Contacts have disappeared from my phone — default account is Hotmail

Question

Contacts have disappeared from my phone — default account is Hotmail

shelley Tunbridge 0

Hello, please can you help me!!!!

I am missing sooo many contacts from my I phone - they are showing up in messages as numbers instead of contact names. The default contacts account was Hotmail.

I added about 30 contacts into my phone on Sunday 23rd August in the night time, they were all there on Monday and then they suddenly disappeared along with many of my other contacts that were previously in my phone.

I'm feeling distraught

Is there a way that my contacts can be recovered?

I have also been speaking to Apple Support and have been working with them for nearly 5 hours and have not found a way to recover my contacts.

I have tried your recovery route in my Hotmail account under deleted contacts but that has not resolved the issue. I have done all the trouble shooting.

FYI I changed my Hotmail email password if I recall correctly a couple of days before the loss of my contacts. Could this be connected?

Do you have a record that you can check and help me please?

I am absolutely desperate.

So much gratitude if you can help me with this please and thank you.

Hornblower409 14,425 Reputation points

2026-08-26T14:05:52.7433333+00:00

If the AI Answer did not solve your problem:

Click the [No] button on the "Was this answer helpful?" bar under the answer. If there is a [Reject] button visible, click that too. This may get a human forum user to respond to your question. But human participation remains voluntary. Community members and moderators answer only those question they choose to engage with.

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shelley Tunbridge 0 Reputation points

2026-08-28T00:26:06.02+00:00

Thank you so so much for your response. I am very grateful. I will try as you have suggested
Hornblower409 14,425 Reputation points

2026-08-28T23:46:34.2966667+00:00

@shelley Tunbridge

It looks like no one else is going to pick up this Question. This is not an area that I am that experienced with, but I will offer what observations I can.

If you use a browser to logon to your Hotmail account at https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/ Do you see the missing Contacts there?
shelley Tunbridge 0 Reputation points

2026-09-01T02:30:55.0166667+00:00

Thank you so much - I really appreciate it - I have logged in using the link /browser as you suggested and no I cannot see my lost contacts there

1 answer

Your answer

Hornblower409 14,425 Reputation points

2026-08-26T14:05:52.7433333+00:00

If the AI Answer did not solve your problem:

Click the [No] button on the "Was this answer helpful?" bar under the answer. If there is a [Reject] button visible, click that too. This may get a human forum user to respond to your question. But human participation remains voluntary. Community members and moderators answer only those question they choose to engage with.

If that does not get you a human response, type "Not Solved" in the "Add Comment" box below and then click the [Add Comment] button. I will try to offer some suggestions on what you can do next.
shelley Tunbridge 0 Reputation points

2026-08-28T00:26:06.02+00:00

Thank you so so much for your response. I am very grateful. I will try as you have suggested
Hornblower409 14,425 Reputation points

2026-08-28T23:46:34.2966667+00:00

@shelley Tunbridge

It looks like no one else is going to pick up this Question. This is not an area that I am that experienced with, but I will offer what observations I can.

If you use a browser to logon to your Hotmail account at https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/ Do you see the missing Contacts there?
shelley Tunbridge 0 Reputation points

2026-09-01T02:30:55.0166667+00:00

Thank you so much - I really appreciate it - I have logged in using the link /browser as you suggested and no I cannot see my lost contacts there

Answer 1

@shelley Tunbridge said

logged in [to Outlook Web] and no I cannot see my lost contacts there

If you have used Outlook Web ( https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/ ) to look in your Contacts -> Deleted folder

User's image

And you still don't see the missing Contacts, there is nothing else anyone here can do to help.

I would suggest you bring in Microsoft Support.

Logon to https://outlook.live.com/
From the main menu: Help -> ? Help
{This should open the Help side panel}
Search Help -> {Your problem} and press Enter
Still need help? [Yes]
If you get "We're here to help": Tell us your problem -> {Your problem, again} [Get Help]
[Sign In] {Use any Outlook/Microsoft account}
Choose a support option -> Chat with a support agent in your web browser