The contacts you saved to your google account or sim may also be on your device storage. If you saved them on your phone before transferring them to your sim, importing them over to your G-account or activating the automatic back up option, they are certainly on your device.
However, contacts saved on the device are managed within the same device, while Google or the respective network provider also manage those saved on your google account or sim. So, if you perform a factory reset on your phone, it should only remove contacts on your phone, not those on your google account or sim.
To avoid losing your contacts, endeavour to save them on other storage units because if your phone crashes without any notice, you may lose all your contacts during a reset.
Saving on sim and Gmail seems more preferred. However, relying on a sim, except you have subscribed to an active backup plan, is like saving only on the phone. This is because you can lose all your contacts if anything happens to your sim. However, you can retrieve the line but not your contacts.
Can Factory Reset Erase Contacts On Google Account or Sim?
No, it will not affect you because their storage capacity does not depend on your phone. They own different storage units, so what affects one does not affect all. However, you can manage all the contacts on your phone regardless of where they are stored.
Here is how it works, both the management and storage:
To manage your sim or G-account contacts, you need a phone. For example, if you want to save, delete or even edit, you will not do it through your Gmail or sim but on your phone.
On the other hand, they are not stored on the phone, meaning that if anything happens to the phone, you can have them back using another device.
For a sim, insert it on another phone, and all your contacts will appear. And, for G-contacts, sign into your account on another device and sync it to that device, and all your contacts will show up.
How to Reset your phone without losing contacts
Many people are a victim of this issue. Perhaps, they were unaware that saving their contacts on the phone alone is risky.
There is no magic or special method of resetting a phone without losing contact. The only way is to save them elsewhere or have a reliable contact backup system that you can always fall back after something happens to your device.
We recommend using google contacts services to save your contacts because it is free and reliable. In case of any emergency need to reset your phone, you can be sure of recovering all your numbers after the process.
How to Save Your Contacts on Google Account Android
This will be a straightforward guide to saving your number on a G-account.
You cannot use this service without a Gmail address, so if you do not have one, go to https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en to create one.
- Among your apps, find and open setting
- In the settings list, find and open Google
- Leave other options and open the one for G-apps
- Tap on the contacts synchronization option
- If you always want to save your contacts using this service, tap the auto backup option to activate it.
- If you have a different email address, choose the one you’d like to use
- To import contacts from your sim, tap on the corresponding button
- If you have more than one sim, choose the one to import
See also: How to Reset Android Phone When Locked Out
Henceforth, all your contacts are saved on this app and if you change your device, sign and sync to your G-account.
There is no need to worry about deleting your contacts from an old device because when you sign out of your account, they are gone. This will stop anyone using your old device from accessing your contacts.
To restore your contacts after a factory reset or on your new device, log into your Gmail, synchronize your Google account, and all your contacts will appear.