Loosing iCloud contacts

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halper86

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#245187 23-Jan-2019 01:07

Hi, I have recently discovered that some of my iCloud contacts have been missing off all of my Idevices signed into my Apple ID. I have checked apple support website and I have followed that troubleshooting guide (disable/enable, all groups etc) and was wondering if anybody has had the same problem and has been able to fix it.

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#2166988 24-Jan-2019 15:07

Have you tried logging into iCloud via your browser and see if the contacts are in the cloud but not synchronised?

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gehenna

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#2167041 24-Jan-2019 17:28

Make sure iCloud syncing for contacts is turned on on the device with the source of truth for your contacts. Eg if all your contacts are on your Mac go to the icloud settings and make.sure the slider is on for Contacts. Then do the same on each device that you want those contacts synced to.

halper86

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#2167044 24-Jan-2019 17:33

gehenna: Make sure iCloud syncing for contacts is turned on on the device with the source of truth for your contacts. Eg if all your contacts are on your Mac go to the icloud settings and make.sure the slider is on for Contacts. Then do the same on each device that you want those contacts synced to.

I have done this and I have checked on my iCloud dashboard online, I have toggled on and off the slider but still no contacts :(

CYaBro

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#2167046 24-Jan-2019 17:37

Try signing out of the iCloud account and signing back in again.

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halper86

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#2167051 24-Jan-2019 17:49

CYaBro:
Try signing out of the iCloud account and signing back in again.

Just tried that on all my devices still nothing. Would apple be able to restore it from a backup, as iCloud is always backing up?

Brumfondl

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#2167164 24-Jan-2019 19:42

Have you removed any old email accounts from your devices recently, or something similar? Many accounts, such as gmail.com or outlook.com, allow contacts to be stored as part of them and iOS has an annoying way to set them as the default for storing contacts unless you tell it otherwise. When did you last see the contacts and what has happened since then that may have caused them to disappear?

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halper86

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#2167175 24-Jan-2019 20:39

Brumfondl:
Have you removed any old email accounts from your devices recently, or something similar? Many accounts, such as gmail.com or outlook.com, allow contacts to be stored as part of them and iOS has an annoying way to set them as the default for storing contacts unless you tell it otherwise. When did you last see the contacts and what has happened since then that may have caused them to disappear?

I haven’t edited/ deleted any other accounts on my device that contacts could have been saved to

gehenna

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#2167182 24-Jan-2019 20:59

Have you got all contacts groups ticked to show everything in the Address Book and Contacts apps? Sometimes the contacts will be there but deselected from view.

halper86

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#2167184 24-Jan-2019 21:03

gehenna:
Have you got all contacts groups ticked to show everything in the Address Book and Contacts apps? Sometimes the contacts will be there but deselected from view.

Yes I have done this too on all of my devices.

MadEngineer

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#2167208 24-Jan-2019 23:15

matisyahu:
Have you tried logging into iCloud via your browser and see if the contacts are in the cloud but not synchronised?

you haven’t confirmed if you’ve done this yet.

Also this will sound crazy but see what happens if you set the date on your phone back a year.

How confident are you that the contacts you’ve had dropped we’re actually stored in iCloud? What is the default account set to for contacts? Have you checked deleted items on any exchange accounts? Have you checked for the contacts on any of the other accounts?

Is it possible the contacts were stored “on this device” and only making to the other devices from iCloud restores?

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#2167260 25-Jan-2019 00:41

MadEngineer:

... Is it possible the contacts were stored “on this device” and only making to the other devices from iCloud restores?

The truth shall set you free. So, so many hours spent diagnosing contact & calendar issues because of this default location that seems to change with every update & permutaion of which account was first used.

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halper86

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#2167261 25-Jan-2019 00:43

MadEngineer:
matisyahu:
Have you tried logging into iCloud via your browser and see if the contacts are in the cloud but not synchronised?
you haven’t confirmed if you’ve done this yet.

Also this will sound crazy but see what happens if you set the date on your phone back a year.

