, don't restore from an iTunes backup, if your contacts are not saved there, but disconnect it and set it up with iCloud, using the one iCloud backup with the contacts.
If you want to restore from a backup, you'll have to wipe the iPhone completely, which has to be done with "Erase all Content and Settings". This will set it back to factory settings, and you'll be able to restore from the backup afterwards.
Restoring in iTunes isn't different. It will also clear every information from your device. It's possible to restore from a backup afterwards, exactly like it's possible when you restore from an iCloud backup.
If you don't trust erasing it in Settings - General - Reset, connect it to iTunes and restore it. When it's restored, don't restore from an iTunes backup, if your contacts are not saved there, but disconnect it and set it up with iCloud, using the one iCloud backup with the contacts.
Last edited:
I guess the three points that worry me are:
1. If I restore from an iTunes backup, the backup would have to be from prior to 1/8/15 since I think that's the date I lost all my contacts. If the backup is more recent than that the contacts wouldn't be there.
2. My iPhone is set up to do a backup to the cloud every night after I plug it in to power and go to bed. Restoring from the cloud, then, would only go back three days which wouldn't accomplish anything for me.
3. I don't understand completely what 'set up' includes when I'm instructed to 'set up' after restoring from the cloud.
1. If I restore from an iTunes backup, the backup would have to be from prior to 1/8/15 since I think that's the date I lost all my contacts. If the backup is more recent than that the contacts wouldn't be there.
2. My iPhone is set up to do a backup to the cloud every night after I plug it in to power and go to bed. Restoring from the cloud, then, would only go back three days which wouldn't accomplish anything for me.
3. I don't understand completely what 'set up' includes when I'm instructed to 'set up' after restoring from the cloud.
You're right, if your iPhone backs up to iCloud every night, you won't be able to restore from a backup with your lost contacts, if you use iCloud.
Do you know when you backed up to iTunes last time?
3. When you erase your iPhone, it will be without any information, exactly as if it were completely new and not yet used. To set it up, you could use an iCloud backup. This means you restore from a backup from iCloud to retrieve all the information you had on your device before erasing it.
This is not an option any more, though.
Do you know when you backed up to iTunes last time?
3. When you erase your iPhone, it will be without any information, exactly as if it were completely new and not yet used. To set it up, you could use an iCloud backup. This means you restore from a backup from iCloud to retrieve all the information you had on your device before erasing it.
This is not an option any more, though.
No, I don't know the date of the last iTunes backup. That's why I'm hoping I'm offered more than one backup date to choose from - and at least one of them prior to 1/8/15.
I'll have a look later today. Other obligations at the moment. Thanks very much, J.A.
I'll have a look later today. Other obligations at the moment. Thanks very much, J.A.
You're welcome.
If I find something else to retrieve your lost contacts, I'll post again.
If I find something else to retrieve your lost contacts, I'll post again.
Recovery software for your computer could help retrieve the lost contacts. Some of them promise to get them back from your iPhone directly, without backup. I've found a few that might help:
One of them is called iPhone Data Recovery, another one is Wondershare Dr. Fone, and there's also PhoneRescue. Perhaps you'll find a better one. Just search for "recover lost iPhone contacts without backup", and you'll certainly find a few. Some of them are free, afaik.
One of them is called iPhone Data Recovery, another one is Wondershare Dr. Fone, and there's also PhoneRescue. Perhaps you'll find a better one. Just search for "recover lost iPhone contacts without backup", and you'll certainly find a few. Some of them are free, afaik.
Well, with the grace of God and the help of a spoon, (an old punch line) I managed to recover my contacts. Hooray for me! But some of what I learned along the way will stick with me and continue to annoy me for a good long while.
The good part is that I had a backup in iTunes. The not-so-good part is that it was three months old. But at least most of my contacts were there.
What's going to annoy me is that after you (J.A.) went to the trouble of discovering some websites offering to recover a person's contacts via a free download, the website pages were weasel-worded to cause one to think the service was free. The ones I looked into all said "free download". And that part was true. The download was free. But once you had downloaded they offered to sell you a package for $50-$70 or you could try a free sample of the package.
That's when you learn that the free sample didn't cover what you needed or, if it did, no results were obtained when you ran the free portion. In my mind, they all just oozed 'scam'.
Another thing they did was a given seller of a package used three or more different names so you thought you were checking out numerous sellers when they were all the same outfit. I'm sometimes very glad I'm a born skeptic.
Anyway, J.A., thank you, thank you for your efforts on my behalf. After I'd had my fill of checking out a number of less than desirable sellers I went to iTunes to see if I had an existing backup to restore from. From there it got easier.
I really appreciate all the help I've received from folks at this forum/website. You're an immense help and source of knowledge. Thank you very much.
The good part is that I had a backup in iTunes. The not-so-good part is that it was three months old. But at least most of my contacts were there.
What's going to annoy me is that after you (J.A.) went to the trouble of discovering some websites offering to recover a person's contacts via a free download, the website pages were weasel-worded to cause one to think the service was free. The ones I looked into all said "free download". And that part was true. The download was free. But once you had downloaded they offered to sell you a package for $50-$70 or you could try a free sample of the package.
That's when you learn that the free sample didn't cover what you needed or, if it did, no results were obtained when you ran the free portion. In my mind, they all just oozed 'scam'.
Another thing they did was a given seller of a package used three or more different names so you thought you were checking out numerous sellers when they were all the same outfit. I'm sometimes very glad I'm a born skeptic.
Anyway, J.A., thank you, thank you for your efforts on my behalf. After I'd had my fill of checking out a number of less than desirable sellers I went to iTunes to see if I had an existing backup to restore from. From there it got easier.
I really appreciate all the help I've received from folks at this forum/website. You're an immense help and source of knowledge. Thank you very much.
I'm glad you were able to retrieve most of the lost contacts from an iTunes backup.
Thank you for the information about the software I suggested. I'll certainly remember this, and not recommend them again.
Thank you for the information about the software I suggested. I'll certainly remember this, and not recommend them again.
