On my wife's iPhone the standard issue "Contacts" app has disappeared, and neither does it show under the phone apps when plugged into iTunes. It has not been moved into a folder of any type, for my wife has none of those. When I search the iTunes app store this original Contacts app does not seem to be listed. Is there a way to restore this app to the phone? Her contacts do appear in the phone tab on her iPhone, and in the Address Book program on her iMac. Thanks!
Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout.
Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout.
You don’t have to really worry about any of your contacts being lost as all of your contacts are still safely kept in your Phone app. :-)
But hey it’s always good to keep tabs on where and what happens with your iPhone’s apps right?
So here's what I did whenever I needed to restore the Contacts app on my iPhone.
How to Restore Contacts App on iPhone: 4 Ways
You can read here (above) if you want the full in-depth article together with all the screenshots.
Alright let's get this over with.
1. Spotlight Search
Step 1: On your home screen slide down to bring up the Spotlight Search. Now do you see the Search bar at the top?
Step 2: Alright. Try typing in Contacts and see if it brings up in its results. If you see that it is either under the heading Top Hits or Applications then that means it has been in your iPhone all this tucked away somewhere.
If it says Open under the heading App Store then you’re going to need to download the app once again.
Which brings us to the next method..
2. Try Downloading the Contacts app from the App Store
You can also try searching the App Store for the Contacts app.
Step 1: On your iPhone, look for your App Store.
Step 2: Alright. Now to your below right hand side you should see a button for Search (it’s right next to Updates). Tap on Search.
Step 3: Try and search for Contacts.
Step 4: If you see it, all that is left for you to do is download it and there you go!
If you don’t see the Contacts app even when you’ve tried both the Spotlight Search and a search on the App Store then here’s what you do.
3. Reset Home Screen Layout
Basically what this reset does is it resets back to how your Home Screen looked like when you first got your iPhone.
Note
This won’t remove any of your apps. It just resets the positions of the apps back to how it was when you first got it. All of your apps will be still there and the ones you’ve downloaded will be in your second page in alphabetical order.
Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Head over to your Settings app and then tap on General.
Step 2: Then select Reset.
Step 3: Lastly tap on Reset Home Screen Layout.
I know, I know it’s a pain in the *** to rearrange all your apps back into their individual folders but hey!
At least you managed to find your missing Contacts app? Right?
If you still can’t find your Contacts app then all that is left for you to do is..
4. Factory Restore
Yes.
You heard it correct.
Restore.
You don’t really have to do this, since like I’ve said in the beginning of this article, all of your contacts are already in your Phone app.
But if you really want the Contacts app then I’ll show you how you can do a factory restore for your iPhone and set it up as a brand new iPhone (just like when you first got it).
Note
Make sure to backup your iPhone using iTunes before going any further.
Alright, let’s do this.
Step 1: Head over to your iTunes on your Mac or your PC.
Step 2: Now connect your iPhone to your computer using your cable.
Step 3: When you see a message asking for you to Trust This Computer, then tap on Trust. (You have to keep the iPhone unlocked to see this message)
Step 4: Select Your iPhone in your iTunes.
Step 5: Lastly in iTunes, head over to Summary and then select Restore iPhone.
Step 6: You’ll be prompted to confirm. So tap on Restore one more time and watch as iTunes sets up your iPhone as good as new together with the most up-to-date iOS installed.
Step 7: After your iPhone is done restoring to its factory settings, it’ll restart. Now you can set it up to how you like. Once you’re done you should be able to see the Contacts app there.
If you don’t have a Mac or a PC nearby then you can factory reset on your iPhone itself
Here’s how
Step 1: Head over to your Settings and then General.
Step 2: Then tap on Reset.
Step 3: Finally select Erase All Content and Settings.
Now you can set up your iPhone as good as new with the Contacts app restored in your iPhone.
That’s it! :-)
SJF,
I have "lost" both my Apple contacts and email client.
If this recommended reset is actioned, what happens to the current apps etc set up on my home page - do they get deleted or moved to page 2 onwards?
Thanks in advance,
Chris
I thought I had deleted my contacts as well. When I restored to default, contacts was sitting in the "Utilities" folder. It took me a minute to find it.
Not sure why you replied to a post that is over 5 years old with information that did not apply at that time.
Hopefully in the last 5 years since they asked this question, they got it solved since they never replied to any posts.
How to restore Contacts App??
