iMessage on Mac not showing contact names

[leroyyy]

@Hicksmat1976 this thread is turning into 'solve any basic problem relating to iMessage'.

Is it worth editing your first post to ring-fence this thread to the known bug we have identified relating to country-codes / new Sierra / High Sierra installs - i.e. the one that most of us here have been trying to diagnose?

 

[MrMister111]

On some of mine it now it's says "maybe....Then the name" - strange

 

[Hicksmat1976]

@Hicksmat1976 this thread is turning into 'solve any basic problem relating to iMessage'.

Is it worth editing your first post to ring-fence this thread to the known bug we have identified relating to country-codes / new Sierra / High Sierra installs - i.e. the one that most of us here have been trying to diagnose?

are you getting as frustrated as I am about how this thread has turned out? perhaps someone can start a new one?

 

[Scott Lithgow]

My MacBook had this issue & I've been following this thread regularly.

It had to go inform repair so I logged out of everything booted into recovery mode and wiped the drive & gave it to the repair company with a fresh install.

Upon receiving back today I again booted into recovery mode erased the drive and downloaded a fresh install via the recovery mode.

Set up imessage from scratch & it works perfectly.

 

[tarsins]

Wanted to add my solve for this problem: For you guys who use gmail, your phone is hooked on there. Change it to icloud.

So in your phone go to Settings->Contacts->Default Account-> iCloud <-- as in it will be gmail, change it to iCloud.

We're talking about Macs here, in a Mac forum.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

basically you need to make sure your contact matches the country code exactly as it shows up on your phone so if its American its +1 not 001 or 0044 for the uk but +44

 

[Scott Lithgow]

basically you need to make sure your contact matches the country code exactly as it shows up on your phone so if its American its +1 not 001 or 0044 for the uk but +44

I think you may have missed the point of the thread.

In any country that I’ve ever visited you don’t have to use the International Dially code to contact numbers within that country if your Sim is based in that Country.

Also all the OS’s recognise the number in either form. Hence why iOS has Dial Assist.

So to recap a bug has crept in somewhere hence the purpose of this thread. You shouldn’t have to go through every contact to change 077... to +4477 for example.

To prove the point I didn’t have this issue on any other devices other than a MacBook then after the process in my post above I no longer have the issue so you don’t NEED to add +44 or +1 As you describe.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I think you may have missed the point of the thread.

In any country that I’ve ever visited you don’t have to use the International Dially code to contact numbers within that country if your Sim is based in that Country.

Also all the OS’s recognise the number in either form. Hence why iOS has Dial Assist.

So to recap a bug has crept in somewhere hence the purpose of this thread. You shouldn’t have to go through every contact to change 077... to +4477 for example.

To prove the point I didn’t have this issue on any other devices other than a MacBook then after the process in my post above I no longer have the issue so you don’t NEED to add +44 or +1 As you describe.

No I understand that but for the bug to not appear you must put the country code in your contacts even if you don’t technically need it to make a call or text.

 

[peppespizzapie]

I'm not American - are you talking about yourself?

Then WHY are you doing your extreme best to sound like one? With your "morrons", "dude" and other attempts to be a redneck?

 

[riccardodalessio]

I've tried a complete wipe and restore. Still no luck.

 

[leroyyy]

I've tried a complete wipe and restore. Still no luck.

Super pleased that someone tried this before I did. Thanks!

 

[olleknutson]

in system setting change the region to the country youre in

 

[athand]

in system setting change the region to the country youre in

I wish it was that simple...

 

[olleknutson]

I wish it was that simple...

it was for me. and this thread showed up when i googled but i didnt see that while browsing

 

[hotroad]

I tried everything from this thread yesterday and here is my answer.

Story:
my Macbook Pro 2013 came with Mavericks. i've updated my macOS with every release till High Sierra. everything was fine.
in 2017 i've formatted SSD and re-installed High Sierra. I mentioned the problem with phone numbers instead of Contact Names. nothing helped, even new re-install.

Solution:
Install Mavericks, then upgrade it from AppStore to High Sierra. The problem is gone.

 

[riccardodalessio]

I tried everything from this thread yesterday and here is my answer.

Story:
my Macbook Pro 2013 came with Mavericks. i've updated my macOS with every release till High Sierra. everything was fine.
in 2017 i've formatted SSD and re-installed High Sierra. I mentioned the problem with phone numbers instead of Contact Names. nothing helped, even new re-install.

