How to Restore Contacts on iPhone 14/13/12

Lost contacts on iPhone 14? Follow the passage to know how to restore contacts on iPhone 14 with or without backup.

Demi

By Demi / Updated on December 20, 2023

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Restore contacts on my iPhone

Some of the contacts were missing from my iPhone. I really need my contacts back. How do I restore my contacts on iPhone?

- Question from Apple Community

There are kinds of iPhone contacts lost scenarios, such as iOS update, mistaken deletion, and so on. Besides, since the SIM card slot has been removed from the iPhone 14 in the United States, and the SIM has been replaced by an eSIM (Embedded-SIM), you may encounter contacts loss more or less when you get a new iPhone 14 without SIM card slot. So if such tragedy happens to you, how can you restore contacts on iPhone 14/13/12?

iPhone Contacts Icon

Keep reading this guide, and everything will be okay. Whether you have backed up your contacts before or not, you can find a satisfying way to restore contacts on iPhone 14/13/12 in this guide.

Part 1. Restore iPhone 14 contacts from backups

If you have the latest iCloud or iTunes backup in which the missing contacts are included, you can try to restore contacts on iPhone from backup. Depending on the backup tool you are using, follow the steps below to get contacts back to your iPhone.

Option 1. How to restore contacts on iPhone from iCloud backup

If you have enabled iCloud Contacts before, it is accessible for you to restore contacts on iPhone from iCloud. Please be noted that the synced data only be saved in iCloud for 30 days since they are deleted or lost.

Step 1. Go to the Settings on your iPhone > Tap [your name] > Choose iCloud.

Step 2. Turn off Contacts and select Keep on My iPhone. Turn on Contacts again and choose Merge.

Sync Contacts From iPhone To Mac

To make the restore process more visible, you can also restore contact to iPhone from iCloud.com.

Just sign in with your iCloud ID and password on iCloud.com > Click Account Settings > Scroll this page to the bottom > Click Restore Contacts to recover iPhone contacts.

iCloud Advanced

Option 2. How to restore contacts on iPhone from iTunes backup

Normally, if you backed up your iPhone to computer using iTunes before the contacts lost, you can restore contacts from iTunes backup to iPhone. Here is how to do with it.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer > Launch iTunes and tap device icon.

Step 2. Click on Summary > Choose Restore Backup button to restore iPhone.

Restore iPhone

Part 2. Restore iPhone contacts without iCloud/iTunes backup

Chances are that your lost contacts haven't been backed up to iCloud or iTunes. Then, the solutions in this part will give you a hand. You can rely on iOS data recovery software to get lost contacts back or get contacts in SIM card to eSIM if you are using USversion of iPhone 14.

Way 1. Recover lost contacts via AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS

If you fail to restore iPhone contacts with iCloud/iTunes backup, take it easy, you can rely on iPhone data recovery software to restore iPhone contacts without backup. AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS is highly recommended.

You can recover not only contacts, but also photos, reminders, notes, and some other types of data you need. Click the icon below to get the tool and to know how to restore contacts on iPhone without backup free.

Download Software iOS 10 and later
Secure Download

Step 1. Run AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS on your computer > Connect your iPhone to computer > Click Scan from the left pane > Choose Scan Now to let the tool analyze the data on your iPhone.

Start Scan Now

Step 2. All lost data on your iPhone will be listed, Click Contacts or any types of data you need, and click Recover to make it.

Contacts Click Recover

Way 2. Transfer contacts from SIM card to eSIM

In iOS 16, you are able to transfer eSIM contacts between iPhones using Bluetooth. While the prerequisites are that the two phones are running iOS 16, the two phones are nearby, the two phones are unlocked and Bluetooth on your two phones turned on.

Here are detailed steps:  go Settings > Cellular > Set up eSIM > Transfer from another iPhone

transfer contacts from sim to esim

Video Tutorial: How to Restore Contacts on iPhone 14

Bonus: How to backup & restore iPhone 14 contacts only

If you just want to back up and restore iPhone contacts, you can try FoneTool to backup iPhone data selectively. You can also follow the steps below to backup important contacts from a current physical SIM card, and then restore to your iPhone 14 with an eSIM.

As a free iPhone backup tool, FoneTool supports users in selectively or fully backing up and restoring photos, music, videos, contacts, and messages. Follow the three steps to backup iPhone contacts at a fast speed.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB > Launch FoneTool and click Phone Backup > Go to Selective Backup and click Get Started.

Custom Backup

Step 2. Choose Contacts to preview and select the contacts you want to backup > Click OK to confirm.

Preview And Select

Step 3. Choose a storage path to save the backup files > Click Start Backup to make it.

Start Backup

The backup process will be finished in a short time. When it is finished, you can click View to go to the Backup History page, from here, you can be free to browse, restore, and delete the backup.

Check The Backup

Conclusion

That’s all for how to restore contacts on iPhone 14/13/12. You can restore contacts from the latest iCloud or iTunes backup. Alternatively, you can utilize AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS to get lost iPhone data back without backup or transfer contacts from SIM card to eSIM. If this guide helps you, please share it with others.