How to Get Your Contacts Back From Google

Restore contacts from Google on a new or reset phone: sign in and sync, restore a backup, undo changes from the last 30 days, and find contacts on the web.

20 February 20263 min read

To restore contacts from Google, sign in to your Google account on the phone and make sure contact sync is on; any contacts saved to that account come back within minutes. If you deleted them by mistake, Google can undo changes made in the last 30 days.

Sign in and sync

This is all most people need on a new or reset Android phone.

Open Settings > Passwords & accounts (or Accounts, or Users & accounts).
Add or tap your Google account.
Tap Account sync and make sure Contacts is on.
Open the Contacts app, tap your profile picture and choose the same account to view.

Lost or stolen phone? First get a SIM replacement for your number at a Safaricom or Airtel shop with your ID, so you can receive verification codes. Then sign in to Google on the new phone.

iPhone: Settings > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts > Add Account > Google, then turn on Contacts (on older iOS, Settings > Contacts > Accounts).

Restore from Google backup

If the contacts were only on the old phone, not in your Google account, they may still be in that phone’s Google backup.

On the new phone, open Settings > Google.
Tap Settings for Google apps > Google Contacts sync > Restore contacts (names vary a little by brand).
Choose the old device’s backup and tap Restore.

This only works if backup was switched on before the old phone was lost. Not sure what’s backed up? Read how to back up your phone.

Undo changes (up to 30 days)

Deleted contacts by accident, or an app messed up your list?

Go to contacts.google.com in a browser and sign in.
Click the Settings gear and choose Undo changes.
Pick a time: 10 minutes, 1 hour, yesterday, 1 week ago, or a custom time within the last 30 days.
Click Undo. Your phone syncs the restored list.

Single contact deleted? Open Trash (Bin) in the left menu on contacts.google.com, select it and click Recover. Contacts stay in Trash for 30 days.

After 30 days, Google can’t bring them back. Only an older export (a .vcf file) or another phone that still has the numbers can help.

Find backed-up contacts on the web

Visit contacts.google.com from any computer or phone browser. Everything there is what your phone will sync. If a contact is missing on the web, it was saved to the phone or SIM only.

Contacts saved only to the SIM go with the SIM, which is why we explain how to save contacts to SIM only as a backup, not your main copy. While you’re setting up, also back up your photos with Google Photos.