Solution:
Install Mavericks, then upgrade it from AppStore to High Sierra. The problem is gone.

I don't think it is possible on 2016+ MacBook Pros

 

[Mike Boreham]

@Hicksmat1976 this thread is turning into 'solve any basic problem relating to iMessage'.

Is it worth editing your first post to ring-fence this thread to the known bug we have identified relating to country-codes / new Sierra / High Sierra installs - i.e. the one that most of us here have been trying to diagnose?

I completely understand your and Hicksmat1976's frustration with duplicate suggestions by people who have not read the whole thread. However the thread is still focussed on the numbers instead of names in Messages app on the Mac, not about any iMessage problem.

People, like me, who have the problem, will Google, and quickly find this thread. It is clear there is more than one cause of the problem, because many of the suggestions have worked for some. Many people come here and go away with a solution or workaround. So, like it or not, this thread has become a valuable resource.

It is not possible (IMHO) to control a thread about a widespread problem in a place like MacRumors, where the range of skills and knowledge, and willingness to read several pages of a thread, is too diverse.

 

[JustCole]

Hello

I have 2 Macs all running the latest MacOS and an iPhone running the latest iOS. All three devices are using the same master iCloud contacts list and there are no other contacts accounts activated.

One one Mac I have an issue whereby some of iMessages are showing as phone numbers rather than resolving to the contact name.

logging out and in again to iCloud and rebooting has not resolved the issue. Anyone else seen this?

I just figured out (what at least my) problem was. In the Contacts app preferences under accounts, make sure they're all enabled. My iCloud setting was off for some reason even though I set up the user on the iMac from factory settings.

Really frustrating that everything else was set up fine and I had to go searching for that, although I feel a little foolish for not looking there sooner.

 

[newtonuk]

Yes, that's exactly my scenario. I've just got a new MBP and whilst Messages works fine on my old MBP, iMac, iPad and iPhone, the new one shows only telephone numbers and "Maybe: First Name Last Name" on one of my threads.

 

[songbird90]

I apologize if this is a repeated fix, but this is what worked for me...

I have multiple contact lists across different gmail accounts (work, personal, etc) and only a few in my icloud account (which happen to be duplicates of contacts in the other gmail lists), so if your contacts are set up similarly, this may work for you.

After several other failed attempts at fixing the issue of missing contact names in Messages (logging in and out of Messages, iCloud, rebooting, etc), I went to System Preferences> Internet Accounts> iCloud > de-select Contacts. Every missing contact name appeared in Messages. Also, make sure "Enable this account" is unchecked in Contact preferences> Accounts as well.

Hope this helps someone else!

Cheers!

 

[MrMister111]

Think I've fixed mine now. Here's what I did if someone else can try as well and respond thanks

On the number, can't remember exactly now, but think it shows a little "i" for info, click on that and choose add to contacts. Find the contact that it already is, eg Mam or Dad, and then click to add it to that contact, which actually the number already would be, then save.

Now all my numbers show the proper name as it should do.

 

[newtonuk]

That workaround has been addressed earlier in the thread. It's not a fix as MacOS should recognise your locale and allow for the +44 international code without you having to add it to all of your contacts. So, whilst it is a workaround it isn't a fix.

 

[MrMister111]

That workaround has been addressed earlier in the thread. It's not a fix as MacOS should recognise your locale and allow for the +44 international code without you having to add it to all of your contacts. So, whilst it is a workaround it isn't a fix.

Ah ok missed that then as a long thread now, I just mentioned as maybe not a full on solution, but works for me so posted. Don't count on Apple as been a long while now since it's been out and reported

 

[Stylst]

Hello

I have 2 Macs all running the latest MacOS and an iPhone running the latest iOS. All three devices are using the same master iCloud contacts list and there are no other contacts accounts activated.

One one Mac I have an issue whereby some of iMessages are showing as phone numbers rather than resolving to the contact name.

logging out and in again to iCloud and rebooting has not resolved the issue. Anyone else seen this?

I think I may have found a fix.

> Click on a message where the number is displayed
> At the top of the message window it shows the number, hover mouse over the number and click dropdown
> Click "Add to Contacts"
> When it opens up the New Contact window, click 'Contacts' bottom left
> Search for the relevant contact
> When you see click on the relevant contact, you'll see that it's duplicated, one with +44 and one without
> Delete the one without +44 in all contacts (displays those from iCloud, Gmail etc)

When you click update, this should have fixed...

 

[tarsins]

Getting bored with this "fix" now.