We used to store contacts on a SIM card or phone, which had downsides. Moving numbers between devices or to a new number wasn’t easy. Things are better with smartphones now that Google lets us store endless numbers and access them on a phone’s contact app. Everything syncs to the cloud, so you won’t lose numbers. Also, if you delete a number or wipe your contacts list, you can get everything back within 30 days of the event. Read on to learn how to restore deleted contacts on your Android phone, budget Android tablet, or PC.
You can only restore your contacts if you have a Google Account with contact syncing turned on. The feature is activated by default, but if you turned it off, you should re-activate it.
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You can get back your deleted contacts from Bin. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Open the Contacts app and go to the Organize tab in the lower-right corner.
- Scroll down and tap Trash.
- Check your deleted contacts with time and device name. For example, if you deleted several Gmail contacts from your iPhone, you’ll find them in Trash on Google Contacts for Android.
- Long-tap the contact name and tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner. Select Recover.
- You can also recover a contact by tapping the contact name in the menu and selecting Recover from the contact details.
You can undo changes to contacts in the Google Contacts app on Android. Before now, you could only restore contacts through the web version of Google’s contact app. Here’s how it works:
Although the trick below is handy for restoring deleted Gmail and Google Workspace contacts, it is limited. When you retrieve contacts up to a certain time, such as one month ago, any contacts added or edits done after that time don’t appear. We recommend exporting your contacts to add missing ones later.
- Launch the Google Contacts app on your Android phone.
- Click the profile icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Select Contact settings.
- Tap the Undo changes option at the bottom of the list.
- If you’re logged in with multiple Gmail accounts, select an account.
- Choose the Google account with the contacts you want to restore.
- Select the restore duration (how far back you want Google to undo changes). The options include 10 minutes, one hour, one day, one week, and a custom duration of up to one month.
- Tap Confirm to finish the process.
When you’re done, check if your deleted contacts have been restored.
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Restore deleted numbers on Android using the phone Settings app
Most Android phones come with the Google app. However, several of its features are built into the phone’s Settings, and the restore contacts function is one of them. Here’s how to use it:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll down and select Google.
- Select the All services tab, then find the Backup & restore section and tap Restore contacts.
- Choose which contacts you want to restore, then select Restore.
- Select where you want to save your restored contacts.
- If prompted, enter the password for your old device.
- Tap the Confirm button when you’re ready.
Restore deleted Gmail numbers on Samsung Galaxy phones
Samsung users prefer the default One UI Contacts app on Galaxy phones. While it doesn’t let you undo changes, you can recover deleted Gmail or Google Workspace contacts from the trash. Here’s how:
- Open the Contacts app on your Samsung phone.
- Tap the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner and open Trash.
- Long-tap a contact and select Restore.
Your deleted contacts appear in the Contacts app.
While the Android Contacts app can now restore saved data, the web app could always do so, and that hasn’t changed. If you prefer a larger screen, here’s how to restore your lost Gmail contacts from your browser:
- Launch Google Contacts in your browser.
- Sign in with your Google account details.
- Select Bin from the sidebar.
- Hover the cursor over the contact profile picture and enable the checkmark.
- Select Recover in the upper-right corner.
Similar to the Google Contacts mobile app, you can undo changes using the web version.
- Go to Google Contacts on the web.
- Click the Settings (gear) icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Select Undo changes.
- Choose a timeframe you’d like to restore from. You can select anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 days.
- Click Undo.
You’ll see a message at the bottom of the screen saying your contacts list will be restored to how it was on the date you chose. However, any numbers you saved after that date are deleted. Back up your current contacts before restoring older, deleted ones.
You can’t recover contacts that have been deleted for more than 30 days. This is because deleted numbers are sent to the trash, which is deleted after one month. Similarly, emptying the trash before 30 days prevents you from restoring the data.
Whatever method you use, it may take time for your contacts to be restored. Wait a minute if you don’t notice any changes immediately. Also, you don’t have to worry about duplicate contacts. Google only restores numbers missing from your saved contacts list. In addition, the restored data syncs to your Google account and other connected devices.
There’s still hope if you act fast
As long as you act within 30 days, you should get your contacts back. If you forget your address or password and can’t access your Google account, you might need to recover it.
