I deleted all my contacts!! iCloud?

Question

I deleted all my contacts!! iCloud?

So I accidentally (intentionally but didn't realize it would delete them permanently) deleted all of my contacts on Address Book on my macbookpro, and iCloud automatically deleted them off my iPhone 4S..! It happened last week, and I've tried everything since then. I've tried restoring from backup about 30 times (the backup was from before I deleted the contacts), and I talked to 2 different Apple representatives for an hour. They told me to do what I had already tried.

So here's the thing,

I think my contacts are still stored somewhere. Each time after I try restoring from backup, it'll turn on, and I'll see the names on the "Favorites" for a brief second, and they'll turn into numbers again. It happens every time.

Also, I thought my iCloud account was messing it up, turning it back to how it was since there's no contacts saved on my mac anymore. So I tried to sign out from my Apple ID and deleted my iCloud account on my phone. I also tried signing out from iCloud on my mac.

But when I turn my phone back on after restoring from backup, it automatically signs me back into my iCloud account on my phone. (not on mac)

I also tried creating a new Apple ID. I signed out of all of the programs that required Apple ID and logged back in using my new ID, and then I restored from backup.

As it turns out, my new Apple ID stayed logged in on iTunes and iCloud on my mac, but it changed it back to my old Apple ID on my iPhone..

I'm so tired of trying everything. I'm sorry it's so long, and it may sound like I'm just renting, but I really really NEED HELP!:(

I haven't synced my phone since this happend other than restoring from backup.

Somebody please help.....

I have so many apple products, but I hate technology!

As my dentist told me the other day, sometimes it's a problem that electronics do what you tell them to do.

So true...

Anybody has any idea what I should do to do to restore my contacts?

I'm thinking about taking it to an Apple store, but the closest one to my house is still an hour away...

Please help and I'll really appreciate it! Thank you!:)

iPhone 4S, iOS 6

Posted on Nov 19, 2012 6:07 PM

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Answer 1

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Nov 19, 2012 6:27 PM in response to iHATEAPPLE100

The iCloud backup doesn't contain your contacts, just your settings such as your recents and favorits list (which is why you momentarily saw names in your Favorits list). If you want to run an experiment, sign out of your iCloud account on your mac, then restore you phone from backup. As soon as it finishes put it in Airplane mode so it can't access your iCloud account, then see if your contacts are there.

Unfortunately, I don't think you're going to get your contacts back unless you backed up your mac using Time Machine or another backup program.

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Answer 2

RogerSC

Level 1

17 points

Nov 19, 2012 7:57 PM in response to iHATEAPPLE100

Have you signed into your iCloud account to see if your contacts are there? I've restored the contacts on my phone from the contacts on iCloud myself, so if you've saved them in iCloud, you should be able to restore them from there using the iCloud settings on your phone.

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Answer 3

Feb 13, 2013 11:13 AM in response to RogerSC

What's the process to trigger a restore from an older version of contacts from iCloud? I have a valid back done the previous night my phone states, but when I go up to iCloud, it shows the revised information..

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Answer 4

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Feb 13, 2013 11:39 AM in response to randers4

randers4 wrote:

The iCloud backup doesn't contain your contacts,

Well, that's not true. Read here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4859

Especially this part:

"Device settings (for example: Phone Favorites, Wallpaper, and Mail, Contacts, Calendar accounts)"

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Answer 5

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Feb 13, 2013 11:40 AM in response to wjosten

Yes, I've learned that that was an error since this post. Thanks.

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Answer 6

1106

Level 1

25 points

May 10, 2013 2:29 AM in response to wjosten

iCloud backup doesn't contain your contacts is true.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4859

This article says :

You get 5 GB of free iCloud storage for:

Device settings (for example: Phone Favorites, Wallpaper, and Mail, Contacts, Calendar accounts)

This only talks about device settings for the Mail, Contacts, Calendar tab on the iOS device and the accounts therein.

If icloud would have included the contacts , they should be showing under Manage Storage > Backup Options

Moreover this article states no where that iCloud backup includes contacts.

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2584

iCloud only Syncs contacts

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Answer 7

Jan 7, 2014 6:26 AM in response to iHATEAPPLE100

Did your issue get resolved? I did the exact same thing and I can see the contacts when I restore my iphone (from yesterdays backup) in a few minutes it goes back to zero contacts. How do I restore then keep the contacts from the restore before icloud delets them again?

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Answer 8

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Jan 7, 2014 7:38 AM in response to BuckeyeRT

BuckeyeRT wrote:

How do I restore then keep the contacts from the restore before icloud delets them again?

Try following the steps in Winston Churchill's user tip here: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4841.

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Answer 9

Jan 7, 2014 8:01 AM in response to randers4

I did see that. I am in process. What I did differently (because I did not have the capability to turn off or unplug my router) was switch to airplane mode and then turn off contacts in icloud so we will se if that works. Right now all my contacts are back on my phone.

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