Contacts missing after iOS 18.6 update

After update of 18.6 last night I opened my phone this morning and my contacts are gone. There may be five or 10 in there out of. I don’t know how many how do I get them back?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Missing contacts

iPhone 16, iOS 18

Posted on Aug 11, 2025 07:41 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 23, 2025 01:55 AM

Both my wife and I have 18.6.1


my ip16 seems fine

her ip15 has problems


Many of her contacts have disappeared, but when clicking on info in messages of one showing just a number, this shows the contact details ?


another difference is ;

settings, apps, contacts - mine shows default account is my MS account


my wife’s does not even show the default account menu item.

39 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 23, 2025 01:55 AM in response to JanieOl

Both my wife and I have 18.6.1


my ip16 seems fine

her ip15 has problems


Many of her contacts have disappeared, but when clicking on info in messages of one showing just a number, this shows the contact details ?


another difference is ;

settings, apps, contacts - mine shows default account is my MS account


my wife’s does not even show the default account menu item.

Aug 11, 2025 07:42 AM in response to JanieOl

Please see the pic below for a better understanding...



If you are unable to find your contacts which were stored on iCloud, then try this --> Restore contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and more using ...


Check if the email account has been removed from the iOS mail app.

Add the email account that stores your contacts in the IOS mail app and enable Contacts.



What is your default Contacts account?




Unlike some Android devices, contacts are neither stored locally on an iPhone nor in the SIM. They are synced to an email account that you have Google, iCloud, AOL, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo, or any Other



If you have a corporate email account added through a profile on your device, please check with your organization's system administrator.




  1. Is this your corporate/organization/enterprise/School Management iPhone? Then please contact the system administrator of your corporate//organisation/enterprise/School Management
  2. If it is your device, in that case, do you have any profile installed by your corporate/organization/enterprise/School Management?
    1. Erase the profile added by you. If you have installed a profile on your own, --> Install or remove configuration profiles on iPhone - Apple ...
    2. Please contact the system administrator of the organization who provided the profile to you


Aug 11, 2025 07:42 AM in response to JanieOl

It's not always the iOS update's fault!  Many things can cause phone problems.  If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.



Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!



Was/Is your device Jailbroken? If that's the situation, please be informed that attributing the issues to iOS updates may not be accurate.



iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.


Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.


Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.



See what each update does: About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...



Aug 14, 2025 09:19 AM in response to JanieOl

This happened to me too after updating to iOS 18.6.


Strangely, only contacts that I saved through WhatsApp in iCloud contacts are missing.


And even weirder: My own contact poster in contacts got deleted (my number is still there) and my Apple Account picture also is gone, but only on my iPhone and iPad, not on my Mac.


There are multiple people on Reddit with the same problem: https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/s/4Q1xuJBbfw

Aug 18, 2025 06:56 AM in response to JanieOl

Same thing happened to me, I’ve spent hours on the phone with Apple and their IT specialists and they have been extremely unhelpful and avoidant of the problem. I tried every solution -nothing has worked. Finally someone on Apple support told me they had been getting a lot of calls about this issue and were aware. Unfortunately their only advice for me was that it was okay if I start resaving contacts and that maybe a software update would fix the bug. I lost hundreds of contacts that I need for work so this has been extremely inconvenient.

Aug 19, 2025 10:20 AM in response to JanieOl

This same issue happened to me yesterday morning. Hours at the Apple Store and hours on chat have done nothing to fix.


What's odd is that if I type the contact's name into a new text message, the contact appears. However, as soon as I hit send on the text, it turns back into a number with no name. Unfortunately I think it's done this to hundreds of contacts and support does not seem to know what's wrong or how to put the contacts back into my contact list. The update to 18.6.1 also did not fix anything.

Aug 21, 2025 01:15 PM in response to JanieOl

I am joining the chior here. My iPhone 14 Pro automatically updated to iOS 18.6.1 and I lost a lot of my contacts. The names are gone and my messages app now show a lot of phone numbers that I have no clue who they belongs to.

A contact database is a huge asset both privately and professionally. It is nothing less than a catastrophy that Apple deleted this. As my contacts sync to iCloud they have also been deleted there.

THIS IS A MUST FIX @APPLE!!!

Contacts missing after iOS 18.6 update

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.