How do I recover deleted contacts on an Android phone?
Answer
Open the Contacts app, check Trash or Bin if available, then confirm the Google account is syncing. Contacts deleted recently can often be restored from the Contacts app trash or from contacts.google.com on a computer.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Avoid unofficial recovery apps that demand broad access to your account or storage.
- Contacts deleted long ago or never synced to Google may not be recoverable.
Follow these steps
Open Contacts on the phone
Open the Contacts app (or Google Contacts). In the menu, look for Trash, Bin, or Recently deleted.
You should see: You see either a trash list of deleted contacts or confirmation that trash is empty or unavailable.
Restore from Trash if listed
Select the deleted contacts and choose Restore or Recover. Wait a moment, then pull to refresh the contact list.
You should see: The restored contacts reappear in your contact list.
Check Google Contacts online
On a computer or phone browser, sign in at contacts.google.com with the same Google account. Open Trash there and restore any matching contacts.
You should see: Contacts return in Google Contacts and sync back to the phone when connected.
Confirm sync is on
On the Android phone, open Settings, then Accounts or Users & accounts, select the Google account, and make sure Contacts sync is enabled. Force a sync if the option is available.
You should see: The phone shows Contacts syncing, and restored contacts appear on the device.
Not sure this is the right page? Check here
0 of 5 checked
Extra tips
What to look for: Whether Contacts shows Trash/Bin, which Google account is syncing, and how recently the contacts were deleted.
Before you change anything: Note which Google account was used on the phone when the contacts disappeared. Avoid installing unknown “contact recovery” apps from unofficial sources. Do not factory reset while trying to recover contacts. Never share your Google password with unexpected callers.