Google contacts mysteriously missing from your iPhone? In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to restore your Google contacts and ensure they seamlessly sync with your iPhone once again.
If you frequently switch between Android and iPhone, rely on Google apps, or recently switched from Android to iOS, your contacts are likely stored in your Google account. While iPhone and Google services work well together, small hiccups may happen, preventing Google contacts from showing up on your iPhone’s Contacts app. This is what we will fix.
Related: How to get back missing iCloud contacts on iPhone
Solutions to bring back missing Google Contacts on iPhone: hide
1) Force quit and reopen the Phone or Contacts app
2) Restart your iPhone
3) Add your Google account to your iPhone settings
4) Make sure the right Google account is added
5) Ensure Contacts are enabled
6) Connect your iPhone to stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection
7) Check your Google account for contacts
8) Re-authenticate your Google account on iPhone
9) Set Google as the default account
10) Show Gmail contacts on iPhone
11) Remove and re-add your Google account to your iPhone
12) Use a secure connection (SSL)
13) Fetch data automatically
14) Update your iPhone
15) Reset network settings
16) Do a manual transfer of Google contacts to iCloud and use iCloud contacts
Force quit and reopen the Phone or Contacts app
Although rare, it’s possible that the added people’s phone numbers are not visible because of a glitch in the Phone or Contacts app. Quickly closing that app and reopening it should restore all contacts.
Restart your iPhone
Turning off your iPhone and turning it back on should bring back all missing Google contacts if they were lost temporarily because of small iOS issues.
Add your Google account to your iPhone settings
You can add your Google account to your iPhone and turn on the Contacts switch. Once this is done, all your contacts saved on Google will appear on your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app and tap Contacts.
- Tap Accounts.
- You should see your Gmail/Google account added here. If it isn’t, tap Add Account and follow the on-screen instructions.
Make sure the right Google account is added
Many people use multiple Google accounts. So, follow the above steps and tap the account to see your added email address. Make sure it’s the correct one.
Ensure Contacts are enabled
Even after adding the Google account, you can choose to turn off contacts sync and only use this account for Mail, Calendar, or Notes.
So, go to iPhone Settings > Contacts > Accounts > tap the Google account, and make sure the switch for Contacts is green.
If it is off, turn it on and select Keep on My iPhone. Now, go to the iPhone Contacts app or the Phone app > Contacts, and wait a while. Your Google contacts will quickly populate this screen.
Connect your iPhone to stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection
Your iPhone must be connected to the internet to fetch new contacts from the Google servers. So, make sure Wi-Fi or cellular data is working perfectly on your phone.
Next, go to the iPhone Settings app and tap Cellular or Mobile Data. Now, scroll through the list of apps and make sure Contacts, Phone, and Settings are allowed to work on cellular data.
Note: Turn off VPN if you’re using one.
Check your Google account for contacts
1) Visit contacts.google.com in a web browser on your phone or computer and log in using your Google account.
2) Go to the Contacts section, and you should see all your Google contacts here.
3) If you do not find your contacts on Google:
- You may have accidentally deleted them. In that case, go to the Trash section of Google Contacts and recover your deleted contacts.
- It’s also possible that you confused this Google account for another one. So, log in to your other Google/Gmail account, and your contacts might be there.
- If you have moved from Android to iPhone, try to remember which Google account you were using on your previous phone. That’s the one where all your contacts are saved.
Please continue reading if your contacts are visible on contacts.google.com and the above solutions haven’t helped in bringing them to the iPhone Contacts section.
Re-authenticate your Google account on iPhone
You may have to re-authenticate your Google account on your iPhone if you recently changed the Google account password, or added or removed a payment method.
To do this, go to the Settings app > Contacts > Accounts. From here, tap a Gmail account and re-authenticate if you see a message. Even if you don’t, go ahead and delete this account and re-add it.
