Updated to the new Outlook and lost all my email contacts. How can I find or import them?

Question

Updated my classic Outlook to the NEW Outlook. In the process, I seem to have lost all my contacts and list of email addresses. How can I locate them or does upgrading to the new outlook erase them?

Answer 1

Hello Keith Marbut,

Good day! Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community.

I understand how concerning it can be to lose access to your contacts after upgrading to the new Outlook. Rest assured, I’ll do my best to help you resolve this issue.

It seems your contacts didn’t transfer when you switched from the classic Outlook to the new Outlook experience. This can happen if contacts are stored locally, not synced to your Microsoft account, or if there’s a synchronization delay.

In order to better understand and investigate your problem, I can get more detailed information from you:

1. Can you tell me more about your Outlook version? Check your version of Outlook at this article - Microsoft Support and follow the steps to make sure.
2. Are you using a Microsoft 365 work (@xxx.onmicrosoft.com/@yourdomain.com) or personal account (ending in outlook.com/hotmail.com/live.com/msn.com), or another third-party POP/IMAP account?
3. Please share your subscription details (Microsoft 365 Standard, Business, and Enterprise) to better support your issue.

Note: If you can switch back to the Classic Outlook version, it can provide helpful information:

• Click on Help > Switch to Classic Outlook in the New Outlook.
• Once in Classic Outlook:
  • Navigate to File > Office Account to check whether your Outlook is linked to a business or consumer license.

Here are steps tailored for the New Outlook to locate or recover your contacts:

Verify if Contacts Are Available Online

• Open your browser and log in to outlook.office.com › mail with the same Microsoft account you use in Outlook.
• Check if your contacts are listed here. If they are, the issue may simply be a syncing delay.

Check if Contacts Are in the Classic Outlook App (Local Data)
If you were using local contacts (saved only on your device):

• Switch back to the Classic Outlook App:
  • In the New Outlook, click Help > Switch to Classic Outlook.
  • Once in Classic Outlook, verify if your contacts are listed under the People tab.
• If found, export them: File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a File > Outlook Data File (.pst).

Switch Back to New Outlook and Import Contacts
After exporting contacts from Classic Outlook, import them to the New Outlook:

• Go to People > Manage contacts > Import Contacts, then upload the PST or CSV file.

**Ensure Contacts Sync in the New Outlook:**The New Outlook depends on your Microsoft account for syncing. Make sure contact sync is enabled in Settings > Accounts.

Check if contacts are stored in another account:If you had a non-Microsoft email account (like Gmail or Yahoo), ensure that your contacts from that account are syncing properly with the New Outlook. You may need to check settings in the New Outlook to confirm if the account is linked and syncing.

Visit the Web Version for Contacts: If you're still unable to see your contacts in the New Outlook, try logging into outlook.office.com › mail (or your Microsoft 365 account) via a web browser to check if your contacts are still accessible there. They may be stored in the cloud and just need to sync to the New Outlook app.

If the above steps don’t resolve the issue:

Restore from Backup: If you had a backup, import your contacts directly into your Microsoft account via the outlook.office.com › mail People tab.

Note:

Since the New Outlook is designed to be more cloud-focused (like the web version), your contacts should still be safe and retrievable via syncing. If the above steps don’t resolve your issue, please let us know so we can dive deeper into troubleshooting. We’re here to help!

Please note that while our initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately, we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work together to find the best solution.

Thank you for your time and understanding. Let me know how it goes, and feel free to reach out with any other questions!

Honest,

Microsoft Community Moderator