What To Do If IPhone Contacts App Icon Missing

You’ve searched everywhere you possibly could. Home screen, folders, search, and settings, but still cannot find the Contacts icon. You could always just rely on the Phone icon and look for your contacts there but it’s just not the same. The Contacts app on your iPhone houses all of your phone’s Contacts as well as some additional functionality like Groups.

Not sure how this could have happened, you slowly contemplate where it all went wrong. Was it that recent iOS update? Did your significant other get a hold of your phone and decide to play a trick on you? Could you have deleted it by accident?

Getting your Contacts icon back is a rather simple process. So, if you’re uncertain about where the icon is, let’s walk through a few of the processes to get you reunited.

How to Find the Contacts Icon

Typically, you can find the Contacts application on one of the pages on your iPhone. It looks similar to a book and is labeled ‘Contacts.’

But sometimes, you won’t see the icon. Either it isn’t on the phone or it’s hiding in a folder somewhere. If you don’t initially see the icon on one of the screens, we can help you locate it.

If you’ve searched your screen tabs and cannot locate the Contacts icon in either folder mentioned or otherwise, the next step would be to swipe to the furthest left you can go or simply swiping down. This should bring up the search screen.

Inside the search box, simply type in Contacts and your App should be displayed under “APPLICATION” with the location of the App, off to the right. It should look something similar to the image below.

Of course, if you do not find the Contacts App here, it likely means it is no longer on your device. It’s possible that the app was accidentally deleted, or it simply didn’t install after an update. Regardless of the issue, if you still haven’t found the app, keep reading for instructions about how to re-download it.

How to Get the Contacts App Back

The App Store

If you cannot find the icon anywhere on your iPhone, then it may have been removed. Luckily, there is an easy solution to this problem: The App Store.

In order to restore the Contacts App:

1. Locate the App Store on your phone and tap to open.
2. In search, type in the exact name for the application in order to find the correct one.
   
3. Once located, tap the icon to have it restored.
   
4. You’ll need to wait for the download to complete before being able to open it again.

If for whatever reason you’re having difficulty finding it in the App Store, here is Apple’s direct link for the Contacts App.

Moving Your Contacts App to the Home Screen

Once you’ve located your Contacts icon, you might want to situate it in a place a bit easier to find. For most, a more efficient spot to place it in would be the Home screen.

1. Head to the folder where your Contacts app is being kept.
2. Tap and press down on the Contacts icon until you see the icons shake. Be careful not to press too hard as this will alternatively pull up the Favorites window. If done correctly, a small X will appear at the top-left of all icons.
   
3. Drag the Contacts icon from the current location and continue to drag it until you arrive at the screen desired. If you need to slide to a different screen, simply drag it toward that side until the screen changes.
4. Place the icon in the desired location and, once in the correct spot, press the Home button on the iPhone.

The small X next to the icons should now disappear and you can use them at your leisure.

Moving the Contacts App to the iPhone Dock

Chances are good that iPhone Dock on your particular phone is more than likely full. It’s normal for the Dock to come filled with the standard 4: The Phone, Internet, Email, and Music icons.

Depending on how you use your phone, one or more of these are potentially less important than your Contacts app. You may even benefit from removing one of them and replacing it with said app. Though, to be fair, the Phone icon will usually also house your contacts within it.

The next tutorial will explain how you can remove and replace an app within the iPhone Dock should you choose to do so:

1. As always, you’ll want to unlock your phone and display the Home screen.
2. Tap and hold your finger down (gently) on the app you want to be removed. The indication you’ve done this correctly will be all icons shaking and a small X will appear at the top-left corner of them.
3. Drag the icon out of the dock and put it on your Home screen or wherever you have room.

At this point, you can either drag a different icon into the available space in the dock or press the Home button and lock all apps back into place.

Contacts (Not Just Icon) Missing

This tutorial has been all well and good but what about those of us who have lost our contacts altogether? One minute I’m upgrading to the next iOS and the next all of my contacts disappear or the numbers have been randomized. Can you help? You bet I can.

There have actually been a few issues with upgrades, including the most recent iOS 12, where contacts will simply vanish. No rhyme or reason to it. Why this happens exactly remains a mystery but I can definitely provide a bit of know-how into the recovery process.

Toggle Them Off and On

Fear not. Your contacts are still technically intact. Unfortunately, they are simply not showing up properly. We can begin to rectify this by toggling the contacts in iCloud off and on:

1. Head to Settings on your phone and tap iCloud. If you so happen to be using iOS 11 or later, you will head to Settings, locate your User Name, and then tap on iCloud.
2. Find Contacts and toggle it off and then on. If it is set to off when you get there, make sure to tell iCloud to “Replace your Contacts.”
3. Another prompt may ask “What would you like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone?” Choose to Delete from My iPhone as your contacts are kept on iCloud and will be immediately restored.

Network Connections Reset

You can also try checking your Contacts Group settings. At the top of your Contacts page click “groups” and choose All on My iPhone.

If your contacts do not return, then try:

1. Heading to Settings once again and select General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
2. When prompted, enter your passcode.
3. You’ll receive a warning that you’re about to delete all network settings. Select Reset Network Settings.
4. See if your contacts have returned.

Still can’t see them? I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve.

iCloud As Your Default Account

This option does not work for iOS 11 or later as Apple removed the function for a default account in contacts. But for all others who have not upgraded, give this a try:

1. Go back to the ever so familiar Settings.
2. Tap on Mail, Contacts, and Calendars. Under “Contacts,” select Default Account.
3. Swap the default account from On my iPhone to iCloud.