iPhone contacts disappeared? Check which account has them

In Contacts, tap Lists or the back arrow at the top. Open All iCloud, then each All [account] list you recognize. For example, if your personal numbers are still there but your work contacts vanished, check the work account. On a tablet or computer, check iCloud Contacts for iCloud entries. For another account, use that provider’s web contacts with the same sign-in.

For a mail account on current iOS, open Settings → Apps → Contacts → Contacts Accounts. Open the account and turn on Contacts. If the account is absent, add it again using the same sign-in. For iCloud, open Settings → your name → iCloud, confirm you’re using the correct Apple Account, and check that Contacts is on. Return to Contacts and swipe down to refresh. On older iOS versions, Contacts may appear directly in Settings.

Changing Default Account changes where new contacts are saved. Existing entries stay in their original accounts. If the missing contact turns up in another list, use it there. If an old phone is the only place you can still see an important contact, save a copy before signing out or turning sync off on that phone.

On a tablet or computer, open iCloud Contacts, then use the app launcher → Data Recovery → Restore Contacts. Choose an archive from before the deletion. The restore replaces the iCloud contact list across synced devices. Apple archives the current list first so you can switch back. Wait for the restore to finish before editing contacts. If the missing name belonged to a different account, use that provider’s recovery options.