Check the Contacts app and search for the missing contact
Open the Phone app and check the Recents or Favorites list
Restore contacts from iCloud.com
Sign in to iCloud.com
Open Account Settings
Select Data Recovery
Choose Restore Contacts
Pick an archive version and restore it
Restore contacts from an iPhone backup
Use iCloud backup through Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, then restore from backup during setup
Use a Mac or PC backup through Finder or iTunes
Open Contacts on iCloud and verify sync is enabled
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Contacts and turn it on
Toggle Contacts off and on to resync
Check third-party accounts like Gmail or Outlook
Go to Settings > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts and verify the account is enabled
Re-add the account if needed
Check Recently Deleted in the account provider if available
Contact Apple Support if the contact cannot be restored