How to Retrieve Deleted Gmail Contacts and Restore Old Contacts
Google's Gmail is a powerful tool for managing and organizing your personal and work contacts. However, users might find themselves in situations where they mistakenly delete contacts from their Gmail account, or are in search of old contacts from previous devices or backups. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to retrieve and restore your Gmail contacts.
How to Retrieve Deleted Gmail Contacts
Deleting contacts from Gmail can be frustrating, but it is often reversible. Here are the steps to bring back your deleted contacts:
First, access your Google Contacts in your web browser. This can be done by logging into your Gmail account and clicking on the 'Contacts' tab or by accessing the Google Contacts URL directly ().
Locate and tap on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the page. This will open settings for your Google Contacts.
In the settings menu, look for the option to 'Undo changes'. From the available timeframe, choose the period within which you think the contacts were deleted. The time can range from 10 minutes to 30 days ago. Click 'Undo' to recover the lost contacts.
How to Restore Old Contacts from Previous Devices
Restoring old contacts from a previous device is a bit more involved but can be done with a few steps:
Log into the Google account where you had previously backed up your contacts from the previous device.
Go to the account settings and scroll down to find the 'Google' section. Click on it to manage your Google services.
Click on 'Set up Restore' to access your backed-up data. Here, you'll see a list of backed-up devices and the number of contacts from each.
Select the device from which you want to restore your contacts, for example, a Samsung S20. Confirm by clicking 'Restore'.
Restoring Contacts from Backups Manually
For manual contact backups, you may follow these steps:
Open the settings app on your device.
Tap on the 'Google' option. This will open Google settings on your device.
Scroll down to the 'Backup and reset' section and tap on 'Restore contacts'. Ensure that you have the correct Google account selected, especially if you have multiple accounts.
Follow the prompts to complete the restore process for your contacts.
One of the best features of Google Contacts is its ability to revert to an earlier state. You can use this to recover contacts from a specific point in time. For example, if you need to restore contacts from a day before the deletion, you can do so by following the respective instructions provided by Google.
Conclusion
Your Gmail contacts are not permanently lost. They are stored online and can be accessed or restored through the steps mentioned above. Always keep your backups up-to-date and regularly check your settings to ensure that your contacts are recoverable. If you find that none of these steps work, reaching out to Google support may be your last resort.