Outlook on Apple deleted contacts and modified others - How do I fix?

Question

I added outlook to my Apple. When it synced with my email accounts, Outlook caused the loss of entire contacts or removed phone numbers from other contacts. What is the fix? Where did this information go? Is there anyone available to assist me on this as there is no one home at MS.

Answer 1

Dear @stephen harris,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you're experiencing with your contacts after setting up Outlook on your Apple device. I understand how stressful it can be to lose important contact information, and I’m here to help.

To assist you effectively, the first step is to determine whether your contacts are truly deleted or just not displaying due to syncing issues. Let’s check a few key places to see if they still exist.

1. Check if your contacts are in iCloud:

• Go to https://www.icloud.com
• Sign in with the Apple ID that's currently used on your iPhone
• Click on the "Contacts" section

If your contact list appears there, we’ll be able to guide you through restoring them to your device.

2. Check if your contacts were stored under Gmail or Outlook:

On your iPhone:

• Go to Settings > Contacts > Accounts
• Select each listed account (e.g., Gmail, Outlook)
• Make sure that “Contacts” is enabled for each one

Sometimes, contacts are saved under these accounts instead of iCloud, and turning sync back on can bring them back to view.

Before we try to recover anything, the most important first step is to check whether the contacts are truly lost or if they’re just not currently syncing or showing on your iPhone. Sometimes the data is still there, simply connected to a different account or hidden from view.

Once you’ve gone through the steps above, feel free to share what you find. I’ll be ready with the next steps based on that.

Thanks again for your patience, Stephen. I look forward to helping you resolve this as soon as possible.

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