iPhone Not Saving Contacts? Try these fixes

If a user cannot save contacts to his phone, then the trouble he faces cannot be expressed in words and with an Apple product, the impact is even bigger as many users prefer to use the Apple ecosystem of devices/services. The issue is reported on all variants of the iPhone, even reported on other products as well like iPads, etc. The issue arises when a user saves a contact and the contact fails to save or if saved, it reverts to the number. The users faced the issue when saving contacts from the iMessage or any other app as well as in the native Contacts app. Some users even failed to update a saved contact.

Numerous factors can cause an iPhone to not save contacts but the following can be regarded as the main:

Outdated iOS of the Phone: If the iOS of the phone is outdated, then its incompatibility with the other modules involved (like iCloud) may cause the current contacts saving debacle.
The Contact Group Not Visible in the Contacts App: If the contact is being saved to a contact group that is not visible in the Contacts app, then you may fail to find it in the contacts.
Siri Suggested Contacts: If the Siri Suggestions are enabled for the contacts, then its automatic algorithms might be causing the issue.
iCloud Not Set as the Default Contacts Account: iCloud is the native Apple client to take care of many operations on an Apple product and if the iCloud is not set as the default Contacts account on the iPhone, then that can cause the issue at hand as there can be different field mismatches between the iCloud and other accounts e.g., if Gmail is set as the default Contact account, then its API may fail to populate a Notes field to iCloud and cause the issue.

Force Close All the Applications Related to Contacts

In the modern era of apps, contacts are not limited to the contacts app only. If you are trying to save contacts with the Contacts app but interference from another contacts-related app (like iMessage) can cause the issue. In such a case, force closing all other contacts apps and then saving the contacts may solve the problem.

Swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone’s screen and check if an app related to contacts is opened. The following apps display contacts (but there can be others as well):
```
Contacts

Messages

Phone

FaceTime
```
Once an app related to Contacts is found, you may tap/hold the app and swipe up to close it.

Force Close the Contacts App of iPhone
Then repeat the same to force close all the apps related to contacts and once all the apps related to contacts are closed, only open the Contacts app.
Now add a problematic contact and check if it can be saved successfully.

Restart iPhone After Saving the Contact

The contacts not saving issue could be a result of a glitch in the phone’s iOS and immediately restarting the iPhone after saving the contact may clear the glitch, thus solving the problem.

Firstly, add the problematic contact to the iPhone and once the contact is saved, do not leave that screen.
Now press/release the volume up button and then press/release the volume down button.
Afterward, press/hold the iPhone’s side button, and once the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

Power off iPhone
Once the iPhone is fully powered on, check if the Contacts’ saving issue is resolved.

Update the Phone’s iOS to the Latest Build

The incompatibility between the outdated iOS of the phone and other modules (like iCloud) can cause iPhone’s contact saving issue. Here, updating the iOS of the phone to the latest build may solve the problem.

Firstly, make sure the iPhone is fully charged and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Then launch the iPhone Settings and open General.

Open General Settings of iPhone
Now select Software Update and if an iOS update is available, download and install it.

Update Software of iPhone.png
Afterward, restart the iPhone and upon restart, check if the Contacts can be saved successfully.

Enable Viewing of All the Groups in Contacts

If the contacts are being saved to a contact group that is not displayed in the Contacts app, then that contact may be shown as unsaved in the Contacts app. In this case, enabling viewing of all the groups in the Contacts app may solve the problem.

Launch the iPhone’s Contacts app and open Groups.
Now, checkmark all the contacts groups and click on Done.

Enable Viewing of All Groups in the Contacts app of the iPhone
Then check if the Contacts saving problem is cleared.

Edit Linked Sources/Contacts When Saving the Contact

If there are some linked sources or contacts to the contact you are trying to save, then that can override your saved contact, causing the issue under discussion. In this case, editing the linked sources or contacts when saving the contact may solve the problem.

Create a new contact to save on the iPhone and the contact creating menu, scroll down till the end.
Now check the Linked Sources or Linked Contacts (one by one) and make the relevant changes to save the contact.

Edit Linked Contacts on Contact Creating Menu of iPhone
Once done, check if the contacts saving issue on the iPhone is resolved.
If not, then check if saving the contact number with the country code (like +1) solves the problem.

Save the Contacts with the Country Code
If that did not work, check if saving the contact number without the country code resolves the issue.

