Restoring Erased Mobile Numbers on Your Android Device: Proven Methods

What to Know

• Open theContacts app or visitcontacts.google.com . SelectTrash (web) orFix & manage >Trash (app).
• On Samsung, another way to find deleted numbers is inSettings >Battery and device care >Storage >Contacts .
• When you see the contact, tap it and then chooseRecover .

This article will walk you through restoring deleted or lost phone numbers on Android and Samsung devices.

How to Recover Deleted Numbers on Android

You signed in to your Google account when you first up your Android. By default, your contacts sync with your Google account. Any contacts you delete will go to the Google Contacts trash folder. Here’s how to recover a deleted contact or phone number from a computer or your phone:

1. Open Google Contacts in your web browser. You’ll need to log in with the same Google account used on your phone.
   If you’re on your phone, find and open theContacts app.
2. SelectTrash from the menu on the left. If you don’t see it, select thethree-line menu button at the top left.
   
   To do this from the mobile app, go toFix & manage >Trash .
3. Select a contact from the list.
   
   Need help finding what you’re after? Contacts sent to the trash are permanently deleted every 30 days so that you might have missed your opportunity. Additionally, if your phone hasn’t been backing up your contacts, deleted entries will not appear here.
4. SelectRecover to pull the contact out of the trash and put it back into your regular list. If you want to keep the contact deleted, you can still copy the email address, phone number, or any other details from this screen.
   

It’s easy to recover deleted contacts on a Samsung phone because there’s a handy recycle bin area that stores this information. You have 30 days to get a deleted phone number back before it disappears forever. Here’s how:

1. Go toSettings >Battery and device care >Storage .
2. From theRecycle bin section, tapContacts .
3. Select a contact from the list and tapRestore .

Although it’s not as common, your phone might have contacts stored on the internal memory or a SIM card. This can happen if that’s where you’ve backed up your contacts. If you’re lucky, the deleted number might still exist in the backup. Here’s how to import those contacts:

1. Go toContacts >Menu >Manage Contacts.
   
2. TapImport or export contacts >Import . If you have any contacts stored on your SIM card or your internal memory, you’ll see those sources in the list.
   Click here
   
3. Select the source you want to retrieve the contacts from, then tapImport .
   

Using your phone or tablet is the best way to get deleted numbers back. You can restore deleted contacts you’ve already backed up through the methods outlined above. While some desktop apps can do the job, too, possibly even better than the built-in methods, they usually cost.

How to Merge Contacts in Android

FAQ

• How can you move phone numbers from Android to iPhone?
  Apple has an official app calledMove to iOS that can help you make the switch. It transfers all of your contacts, messages, photos, and more.
• How can you backup contacts on Android?
  Open the Settings app and select Google >Settings for Google apps >Google Contacts sync >Also sync device contacts > Automatically back up & sync device contacts . Tap the toggle to turn it on and choose which account you want contacts saved to. All current and future device contacts are automatically saved as Google contacts and sync to your Google account.
• How can you save contacts on your SIM card to your Google account?
  Google’s automatic backup for contacts doesn’t work on phone numbers saved to a SIM card. To back up your SIM contacts, you need to import them. While the SIM card is in your device, go to the Contacts app and selectMenu >Settings >Import >SIM Card .

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