Having contacts you’ve deleted reappear in your WhatsApp contact list can be annoying and concerning. There are a few reasons this happens, which we’ll explore in depth below.
Contacts Synced from Your Phone’s Address Book
The most common reason deleted contacts reappear in WhatsApp is because they are synced from your phone’s address book. Here’s how it works:
- You delete a contact in WhatsApp.
- The contact still exists in your phone’s main address book.
- WhatsApp periodically syncs contacts from your phone’s address book.
- The deleted contact gets added back to your WhatsApp contact list.
This syncing process allows WhatsApp to stay updated with any changes you make to your contacts outside of the app. Unfortunately, it also means deleted contacts can be added back if they still exist in your main address book.
To prevent this, make sure to delete the contact from your phone’s address book as well. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Contacts > Select the contact > Delete. On Android, open the Phone app > Tap the menu icon > Contacts > Select the contact > Delete.
Contacts Backed up to Google or iCloud
Another reason deleted contacts reappear is because they are synced from backups stored on Google or iCloud. Here’s how this happens:
- You delete a contact in WhatsApp.
- Your WhatsApp contacts are backed up to your Google account (Android) or iCloud (iPhone).
- You uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp, or get a new phone.
- Your backup is restored, including the deleted contact.
Backups are useful for keeping your WhatsApp data synced across devices. But as an unintended consequence, they can also sync deleted contacts back to your list.
To avoid this, manually delete the contact from your Google or iCloud backups. Just be aware you may lose other WhatsApp data you wanted to keep.
Accidental “Delete for Everyone”
WhatsApp has a “Delete for everyone” feature that lets you delete messages you’ve sent in individual or group chats. Sometimes people will accidentally use this on a contact’s name.
When this happens, the contact disappears from your WhatsApp. However, they may reappear if their number gets synced back from your phone or cloud backups.
To avoid this accidental deletion, be careful when selecting messages to delete in WhatsApp chats. The app now has a confirmation prompt before deleting contacts to help prevent mistakes.
WhatsApp Web/Desktop Sync
Using WhatsApp Web or Desktop links your account to WhatsApp on your computer’s browser. Any changes you make on either device will be synced to the other.
In some cases, a deleted WhatsApp contact may reappear if it still exists in your WhatsApp Web/Desktop contact list. Make sure to delete it from all connected devices.
Contacts Blocked Then Unblocked
If you block a contact in WhatsApp, they will disappear from your contact list. If you later unblock them, they will be added back.
So if you see a previously blocked contact reappear, that means you or someone else with access to your phone has unblocked them.
SIM Card Contacts
Some WhatsApp contacts may be synced directly from your SIM card. If you delete these contacts within WhatsApp but not from your SIM, they could reappear on your WhatsApp contact list.
To prevent this, make sure to delete the contacts directly on your SIM card as well. You can do this by opening your phone’s Contacts app and looking for a “SIM contacts” section.
Restored Chat History
If you restore your WhatsApp chat history from a backup, it may also restore deleted contacts tied to those conversations. This brings back your message history but has the side effect of adding back deleted contacts.
To avoid this, be selective about which chats you restore, or avoid backups containing conversations with contacts you have deleted.
WhatsApp Business Contacts
WhatsApp Business is a version of WhatsApp used by businesses to communicate with customers. If you delete a business contact but that business later messages you from the same number, the contact will reappear.
Make sure to opt out or unsubscribe from any unwanted business contacts to prevent them from messaging you again after deletion.
Wrong Number
Sometimes a random wrong number may message you on WhatsApp. If you delete this contact but they message you again, the contact will be added back.
To prevent this, let the sender know they have the wrong number and ask them not to message you again before deleting.
Groups and Group Admins
Even if you delete a contact who is in your WhatsApp groups, they will reappear when any group activity happens. This is because WhatsApp pulls group member details when the group is updated.
Also, deleting a group admin will cause them to be re-added if they make any admin changes to the group. Avoid deleting current group members or admins if you don’t want them added back.
Banned or Restricted Contacts
On iPhone, you can ban or restrict contacts via Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts and Restricted Contacts. Contacts banned or restricted here will disappear from WhatsApp.
However, if these contacts are unbanned or unrestricted, they will show up in WhatsApp again automatically.
Conclusion
In summary, here are the main reasons deleted WhatsApp contacts can reappear:
- Syncing from your phone address book
- Restoring from Google/iCloud backups
- Accidental “Delete for Everyone”
- Syncing with WhatsApp Web/Desktop
- Unblocking previously blocked contacts
- SYNCING FROM SIM card
- Restoring chat history with deleted contacts
- Re-messaging from business WhatsApp accounts
- Wrong numbers messaging you again
- Group member info syncing
- Unbanning iPhone blocked contacts
To prevent deleted contacts reappearing, make sure to delete them from your phone, cloud backups, SIM card, and any related groups. Be cautious when using “Delete for Everyone” to avoid accidentally deleting contacts. And on iPhone, don’t unban blocked contacts if you want them to stay deleted.
Following these tips should help minimize deleted WhatsApp contacts coming back! Let me know if you have any other questions.