Set Google as the default account
You can inform your iPhone that even though iCloud Contacts is enabled, you prefer using Google Contacts, and it should give preference to your Google account:
- Go to iPhone Settings and tap Contacts.
- Tap Default Account and select your added Gmail account.
- Now, force quit the Settings, Contacts, and Phone apps.
- Reopen these three apps.
Show Gmail contacts on iPhone
If contacts are not showing up, it’s time to ensure the correct list of contacts is selected in the Contacts app:
- Open your iPhone Contacts app or the Phone app > Contacts.
- Tap <Lists from the top left.
- Depending on how many contacts account you have added here, you should see them all, like iCloud, Gmail, iPhone, etc.
- Tap the Gmail tile if you only want to see your Gmail/Google contacts in the Contacts app. And tap All Contacts from the top to see all contacts from all added accounts.
Remove and re-add your Google account to your iPhone
Make sure you know the password of your Google account and follow these steps:
- Go to iPhone Settings app > Contacts > Accounts.
- Tap the added Gmail/Google account.
- Tap Delete Account > Delete Account.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Follow Step 1 again and tap Add Account > Google.
- Sign in using your Google account.
- Once the sign-in is complete, make sure the switch for Contacts is enabled, and tap Save.
After following the above steps, open the Contacts app or Phone app > Contacts and wait a minute or two. All your Google Contacts will sync and appear here. Don’t forget to make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
Use a secure connection (SSL)
Once you successfully add your Gmail account, it will fetch all contacts from there and show them on your iPhone. However, if SSL is disabled, your iPhone may not sync new updates. For example, new contacts you add on your Android phone or contacts.google.com will not show on your iPhone, or any changes you make to Google contacts on your iPhone may not reflect on your other device where you’re using this Google account.
Follow these steps to enable SSL and fix Google contacts sync issues on your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app and tap Contacts.
- Tap Accounts and select your added Gmail or Google account.
- Tap the Account tile with your Gmail address.
- Now tap Advanced and turn on Use SSL if it’s off.
- Tap <Account from the top left to go back.
- Tap Done.
- Now restart your iPhone and keep it connected to the internet. Next, open the Contacts app, and all new contacts should appear here.
Fetch data automatically
Go to the Settings app and tap Contacts > Accounts > Fetch New Data. Now select Automatically.
Update your iPhone
Though proper Google contacts sync on iPhone has been available for years, if your device is not on a recent version of iOS, take a few minutes to update it. There is almost no downside for the average user to have the latest version of the operating system on his phone or computer.
Reset network settings
On rare occasions, even if mobile data and Wi-Fi are working fine, your iPhone may have network issues that prevent it from getting new content. Reset your iPhone network settings to address this.
Do a manual transfer of Google contacts to iCloud and use iCloud contacts
At last, if nothing helps, you can transfer all your Google Contacts to iCloud using your phone or computer.
Next, go to the Settings app > Contacts > Accounts > Gmail/Google and turn off the Contacts switch to stop using it on your iPhone.
After that, go to the first Settings app screen and tap your name from the top. Now tap iCloud > Show All. From here, make sure Contacts is turned on.
Going forward you’ll be using iCloud as the primary account to store contacts. Any new contacts you add, or any existing contacts you delete will sync to iCloud, as well as all your other Apple devices where you’re using this iCloud account.
Related tips:
- How to copy iCloud contacts to Google Contacts using iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC
- How to hide contacts on iPhone and ensure they can’t be seen or found
- How to find and delete duplicate contacts on iPhone
FAQs
How do I restore my Google Contacts on my iPhone? ›
- Open your iPhone or iPad's Settings app.
- Tap Contacts. Accounts.
- Tap your Google Account.
- Switch "Contacts" on.
- Tap Account. Advanced.
- Switch "Use SSL" on.
- Tap Account. Done.
- Try adding your account again.
If you are syncing contacts with your email, deleting an email account on iPhone will delete contacts. That's why contacts missing after deleting the email account. And you can first go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts > Add Account to recover contacts.
