iPhone 6s Plus Contacts Missing After iOS 11 Update? Here’s How to Get Them Back

If you’ve updated your iPhone 6s Plus to iOS 11 and suddenly can’t find your contacts, don’t panic — they’re likely not gone for good. This kind of issue is more common than you’d think, and it often comes down to syncing errors, iCloud settings, or bugs triggered by the update.

Here’s how to track down your missing contacts and get them showing up again.

Step 1: Check Apple’s iCloud System Status

Before anything else, visit Apple’s System Status page and make sure iCloud Contacts is listed as available (green icon).
If there’s an issue on Apple’s end, contacts won’t sync properly — and all you can do is wait until the service is back online.

Step 2: Force Quit and Reopen the Contacts App

Sometimes, the Contacts app just needs a fresh restart to sync properly with iCloud.

Double-tap the Home button.
Swipe up on the Contacts app to close it.
Relaunch the app and check your contact list again.

Also, consider restarting your iPhone right after.

Step 3: Check Contact Group Settings

The iOS update may have reset which contact groups are visible in your phonebook.

Open the Contacts app.
Tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
Tap Show All Contacts.

This ensures you’re not accidentally filtering out iCloud or Gmail contacts.

Step 4: Toggle iCloud Contacts Off and On

Turning iCloud Contacts off and on can force a sync and bring your contacts back.

Go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud.
Toggle Contacts OFF, then tap Keep on My iPhone.
Restart your iPhone.
Go back to iCloud settings and toggle Contacts back ON.

Open the Contacts app and give it a moment to sync.

Step 5: Sign Out of iCloud and Sign Back In

Still missing contacts? Your iCloud session may be glitching.

Go to Settings → [your name] → Sign Out.
Restart your iPhone.
Sign back into iCloud using your Apple ID.
Open the Contacts app and swipe down to refresh the list.

Step 6: Reset Network Settings

If your phone is having trouble connecting to iCloud servers, it may be due to a bad network config.

Go to Settings → General → Reset → Reset Network Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

Note: This resets Wi-Fi, VPN, and APN settings. You’ll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi afterward.

Still Missing Contacts?

If none of the above worked, try these options:

Option 1: Restore from iTunes or iCloud Backup

If you had contacts before the update and backed up your phone, you can restore from that backup using iTunes.

Option 2: Use a Third-Party iPhone Data Recovery Tool

There are tools like iMobie PhoneRescue, Tenorshare UltData, or Dr.Fone that can scan for lost contacts. Only try this if you’re comfortable using third-party software on your computer.

Option 3: Factory Reset Your iPhone

As a last resort, do a full reset:

Go to Settings → General → Reset → Erase All Content and Settings.
Backup your iPhone first, or you’ll lose your data.

Once reset, set up the phone as new and sign in to iCloud to see if contacts sync correctly.