How to Recover Deleted Contacts from Gmail?

How many times have you cursed yourself for deleting an important contact unintentionally?

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You could have accidentally hit the delete button when you are immersed in your work. You may have deleted a contact from Google Contacts in one device and then realize that it has been deleted from all your other devices also.

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You will find all your Gmail contacts in Google Contacts and all your Google Contacts will be backed up on the linked Google account. In many cases, you will find contacts getting deleted due to incorrect sync.

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Whatever may be the reason for deleting a contact you need not panic as you can recover all the deleted contacts.

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How to recover lost contacts in Gmail

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Gmail gives you an option to recover lost/deleted contacts that you may need at a later date. All your Gmail contacts are stored in Google Contacts and it has a built-in feature that will enable you to restore the deleted contacts.

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If you have deleted a contact by mistake you need not worry about it because the contact is not lost forever. You can recover it with the help of the Restore feature which is nestled in the Google Contacts Menu.

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The only thing you should know while trying to retrieve a deleted contact from Gmail  is the time when you deleted the contact. You must remember whether you deleted it a day ago, a week ago, or a month ago.

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Steps to restore deleted Google Contacts on Desktop

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1. Open Google Contacts on your browser and log in with the same Google Account linked to the smartphone from which you deleted a contact accidentally.

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2. Tap on the gear icon found on the top right corner and click on 'Undo changes' to start the restoration process.

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You will be asked to select a time period during which you want to undo any changes you made to Google Contacts. You can select a time period that includes the moment you deleted a contact and it can be anywhere from 10 minutes to a maximum of 30 days.

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Any changes you made to Google Contacts during the selected period will be erased. All the contacts that you deleted accidentally during that time will be restored.

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But you should remember that if you had added any new contact during that period, it would be deleted as all changes made during the selected period are erased. So you must be careful and backup all your existing contacts before trying to restore the deleted contacts. Also know why it is important to backup your Google contacts.

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3. Choose the right time frame that includes the period when the contact was deleted and click on the 'Confirm' button.

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Your deleted contacts will be restored after a few minutes.

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Steps to restore deleted Google Contacts on Smartphone

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To retrieve a deleted contact on your smartphone you must have Google Contacts app installed on your smartphone.

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1. Open the Google Contacts app and tap on the Menu icon at the top left corner.

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2. From the Menu select 'Settings'

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3. In the Settings page, you must scroll down and click on 'Undo Changes'. If you have multiple Google accounts on your phone then select the account for which you want to restore the contacts.

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4. Now you should select the time to undo the changes and click on 'Confirm'.

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After a few minutes, you will find that all the deleted contacts are restored.

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You should have a backup of all your contacts before trying to restore the deleted contacts as you may lose the new contacts which you added to Google Contacts during the selected time period.

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Steps to recover deleted Google contacts from your Google account

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Alternatively, you can retrieve your deleted contacts directly from your Google account backup. To do the same, open the Settings on your smartphone and head to the Google section.

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You should scroll down and click on ‘Set up & restore’.

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In the 'Set up & restore' page, you should click on ‘Restore Contacts.’

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If needed you can even specify the contacts you want to restore from your Google account and all the contacts will be restored in a few minutes.

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But these methods will work only if you have the contacts synced with your Google Account. You need a Google account to use most features on a smartphone and Google automatically backs up your contacts. The contacts sync feature will always remain enabled unless you have turned it off manually. If you have not synced your contacts with your Google account you should do it soon as it helps you to recover deleted contacts quickly and easily.

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However, you can recover deleted contacts only up to 30 days from the day you deleted the contacts. If the contacts were deleted before that, then it’s not possible to get them back. Backing up contacts on Google is highly recommended as it allows you to get them back even if you lose your device or find it difficult to access your device.

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But if you are someone who wants a quick solution to this problem then you should store your contacts on an app like ContactBook. You can manage your contacts centrally by bringing all your existing contacts on ContactBook and never lose a contact again. Learn how you can sync your Google Contacts with ContactBook.

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It allows you to connect multiple accounts like Google, Gmail and Outlook and you can also import contacts from CSV or VCF files. And to add to that, ContactBook will keep all your contacts in one place without the stress of backing up your contacts as the contacts backup are always in sync with the contacts you add.

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Never lose a contact again

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You must have Google Contacts to store your contacts as it allows you to restore the accidentally deleted contacts from any device that you are using. Once you sync Google Contacts with your Google account all your contacts are saved in the cloud.

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Though there are many third-party apps that help in recovering deleted contacts, the best and easiest way to keep your contacts safe is by syncing your Google contacts with your Google account.

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The best and easiest way to keep your contacts safe is by syncing your Google contacts with your Google account.

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Since all your Gmail contacts are stored in Google contacts you will be able to quickly recover the deleted contacts. The only thing you must remember to do is to keep Google Contacts synced with your Google account and be assured that your contacts are safe. And if constant syncing bothers you, you can use contact management tools like ContactBook that will do all the work for you. It will help you bring all your contacts in one place and will keep your contacts in sync so that you never have to worry about losing your contacts.

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FAQs

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Q. Is there a way to recover deleted contacts on Gmail?

A. Yes, you can recover deleted contacts on Gmail within the past 30 days by selecting "Restore Contacts" in the "More" menu in the Contacts section. Choose the time period and click "Restore" to recover the contacts. If deleted over 30 days ago, they cannot be recovered. Regularly backing up contacts can prevent permanent loss.

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Q. How can I recover my deleted contacts in Gmail after 30 days?

A. If less than 30 days have passed since you deleted your Gmail contacts, you can recover them by signing in to your account, going to Contacts, clicking on More, selecting Restore contacts, choosing the relevant time period, and clicking on Restore.

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Q. Can you recover permanently deleted items from Gmail?

A. Recovering permanently deleted items from Gmail depends on several factors. If the items are still in the Trash folder, they can be restored, but if they have been permanently deleted, recovery may be possible by downloading data. However, if the account has been inactive for too long, recovery may not be possible.