How confident are you that the contacts you’ve had dropped we’re actually stored in iCloud? What is the default account set to for contacts? Have you checked deleted items on any exchange accounts? Have you checked for the contacts on any of the other accounts?

Is it possible the contacts were stored “on this device” and only making to the other devices from iCloud restores?

I have tried all of these and none of them have been able to find the contacts, also iPhones don’t save contacts to the sim however you can import them from the sim which I have tried

JayADee

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#2167275 25-Jan-2019 07:50

Husband has some contacts stored in I think gmail or google. Every time we set up a new iphone or whatever for him it looks like some of his contacts (in the idevice contacts app) are missing until I add his gmail/google contacts in the settings then they all show up. Under contacts/accounts then add account.

FineWine

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#2167377 25-Jan-2019 12:10

Had this problem last year and my fix was:

NOTE: a) Backup your desktop first. b) At any stage with the following, after you have archived your Contacts, and you are asked to delete Contacts, do so.

On your desktop computer: Open up Contacts then; File > Export > Contacts Archive
On your desktop computer: Open up System Preferences > iCloud and untick Contacts
Via desktop browser sign into your iCloud account > Contacts
Click the gear wheel bottom left and Select all now click Delete ensure ALL Contacts are deleted
Sign out of iCloud
On each of your iDevices go into Settings > Apple ID account at very top of Settings list and select iCloud and untick Contacts
On each of your iDevices go into Settings > Passwords and Accounts and select your iCloud account and untick Contacts
Reboot all your iDevices and wait 5 minutes - this wait is important for the servers to catch up on everything.
Now you should not have any Contacts listed on your desktop or any iDevice or anywhere
Open up desktop Contacts and File > Preferences > Accounts and ensure that iCloud is listed in left column and selected.
In right pane ensure 'Enable this account' is ticked and 'Fetch' is set to 'Automatically'
Open up desktop Contacts and File > Import
These imported contacts need to be under the iCloud heading in the left column
On your desktop computer: Open up System Preferences > iCloud and tick Contacts
Wait 5 minutes for the servers to catch up
Via desktop browser sign into your iCloud account > Contacts and check to ensure all your contacts are there
On each of your devices go into Settings > Apple ID account at very top of Settings list and select iCloud and tick Contacts
On each of your devices go into Settings > Passwords and Accounts and select your iCloud account and tick Contacts

You should be good to go - I hope

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

halper86

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#2167385 25-Jan-2019 12:21

FineWine:
Had this problem last year and my fix was:

NOTE: a) Backup your desktop first. b) At any stage with the following, after you have archived your Contacts, and you are asked to delete Contacts, do so.

On your desktop computer: Open up Contacts then; File > Export > Contacts Archive

On your desktop computer: Open up System Preferences > iCloud and untick Contacts

Via desktop browser sign into your iCloud account > Contacts

Click the gear wheel bottom left and Select all now click Delete ensure ALL Contacts are deleted

Sign out of iCloud

On each of your iDevices go into Settings > Apple ID account at very top of Settings list and select iCloud and untick Contacts

On each of your iDevices go into Settings > Passwords and Accounts and select your iCloud account and untick Contacts

Reboot all your iDevices and wait 5 minutes - this wait is important for the servers to catch up on everything.

Now you should not have any Contacts listed on your desktop or any iDevice or anywhere

Open up desktop Contacts and File > Preferences > Accounts and ensure that iCloud is listed in left column and selected.

In right pane ensure 'Enable this account' is ticked and 'Fetch' is set to 'Automatically'

Open up desktop Contacts and File > Import

These imported contacts need to be under the iCloud heading in the left column

On your desktop computer: Open up System Preferences > iCloud and tick Contacts

Wait 5 minutes for the servers to catch up

Via desktop browser sign into your iCloud account > Contacts and check to ensure all your contacts are there

On each of your devices go into Settings > Apple ID account at very top of Settings list and select iCloud and tick Contacts

On each of your devices go into Settings > Passwords and Accounts and select your iCloud account and tick Contacts

You should be good to go - I hope

Thank you very much for all of your help I will try this when o have time :)

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