iPhone Contacts app shows 'No Contacts' for iCloud contacts

Question

d.herrington Author

Level 1

4 points

iPhone Contacts app shows 'No Contacts' for iCloud contacts

I can't see any of my contacts in the 'Contacts' app.

My contacts are all synced to iCloud.

The 'All Contacts' group has Zero items in it but 212 in 'All iCloud".

When I select 'All iCloud', I get a blank screen that says 'No Contacts'.

My 'Favourites' have been retained.

I can start a new iMessage and as I type a contacts name, under 'SIRI FOUND IN APPS' it shows me the contact.

All my contacts are visible on my iPad, MacBook Air and iCloud.com.

It's like the contacts are there my iPhone 12 Pro but won't show me them in the 'Contacts' app.

I've tried the following:

- Turned off iCloud contacts, restarted the phone, enabled iCloud contacts.
- Reset all settings

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

iPhone 12 Pro

Posted on Dec 31, 2025 2:54 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

d.herrington Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 1, 2026 12:22 AM in response to sberman

I’ve just deleted the Contacts app and reinstalled but nothing has changed.

I’ve owned my iPhone from new.

An interesting development - I took a full backup of the iPhone using my Mac, reset the device and set it up without restoring from that backup as a test. I logged into my Apple ID and pulled data from iCloud and bingo, contacts show up correctly.

I restored the device again, this time restoring from the backup and it’s back to not showing me my contacts again.

Something is broken, or conflicting or a misconfiguration some where. I just can’t find where.

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Answer 2

sberman

Level 10

272,550 points

Dec 31, 2025 10:54 AM in response to d.herrington

Check Settings > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts. iCloud should appear there and be the only entry housing contacts.

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Answer 3

sberman

Level 10

272,550 points

Dec 31, 2025 12:26 PM in response to d.herrington

I’m not sure this would help …

You might consider deleting the Contacts app (including removing it from your App Library) and re-downloading it from the App Store and re-installing it.

Delete apps on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Also perhaps there’s some pertinent fact in your scenario that we don’t know, such as your iPhone having had a previous owner and not been thoroughly cleansed before you took it over, or some Apple Account irregularly such as region change or perhaps Family Sharing.

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

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Answer 4

sberman

Level 10

272,550 points

Dec 31, 2025 11:51 AM in response to d.herrington

Check Settings > [your Apple Account - name at the top] > iCloud > Saved to iCloud. Contacts should be “on”.

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Answer 5

d.herrington Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 31, 2025 11:40 AM in response to sberman

Hi sberman

Yes, iCloud is the only account.

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Answer 6

d.herrington Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 31, 2025 12:10 PM in response to sberman

Thanks again for the reply.

Yes, Contacts is set to ‘On’.

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Answer 7

sberman

Level 10

272,550 points

Jan 1, 2026 2:47 PM in response to d.herrington

Is your iPhone an iPhone 12 Pro as suggested in your profile? If so, it must have quite a few years on it - and the starting date of this anomalous behavior would probably relate to the cause.

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