Disable Search & Siri Suggestions for Contacts

If Siri is configured to manage a user’s contacts, then its automatic algorithms to manage the user’s contacts may cause non-saving of contacts. In this context, disabling the Siri Suggestion for contacts may solve the problem.

Launch the iPhone Settings and open Contacts.
Now select Siri & Search and disable Search & Siri Suggestions.

Disable Search & Siri Suggestions for Contacts in iPhone
Afterward, check if the contacts saving issue is resolved.

Set the iCloud as the Default Contacts Account

A temporary glitch of the iCloud may cause the contacts not saving issue under discussion. In this context, setting the iCloud as the default contacts account may solve the problem. But before going on that route, make sure there is enough iCloud storage available to save the contact as a full iCloud storage can also cause the issue at hand.

Firstly, make sure to close all the running apps on the iPhone.
Now launch the iPhone Settings and open Contacts.
Then select Default Account and set it to the iCloud account. If it is already set to iCloud, then set it to a non-iCloud account (e.g., Yahoo).

Set the Default Contacts Account to iCloud
Now restart the iPhone and upon restart, switch back the Default Contacts account to iCloud.
Then check if a new contact can successfully be saved on the iPhone.

If that resolves the issue but the user wants to keep contacts from another account (like Gmail), then using a 3^rd party app (like Contact Sync) to sync the contacts between iCloud and other accounts may solve the problem.

Logout of All the Browsers on the iCloud Website

If there is a communication glitch between iCloud servers and the iPhone, then it can cause the issue at hand. In such a case, logging out of all the browsers on the iCloud website may refresh the connection and thus solve the problem.

Launch a web browser and head to the iCloud website.
Now log in using your credentials and click on Account Settings under your username.

Open Account Settings of iCloud
Then scroll down and in the Advanced section, click on Sign Out of All Browsers.

Sign Out of All Browsers in iCloud
Now re-log into the iCloud website and iPhone.
Afterward, check if the Contacts from the phone are syncing to iCloud.

Disable and Enable iCloud Contacts Sync

A communication glitch between iCloud and its servers could result in the contacts saving problem at hand. Here, disabling and enabling the iCloud Contacts sync may solve the problem.

Launch the iPhone Settings and open iCloud.
Now disable the Contacts option by sliding the slider to the off position and on the warning shown, make sure to choose to Save the Contacts on Your Phone.

Disable the Contacts Sync of the iCloud
Then close Settings and wait for 5 minutes.
Now restart your phone and upon restart, enable back the Contacts sync in the iCloud settings and if it asks to merge, tap on Yes.
Then open Storage & Backup settings of iCloud in the iPhone Settings and tap on Back Up Now.
Afterward, check if the contacts saving issue on the iPhone is resolved.
If that did not work, repeat the above steps but at step 2, on the warning box, select Delete from My iPhone, and repeat the next steps as listed above.
Afterward, check if the contacts saving problem is cleared.
If the issue persists and is occurring on multiple Apple devices, then check in Settings>> Passwords & Accounts for a 3^rd party service that is causing the issue.

Disable the Saving of Contacts to Other Accounts

If there are multiple accounts configured to save the contacts, then that can lead to the current contacts catastrophe. In such a case, disabling the syncing of contacts to other accounts may solve the problem.

Launch the iPhone Settings and open Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
Then open each email account one by one (except the account that you want to use for the Contacts sync) and disable the Contacts Sync by sliding the Contacts slider to the off position. Keep in mind you may have to go through the tedious task of adding some contacts that are not synced to the desired account.

Disable the Contacts Sync for Other Accounts
Now check if the iPhone contacts are properly saved.

Re-Log into the iCloud

A glitch of the iCloud on the iPhone can cause the contacts to not save. In this case, re-logging into the iCloud may solve the problem.

Open the iCloud website in a browser and log in using your credentials.
Now open Contacts and create a new contact.

Open Contacts in iCloud
Then wait for a few minutes and afterward, check if the newly created contact is shown on the iPhone.
If not, then make sure the correct iCloud account is used on the iPhone.
If so, then open the iPhone’s Settings and tap on iCloud.
Now tap on Sign Out and afterward, confirm to log out of the iCloud. If asked to, make sure to choose to Save iCloud Data to the iPhone.

Sign Out of iCloud on iPhone
Now, wait for a few minutes and power off the iPhone.
Then power on the iPhone and afterward, log into the iCloud. If asked to, make sure to select Merge Data on iPhone to iCloud.
Now hopefully, the iPhone’s contacts saving issue is cleared.