How to Restore Google Contacts

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Accidentally delete some contacts that you wanted to keep? You can restore your Google contacts in case they have been accidentally deleted or altered. This wikiHow article will teach you how to restore your Google contacts on a web browser, on the app, as well as how to export and import contacts.

Things You Should Know

  • From your web browser, sign in to Google Contacts . Click Trash . Find your contact, check the box next to their name, and click Recover .
  • From your mobile, sign into the Google Contacts app. Go to ☰ > Trash . Tap the contact you want to restore and then tap Restore .
  • On Android, go to> Google > Set up & restore > Restore Contacts . Tap your contact and press Restore .
Method 1
Method 1 of 8:

Restoring Deleted Contacts With a Web Browser

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  1. Go to Google Contacts and sign in to your Google Account . Enter your Google email and password and click “Sign in”. You will be taken the contacts profile of your account.
    • You can also access this page by signing into Gmail and selecting “Contacts” from the “Gmail” menu in the top left corner.
    • You only have 30 days after you originally delete the contact to recover it. After 30 days in the trash, that contact will be permanently deleted and you can't restore it.
  2. It's the last option in the menu on the left side of the page next to a trash can icon.
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  3. You can select one or multiple contacts this way. If you want to select all the contacts in the trashcan, select one contact, then select the drop-down arrow next to the box at the top of your screen and click All .
  4. You'll see this near the top of the page next to "Delete forever." Any contacts you have selected will be removed from the trash. [1]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 8:

Restoring Deleted Contacts From the Trash With the Mobile App

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  1. This app icon looks like a silhouette of a person in a blue circle.
    • You can only recover contacts from the trash if you have automatic sync turned on. You can find this setting in Settings > Google > Settings for Google apps > Google Contacts sync > Status > Automatically Sync . [2]
    • You only have 30 days after you originally delete the contact to recover it. After 30 days in the trash, that contact will be permanently deleted and you can't restore it.
  2. It's on the left side of your screen under your name.
  3. You'll find this at the bottom of the menu next to a trash can icon.
  4. This is at the bottom of your screen.
    • If you want to recover multiple contacts, press and hold the contact, then tap to select multiple entries. Finally, tap Restore at the bottom of your screen to remove them from the trash. [3]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 8:

Exporting Contacts With the Mobile App

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  1. This app icon looks like a silhouette of a person in a blue circle.
  2. It's on the left side of your screen under your name.
  3. This option is next to a gear icon.
  4. It's under the "Manage contacts" header.
    • If you have multiple Google accounts, you will need to pick which account you want to export contacts from.
  5. Once you tap these, your contacts are saved to the location that you selected.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 8:

Importing Contacts With the Mobile App

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  1. This app icon looks like a silhouette of a person in a blue circle.
  2. It's on the left side of your screen under your name.
  3. This option is next to a gear icon.
  4. If you saved a .vcf file previously, you'll want to select .vcf file here. If the contacts are on your SIM card, tap SIM card .
    • If you have multiple Google accounts, you'll need to pick which account you want to import to.
  5. You'll either be asked to navigate to the .vcf file or select contacts on your SIM card to import. [4]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 8:

Restoring Contacts on Android

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  1. You can swipe down to open the Quick settings panel and tap the gear icon from there or you can tap the gear app icon on your Home screen.
    • Since Androids have built-in Google contacts, iPhones and iPads will not be able to do this.
  2. It's next to a "G" icon.
  3. You'll see this at the bottom of the menu.
  4. It's usually the first option in the menu.
    • If you have multiple Google accounts, you can pick which account to restore from using the drop-down at the top of your screen.
  5. You'll see it listed under "Device backup."
    • You may need to enter your phone's PIN to password to continue.
  6. It's at the bottom of your screen and will begin the restoration process. Your phone will avoid creating duplicates of contacts and only restore items that it doesn't already have. [5]
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Method 6
Method 6 of 8:

Syncing Contacts on iPhone or iPad

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  1. Tap the gear app icon to open Settings.
  2. You may need to scroll down to find it.
  3. If you already have a Google account synced, tap Accounts instead.
  4. If you already have an account synced, you may need to make sure "Contacts" are enabled.
  5. After you make sure "Contacts" are enabled, you might need to go to Account > Advanced > Use SSL .
  6. Once you do this, open Google Contacts to sync your contacts. [6]
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Method 7
Method 7 of 8:

Exporting Contacts With a Web Browser

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  1. Go to Google Contacts and sign into your Google Account. Enter your Google email and password and click “Sign in”. You will be taken the contacts profile of your account.
  2. When you hover your mouse over a contact, a checkbox appears. Click it to check it, and repeat this process for as many contacts as you'd like to export. If you want to select all of your contacts, check the box to select one, then go to Selection Actions > All .
  3. This menu is located just below the search bar.
  4. By default, “Selected contacts” is set. You can also choose to export all of your contacts.
  5. Google CSV is the format for import into another Google account (this is the best choice as a Google account backup). You can also choose Outlook CSV or vCard if you use Microsoft or Apple products frequently.
  6. A save dialog will appear.
  7. A backup file with your current Google contacts will be saved to the selected location.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 8:

Importing Contacts With a Web Browser

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  1. Go to Google Contacts and sign in to your Google Account. Enter your Google email and password and click “Sign in”. You will be taken the contacts profile of your account.
  2. This button is listed in the left sidebar and will open a window to select an import source.
  3. This will open a window to browse for the contacts file you created when you exported.
  4. The file will appear in the import window.
  5. This will import the contacts from the contacts file into your Google contacts list. [7]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I restore Google contacts on an Android device?
    Community Answer
    Currently you cannot restore contacts using the Gmail or Contacts app. However you can use the restore feature by using your device's web browser to access the contacts website.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 23
  • Question
    How can I restore contacts after I get a new SIM card?
    Community Answer
    You will want to Import your contacts instead of restoring them. If you store your contacts with Gmail, then you can also link your Gmail account to your new device and the contacts will sync.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 12
  • Question
    How do I restore contacts from about 2 month's ago?
    Community Answer
    Unfortunately, this is beyond the restoration window. If you have a backup of your contacts exported then you can import the contacts file to restore to that period.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Warnings

      • Even using a custom period, Google only backs up contact information 30 days back. You must perform the operation within this time frame or make your own backup before it becomes permanently lost.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7280886?hl=en&ref_topic=9160153&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&oco=1
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/2753077?amp;co=GENIE.Platform=Android&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1#zippy=%2Cmanage-automatic-sync
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7280886?hl=en&ref_topic=9160153&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tCy2EGq28U
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7199294?hl=en&ref_topic=9160153&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lSVlTDI5viI
      7. ↑ https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/1069522?hl=en&visit_id=637745785329957306-2998822371&rd=1&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&oco=1#zippy=%2Cfrom-a-gmail-account

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Sign in to https://contacts.google.com .
      2. Click Trash .
      3. Hover your mouse over the contact you want to recover and click to check the box when it appears.
      4. Click Recover .

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