Why are some of my contacts missing from my iPhone? ›The issue of missing contacts on iPhone can be caused by one or a combination of factors listed below. Powering off the phone and restarting it (a so-called 'cold start'). The user didn't sync iPhone to iCloud after a software update.
Why are my Google Contacts suddenly missing? ›Go to Setting on your Android or Samsung. Click Account and Google account. Tap on Account sync and check if your contacts button is toggled on. If yes, you can also turn it off then on.
How do I restore my Google Contacts? ›- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Google.
- Tap Set up & restore.
- Tap Restore contacts.
- If you have multiple Google Accounts, to choose which account's contacts to restore, tap From account.
- Tap the phone with the contacts to copy.
Recover deleted contacts
If you deleted a contact in the last 30 days, you can move it out of your Trash. Tip: Contacts deleted from your “Other contacts” won't show in Trash. You can recover them if you undo all the changes within the past 30 days.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Passwords and Accounts.
- Click Add Account and pick the Google/Gmail provider.
- Activate the Contacts option which will pull down all the contact records from Google to your local device.
You can sync your Google Contacts to your iPhone so you can have all your contacts in one place. When you update a contact, it will sync with your iPhone and anywhere you're signed into your Google Account.
How do I get my contacts back on my iPhone without iCloud? ›- Connect iPhone to Computer. Connect your iPhone to the computer which already owns the iTunes backup you need. ...
- Go to Summary and Find Restore Backup. Tap on the device icon > Click on Summary > Choose the Restore Backup button and click on it to restore your iPhone.
- Go to Settings>Apple ID>iCloud and tap on Contacts to sync them to iCloud.
- Go to iCloud's website, click on Contacts, and select Export vCard from the Settings button.
Why can't I restore my Google Contacts? ›
You can only recover contacts from the trash if you have automatic sync turned on. You can find this setting in Settings > Google > Settings for Google apps > Google Contacts sync > Status > Automatically Sync. You only have 30 days after you originally delete the contact to recover it.
Why are some of my contacts suddenly missing? ›So, if your contacts disappeared from your Android phone, first check if you've selected the appropriate settings from your Contacts app. Tap the 3 horizontal lines at the top corner of the screen to open the side menu. Select Settings from there. Finally, ensure you set the option to display All contacts.
Where are my Google phone contacts? ›Go to the People & Sharing section of your Google Account. Under "Contacts," select Contact info from your devices.
How do I refresh Google Contacts? ›On your Android phone or tablet, open the "Settings" app. Tap Google. Settings for Google apps. Google Contacts sync.
Where are my synced Google contacts? ›If you're not already in Gmail, just visit contacts.google.com in your browser. You can even bookmark it for easy access. If you are already in Gmail, you can use a keyboard shortcut (if you have them enabled - check in your settings menu). Just type G followed immediately by C and the contacts page will open up.
How do I get my Gmail contacts into iCloud? ›...
The good news is that Gmail does allow you to export contacts as vCard.
- To import Gmail contacts to iCloud, open your web browser. ...
- Click the Google apps menu and select Contacts. ...
- In the sidebar on the left, click Export.
- Grab your Android device, open the Settings app, and go to Accounts > Google. ...
- Next, tap on Account sync. ...
- Finally, force a manual sync by tapping on the three dots in the upper-right corner and choosing Sync now. ...
- Fire up your iPhone and open the Settings app.
- Go to Google Contacts.
- Select one of the following: A single contact: Check the box next to the contact name. ...
- At the top right, click More actions. Export.
- To back up your contacts, select Google CSV.
- To save your file, click Export.
Tap the Settings icon on the Home Screen. Scroll down and tap Contacts. Scroll down and tap My Info. Your contacts list will appear.
Which is better Google Contacts or Apple contacts? ›But if you own an Android phone or keep switching between Android and iPhone regularly, then Google Contacts is a better choice. Moreover, if you use lots of Google services, you should opt for Google Contacts. However, there is no hard and fast rule. You can use either, both, or none of the services.
