WhatsApp Contacts Disappeared? Find Out How to Fix It

Why are contacts not showing on WhatsApp?

There are several reasons why contacts suddenly stop appearing on WhatsApp. In fact, there are several manifestations of this problem. For example, it can happen on a smartphone that is working perfectly well, without you having to “touch anything”.

In other cases, the issue occurs after you move WhatsApp from one device to another. In the first case, the issue may be caused by a bug in the way WhatsApp syncs contacts saved on your phone.

The issue can also occur on devices that have recently updated to a new software version, which in turn changed the permissions granted to WhatsApp. Regardless, whatever the root cause of the issue, let’s try out a few fixes that might help you resolve it!

How to Fix Contacts Not Showing in WhatsApp on iPhone

If you have an iOS device like an iPhone or iPad, fixing the issue of contacts or contact names not showing on WhatsApp is a simpler process. Most of the time, the cause is due to disabled permission for contacts or lack of syncing of contacts with iCloud. We have shared solutions for both possible culprits.

Check if contacts are enabled for WhatsApp on iPhone

The first method is to check if the Contacts permission has been granted in the WhatsApp app settings. Follow the steps below:

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone;
2. Scroll down and look for the WhatsApp;
   1. You can also type manually into the search bar;
3. Double check if the option Contacts is activated.

Once you're done checking that Contacts permission is enabled, you can log out and back into WhatsApp.

Make sure your contacts are synced with iCloud

Another reason for this to happen is that your contacts may not be synced with iCloud. Disabling this sync will usually result in the app showing outdated contact information and causing issues with apps that access your contacts. Therefore, it is recommended that you double-check your iCloud settings. Read the instructions below on how to do this.

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone;
2. Tap your account at the top;
3. Select iCloud;
4. Tap on Show all in the Apps that use iCloud section;
5. Select Contacts in the list.

How to Fix Contacts Not Showing in WhatsApp on Android

As mentioned above, depending on the cause of the concern, the solutions to fix this issue vary. At the same time, the processes on Android and iPhones are different. Below, we have listed some of the most common solutions for Android users.

Fix Contacts Not Showing in WhatsApp via Permissions on Android

Android has become very secure over the years. An unintended consequence of this is that all apps now require explicit permissions from the user to access data stored on the smartphone, and this data also includes your contacts.

If your phone has suddenly stopped displaying WhatsApp contact names, this is the first thing you need to check. Here’s how you can do it on Android smartphones.

1. Open the application Settings;
2. Select Applications or Application Management (this may change slightly depending on the brand or operating system of your device);
3. Tap on the list of apps (usually See all apps) and scroll down to WhatsApp;
4. Select Permissions;
5. Select option Contacts;
6. Verify that you have granted access to contacts by choosing Allow;
7. If permissions have already been granted, it is a good idea to select Do not allow once and then tap Allow again.

After completing these steps, open WhatsApp again and check if your contact names are back. If not, it's time to resort to a manual update (for Android).

Update WhatsApp Contacts on Android

If your contact names still don't appear after you've granted permissions, it might be a good idea to use the option Update contacts on WhatsApp. Here's how to do it.

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the chat bubble in the bottom right corner;
2. Tap on the ⋮ (three dots) in the upper right corner;
3. Tap on To update.

That's it! It will take a few seconds for WhatsApp to check your contact list and make the names appear again.

If these two options didn’t work, it’s time to resort to slightly more drastic options. Let’s start with a very popular generic fix for most app-related issues.

Clear WhatsApp app cache on Android

This method involves clearing the app's cache or storage. Important: Make a backup copy of your chats, photos and videos as this process will delete them from your smartphone.

1. Open the application Settings;
2. Select Applications in the listed menu;
3. Scroll down and look for the WhatsApp;
4. Select Storage;
5. Tap on Clear data and Clear cache.

Keep in mind that you will need to log in with your WhatsApp details again after clearing the app cache. This was tested on Samsung Galaxy A54.

Force WhatsApp Sync on Android

If this option didn't work for you, now is the time to force WhatsApp to sync with your contacts. Here's how to do it.

1. Open the application Settings on your cell phone;
2. Select Passwords and accounts or Users and accounts;
3. Select WhatsApp in the list;
4. Tap on Account Synchronization;
5. Tap the toggle button next to Contacts to force the smartphone to perform a contact synchronization.
   1. Remember to keep the option enabled.

Check if your contacts have appeared again on WhatsApp.

Remove WhatsApp account

If force-syncing WhatsApp doesn’t work, the next step involves removing your WhatsApp account from your phone. Before proceeding, don’t forget to back up all your chats to Google Drive.

After backing up your WhatsApp chat, open the same menu as before (Passwords and Accounts), but this time select the option Remove account.

You'll get a warning that this will remove all messages, contacts, and other data. Since you've backed up your chats to Google Drive, you don't need to worry about this anymore and can tap Remove account.

Once this is done, your WhatsApp installation on your smartphone will be as good as new and you can try setting up your account again. After doing this, wait a while for WhatsApp to sync your contacts and restore all messages from Google Drive before using it normally.

The last resort: Uninstall/Reinstall WhatsApp

If all the above methods fail, the last option we have is to check if you are using the latest version of WhatsApp. If yes, it is time to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your device.

However, if you see a new version of WhatsApp available for download, make sure to install the latest version and check if the issue is resolved. If you are already using the latest version, it is time to do a complete reinstallation.

And with that, we come to the end of this article. We sincerely hope that the steps mentioned here really help you resolve the issue. If not, let us know in the comments section below so that we can investigate the issue further.

Do you know of any other methods that we haven’t mentioned? If so, please let us know, as we’ll be happy to add them to this list with due credit.