Lost my iPhone, how do I retrieve my phone list in iTunes???

What list...contacts? Contacts are not synced to iTunes, they are synced through iTunes to a supported contact application on your computer.

Contacts aren't backed up into iTunes per se, but aren't they part of the backup file? In other words, if the OP gets a replacement iPhone and installs the last backup, wouldn't that restore Contacts? The backup file on its own is not readable, but I thought that it contained your Contacts.

Yes, contacts are included in the iPhone backup, but that's not what the OP is asking. The OP...I'm guessing here...wants to view his/her contacts in iTunes. That's not possible.

georgefromhuntington beach wrote:

Thanks wjosten.

That it is not possible to retrieve one's contacts via iTunes is really bad.

I thought that's what a back up ought to do, having the contacts safely stored in case the phone is lost or damaged.

Appreciate your information, tanks again.

George

The iphone is designed to be synced to your computer. You should be syncig your contacts to your computer regulalry. Had you done this, your contacts would be on your computer as they should be and as is the design of the iphone.

It is possible to retrieve contacts from the iPhone's backup by another iPhone.

Although contacts are included with the iPhone's backup, contacts are designed to be synced with a supported address book app on your computer. Not a good idea to depend on an iPhone or any cell phone alone for contacts, which can be lost or stolen, or could be damaged beyond repair by accident.

Not having your contacts available in an address book app on your computer and depending on a cell phone alone for your contacts is really bad - dumb is more like it.

In case it was not clear, yes the contacts should be saved in your backup of your old phone. If you still have that backup file available, just restore it to your new device and you will get your contacts back on the new device.

Instructions for doing this can be found here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414 (third expandable section)

No, you choose a desktop app for your contacts, like Address Book, Outlook, etc. Then every time you sync contacts will be synced between both the computer and the iPhone, so you can update the contacts on either. You can do even better with some services, such as Yahoo, gmail, Microsoft Exchange or MobileMe. With these the sync is over the air, so a change made on the computer will appear instantly on the phone, and vice versa. This is all in the manual; reading it would have been so helpful!

OK, after we've all abused you, here is some helpful advice 🙂

There are programs that will extract information from the iPhone backup on your computer. It isn't perfect, but you CAN retrieve your contacts with it. http://www.iphonebackupextractor.com/