[Top 8 Fixes] Contacts Not Showing Up on iPhone

Contacts not showing up on iPhone? Read this guide to learn 8 methods to fix the problem. Applies to iPhone 14/13/12/11/XR/XS/X/8/7/6.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on June 7, 2023

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Problem: Contacts Not Showing Up on iPhone

Contacts Not Showing on iPhone

With no warning and seemingly no reason (hadnt updated software etc), most of my iphone contacts (any that were added in the last 3 years) have disappeared from my phone. Does anyone have any idea why/how my phone could just delete all of these contacts? and how i can get them back? Pretty annoyed.

- Question from an iPhone user

Contacts Not Showing Up on iPhone

The saved contacts help us know who is calling us. However, now you just find that some or all your contacts not showing on iPhone. Well, actually, it’s a quite common problem for iPhone users. Don’t worry, keep reading to see why saved contacts not showing up on iPhone and how you can troubleshoot it.

►Note: If it only shows the phone number instead of its contact name even though you have saved the contact information of that particular person. You can refer to this How to Fix iPhone Contacts Missing Names guide to find the solution.

Why Are My Contacts Not Showing Up on My iPhone

Various reasons can lead to the contacts not showing up on iPhone issue. Most users find this problem after iOS 15/16 update or a restore. Sometimes iOS upgrades may change some settings and lead to the problem.

◆ iPhone is unable to access sync iCloud contacts.

◆ iPhone is unable to access the contacts you synced with Gmail, Yahoo, etc.

◆ You may mistakenly enable the Hide All Contacts option.

◆ iOS glitches can also lead to the contacts not showing issue.

How to Fix Contacts Not Showing Up on iPhone

In most cases, your contacts not showing properly because of incorrect settings. Try the solutions one by one to help you troubleshoot the contacts not showing on iPhone problem.

►The following methods apply to all iPhone models including:
iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X/XR/XS (Max), iPhone 11/11 Pro (Max), iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro (Max), iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro (Max), iPhone 14 (Plus)/14 Pro (Max).

Tip 1. Restart Your iPhone

This is the first method you can ever have a try when you meet any iPhone problem. Or you can also try a forced reboot.

For iPhone 14, 13, 12, 11, X, 8: quickly press the Volume Up and Down button in turn > press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.

For iPhone 7: press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons together until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and earlier: press the Home button and Power button at the same time until you see the Apple logo.

Tip 2. Check Contacts Sync

If you are using iCloud contacts sync, you can go to have a check whether it has been turned on. You may meet the saved contacts not showing up on iPhone issue when your device is unable to access contacts on iCloud. Go to Settings > tap your name > iCloud to have a check.

Enable Contacts Sync

If the Contacts Sync is on, you can toggle off/on to refresh the sync between your iPhone and iCloud. When you turn off Contacts Sync, please feel free to choose “Delete from My iPhone” on the pop-up window, your contacts are still in iCloud and you will not lose anything. Restart your iPhone and turn Contacts Sync on.

Tip 3. Check Gmail or Other Contacts Services

If you have synced your contacts with Gmail or other services, go to have a check whether the setting is correct. Go to Settings > Accounts and Passwords > tap your mail account and turn Contacts on. Or you can toggle the Contacts button off and turn it on again after 10 seconds.

Email Sync Contacts

Tip 4. Enable “Show All Contacts” Option

The saved contacts not showing up on iPhone issue may happen when you mistakenly enable the Hide All Contacts option. Go to Contacts app > tap Groups in the top left corner > Enable All on My iPhone option.

Tip 5. Log Out & In iCloud Account

The syncing errors on iCloud may lead to the contacts not showing up on iPhone problem. You can first log out and then log in again to have a try. Go to Settings >tap [your name] > iCloud > scroll down and choose Sign Out > enter your password to confirm. Restart your iPhone and log in back.

Tip 6. Disable Short Name

Go to Settings > Contacts > tap Short Name >toggle off Short Name and then turn it on. Or you can totally disable it and go to have a check whether it works.

Tip 7. Update to Latest iOS Version

Apple keeps releasing new update to improve iPhone performance and also fix some bugs. So you can update the software to fix the contacts not showing up problem. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to make it.

Tip 8. Restore from iTunes or iCloud

If all the above methods cannot help you fix the contacts not showing up on iPhone problem and also you have backed up your iPhone, you can perform a restore to find your missing contacts. However, it will put the whole backup to your iPhone and erase all the existing data.

By the way, to help you only restore contacts next time, you can turn to FoneTool for help. It’s one free iOS backup manager for Windows PCs. It can help you backup contacts, messages, photos, music, etc.  You are allowed to backup and restore the data you need instead of all of them. What’s more, it will not erase any existing data during the restoration.

If you plan to convert SIM card to eSIM,  you can make a backup in advance. Just in case unexpected errors happen during the conversion.

Back Up All

Compared to iTunes, FoneTool has a clear interface and user-friendly design, you can complete the backup in only a few clicks. Besides, it also supports data transfer between iPhone and computer. For example, you can transfer contacts from iPhone to computer for further use.

Transfer

Go for it now and discover more!

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Conclusion

That’s all for how to fix contacts not showing on iPhone 14/13/1211/X/XR/XS/8/7/6 issue. Hope one of the solutions can help you get out of the trouble. Or if you have other questions about this issue, please feel free to leave a comment and we will reply to you as soon as possible.