How to backup contacts on iPhone? ›
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google One app .
- On the left, tap Menu Settings Sync settings.
- To check if you can sync, tap Contacts Check status.
- To grant access to Apple contacts, tap Allow.
- To sync your Apple contacts, tap Set up sync Upload contacts.
- After your upload is complete, tap Next.
- In the Messages conversation list, do one of the following: Tap Edit in the top-left corner, then tap Show Recently Deleted. ...
- Select the conversations whose messages you want to restore, then tap Recover.
- Tap Recover Messages.
- Open Settings app on your phone. ...
- Choose Restore contacts under the "Service" part.
- If you have more than one Google Account, tap From account to select which account you need to restore the deleted contacts from.
- Method 1: Restore Contacts Using iCloud.com.
- Method 2: Restore Contacts from an iCloud Backup.
- Method 3: Recover iPhone Contacts Using the Music App/iTunes.
- Method 4: Restore iPhone Contacts From a Finder Backup.
- Method 5: Restore Your Contacts Using a SIM Card.
Method 2: Download Contacts from iCloud to Android
You can also download contacts from iCloud to Android by connecting the device to a computer. You must export the iCloud contacts to your computer first, then import the contacts to your Android via USB cable. It's as simple as that!
- In Contacts on iCloud.com, click. in the sidebar, then choose Preferences.
- Choose an option from the Sort Order and Display Order pop-up menus, then click Save.
When you set up iCloud for Contacts, your contacts are stored in the cloud instead of locally on your device. You can see them on any device that's set up for iCloud and Contacts, including your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Windows computer.
What happened to all my Google contacts? ›Open your phone's Settings app. Navigate to and select Google. Choose Set up and restore. Select Restore contacts.
How do I get my contacts from Gmail? ›- Step 1: Export existing Gmail contacts. On your computer, go to Google Contacts. At the left, click Export. Select which contacts to export. Select Google CSV. ...
- Step 2: Import the file. On your computer, go to Google Contacts, then sign in with your other Gmail account. At the left, click Import. Click Select File.
The easiest way to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android is by syncing them to your Google account. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts > Gmail and toggle Contacts on. These contacts will sync to your Google account, which your Android device will automatically pull.
How do I transfer contacts from iPhone? ›
- Tap your Apple ID to go to the Apple ID page. ...
- Tap iCloud. ...
- Go to your contacts page in the Phone app of your new iPhone. ...
- Click the iPhone icon. ...
- Click “Info” in the left side menu. ...
- Make sure “Sync Contacts” is checked. ...
- Apply the changes you've made.
- Go to SyncGene and sign up;
- Find the “Add Account” tab, select iCloud and sign in to your iCloud account;
- Click on “Add Account” and log in to your Android account;
- Find the “Filters” tab, choose Contacts sync option and check the folders you want to sync;
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Passwords and Accounts.
- Click Add Account and pick the Google/Gmail provider.
- Activate the Contacts option which will pull down all the contact records from Google to your local device.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the "Settings" app.
- Tap Google. Settings for Google apps. ...
- Turn on Automatically back up & sync device contacts.
- Pick the account you'd like your contacts to be saved in. Your contacts can only be automatically saved to one Google Account.
Suddenly, all of your contacts are gone from Google and your phone. This happens more than you'd think, and it is largely because too many applications make it easy to set your empty smartphone address book to overwrite your up-to-date Google Contacts list, rather than the other way around.
How do I put all my contacts into iCloud? ›Set up iCloud for Contacts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Do one of the following: iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later: Tap Show All, then turn on Contacts.
How do I import contacts into iCloud? ›- In Contacts on iCloud.com, click. in the sidebar, then choose Import vCard.
- Select a vCard to import. Contacts from imported vCards are added to the All Contacts group. You can add contacts to any other group by dragging them. See Create and manage groups of contacts on iCloud.com.