Retrieving a deleted phone number on an iPhone is possible in some cases. There are a few different methods you can try to recover a deleted contact or their phone number on an iPhone.
Check Recently Deleted Contacts
When you delete a contact on an iPhone, it gets moved to the Recently Deleted folder. This folder stores deleted contacts for up to 30 days before removing them permanently. Here’s how to view and restore deleted contacts from Recently Deleted:
- Open the Contacts app on your iPhone.
- Tap Groups at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap Recently Deleted to view your deleted contacts.
- Tap a contact to open it, then tap Recover to restore it.
This will restore the contact with their phone number back to your contacts. Keep in mind that contacts are only stored in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. If it has been over 30 days, the contact will no longer be available there.
Restore from an iCloud Backup
If the deleted contact is no longer in Recently Deleted, you may be able to restore it from an iCloud backup:
- Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Tap Manage Storage > Backups.
- Find the desired backup and tap Restore to Device.
This will overwrite your current data and settings with the iCloud backup you chose. If the deleted contact was saved in that backup, it will be restored.
Use iPhone Data Recovery Software
If you don’t have an iCloud backup with the deleted number, third-party iPhone data recovery software offers another option. These tools dive deeper than the Recently Deleted folder to recover data.
Software like iMyFone D-Back and EaseUS MobiSaver can scan your iPhone storage and extract lost contacts and numbers. The steps usually include:
- Download and install the data recovery tool on your computer.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Scan your iPhone with the software.
- Preview and selectively recover deleted contacts.
This type of deep scanning can help find lost contacts when other options fail. However, quality can vary across different data recovery apps.
Restore from an iTunes or Finder Backup
If you’ve synced your iPhone with iTunes (on a computer) or Finder (on a Mac), you may have backups available there that still contain the deleted number. Here’s how to check:
- Open iTunes or Finder on your computer.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- In iTunes or Finder, look for available backups and choose Restore from Backup.
This will load the data and settings from your backup onto your iPhone, potentially retrieving the lost contact info if it was saved in the backup.
Check Call History
If you don’t have the contact anymore but called or received calls from the number recently, you can find the phone number in your call history:
- Go to Phone > Recents on your iPhone.
- Look through your recent incoming, outgoing, and missed calls.
- Tap the info (i) symbol next to a phone number to add it back to your contacts.
Call history stores recent call records with names and numbers. If you can locate the number there, you can save it again to your contacts.
Retrieve from Email or Messages
If you communicated with the deleted contact via email, text messaging, or other apps, you may be able to recover the phone number from there.
- Open the app where you contacted them (Mail, Messages, WhatsApp, etc).
- Search or scroll through your history in the app to find messages with the person.
- If their phone number is visible, you can copy or save it to Contacts again.
Apps like Mail, Messages, and WhatsApp often include the other person’s contact info with conversations, offering another place to retrieve lost numbers if needed.
Check Printed Records or Handwritten Notes
If you keep printed address books or handwritten notes with contact details, look through those for the deleted number. Sources to check include:
- Paper address books or planners
- Notebooks, notepads, sticky notes
- Old phone bills or statements
- Business cards
It’s easy to forget about paper records or notes with contact info on them. If you maintain any offline records like these, look through them for the number you need.
Call the Number From Your Call History
If you no longer have the number but see past calls with it in your call history, you can call the number to try to reach the contact.
Then you can ask them to send you their contact information again via text message or email so you can add it back to your iPhone.
Contact Your Phone Carrier
As another long shot, you can try contacting your phone carrier and asking if they have any records of the number in your account call history. Be aware they may not provide this information for privacy reasons.
Prevent Future Deleted Contacts
While you hopefully can recover the deleted number using one of these methods, it’s also good to take steps to prevent losing contacts and numbers in the future:
- Backup regularly: Backup your iPhone data and settings through iCloud or iTunes/Finder so you can restore if needed.
- Export contacts: Occasionally export your contacts to a file or your computer as another backup.
- Sync with multiple sources: Ensure your contacts sync with services like iCloud so they exist in multiple places.
- Add favorites: Pin your most important contacts to your Favorites list so they can only be deleted manually.
Conclusion
Retrieving deleted iPhone contacts and numbers is often possible if you act quickly and use the right methods. Check Recently Deleted, iCloud backups, iTunes/Finder backups, and third-party iPhone data recovery software to restore lost data. Going forward, be sure to backup your contacts regularly so you always have multiple copies.