iMessage and Messages are the great platforms to communicate with other people and to receive the message on iDevices. However, some folks report problems that the contact names are missing in the iMessage and Message app. Instead of contact names, the device somehow is showing contact numbers. This can be a serious issue when you want to send a message to someone on an urgent basis, I mean your boss can scold you for sure. But don’t worry as we got you all covered up.

Mind you, the same issue has been noticed on Apple’s latest iOS or iPadOS versions. If that is the case, then it might be due to the new software issue but that’s just a conjecture. However, some Android users also have experienced the same issue but this article is mainly focused on iDevices.

If you are victimized with the same consequences then let me tell you that you have probably landed on the right post. Make sure to read the article till the end that we have managed to provide you on how to fix contacts names that are missing in the iMessage and Message app.

Without further ado, let’s quickly begin!

See also: Where to Find iMessages On Mac? (and Find Your Message History)

Troubleshooting names are missing in the iMessage and Message app

Before moving to the actual fixes, it is suggested to just perform a basic fix such as restarting your device. Follow the methods mentioned below one by one.

Restart your device

Restarting your Apple device is the smartest thing you can perform when experiencing any problems. This can free up a good amount of memory giving your phone a fresh start. Here’s how to restart your iDevice depending upon the models.

1. For iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch who have Home buttons.
   • Press Home and Power at the same time until the Apple logo is displayed.
2. iPhone 7, 7+, and iPod 7th generation.
   • Press and hold both the side volume down buttons for 10 seconds until the Apple logo is displayed.
3. For iPhone 8 or above, iPad with no home button present.
   • Press and release the volume up button, then press promptly release the volume down button, now, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo is displayed.

If doing a simple restart does fix the issue, it is advised to follow the next method.

Sync iCloud contacts on iDevices

iCloud has a great freat feature that helps you store and sync contact numbers under the same Apple ID so that it can be used on multiple Apple devices. If contacts are missing from the Message app and iMessage, it could possible that this is happening just because your device is not synced with your iCloud account. Let’s see how to sync iCloud on iDevices and Macs:

For iPhones, iPads, and iPods:

Step 1: Go to the Settings app.

Step 2: Visit Apple ID.

Step 3: Under Appl ID, tap on iCloud, and toggle on the Contact app.

Step 4: Now the device will ask you to choose between Merge or Cancel, tap on Merge.

For Macs:

Step 1: Visit System Preferences.

Step 2: Go to Apple ID or iCloud.

Step 3: Check the box for Contacts, if it’s checked already then tick it off wait a moment and tick on again, this will force sync.

Check if contacts are not syncing

This is applicable for those who are using third-party accounts such as Google, Yahoo, Outlook, etc. If you are not using any of the third-party apps you can move on to the next step straight away.

Step 1: Visit Settings.

Step 2: Go to Passwords & Accounts, and tap on your account.

Step 3: Toggle on Contacts, try toggling off and on giving a gap of 50 seconds to sync the contacts if the Contacts option was toggled on already.

For iOS 10 and earlier: Visit Settings > Mail > Accounts and toggle on Contacts for syncing with a particular Mail account.

At this point, the “Contacts names are missing in the iMessage and Message app” issue should be get resolved. Many users reported that syncing with contact worked for them., so it’s worth trying. But if you are out of luck and the issue is still not resolved, then follow the rest of the workarounds mentioned below.

Another Possible fix

Here are other possible fixes that you can try out to fix the issue.

Toggle On and Off contacts individually in accounts.

Toggling on and off contact individually in accounts can help you fix the issue. You might have toggled on contacts for inappropriate accounts, follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Visit Settings and go to Accounts and Passwords.

Step 2: Go to each account, and toggle the Contacts button Off. Do this for all accounts that can sync your contacts with your device such as Google, iCloud, Outlook, etc.

Step 3: Wait for one minute, and toggle Contacts on.

Once done, check if the issue has been resolved.

Close the Message app

Here, we will close the Message app to see if this works.

1. For iPhones and iPads with no home button on the Home screen.
   • From the bottom of the screen, swipe up till the middle of the screen in order to open the App Switcher.
2. For iPhones and iPads with a home button on the Home screen.
   • Double-tap on the Home button in order to open App Switcher.
3. Swipe right or left to search the Messages app.
4. Swipe up the Message app to close the app.
5. Restart your phone and see if the issue has been resolved.

Check your device’s region settings

Make sure your iDevie’s regions settings are correct because in most cases it can cause many issues, setting your device on the correct region settings might fix the problem.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your device.

Step 2: Go to your Apple ID Profile.

Step 3: Tap on iTunes & App Store.

Step 4: Again go to your Apple ID > View Apple ID.

Step 5: If the region is incorrect, then it is advised to be set correctly.

This fix has worked with many users, just restart your device and see if this has resolved the issue.

Do contact names stop showing when you updated iOS?

Sometimes some contacts go missing when you update your iOS or iPadOS device. The reason behind this is unknown but this mostly happens when you update your device. But thanks to the iCloud as it can restore your data from the iCloud backup. In this way, you can get your contacts back from the backup, so it is important to backup your data whenever possible.

Here’s how to restore your Contacts from the backup:

Step 1: Visit Settings.

Step 2: Go to your Apple ID Profile.

Step 3: Tap on iCloud.

Step 4: Under “APPS USING ICLOUD” toggle off the Camera button, and select Delete from my iPhone.

Step 5: Restart your iDevice and come back again to this setting and toggle on Camera.

Depending on your contact list, it will take some time to download the backup from iCloud.

Quick Fixes

1. Go to Settings, tap on Messages > MMS Messaging. Turn it off for 20-30 sec and turn it back on.
2. Go to Settings > Messages > messages, and toggle it on and off.
3. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. But this will remove the Wi-Fi password, note your Wi-Fi password before resetting network settings.
4. Rebuild your Contacts, go to any random contact on your device, edit the contact by adding some fax number or phone number (even if false info), and save. Restart your device and see if this works.

Fix contacts missing issue using Mac

Here, we will fix the contact missing issue using Mac. The only motive here too is to re-sync the contacts with iCloud and refreshing the info on all the devices. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Turn on your Mac and go to the Contacts app.

Step 2: Go to Preferences from the Contacts top menu and select Accounts.

Step 3: Select to choose the iCloud account and disable the toggle setting.

Step 4: Wait for 15-20 sec and enable the toggle setting as shown in the image mentioned below.

Step 5: Lastly, shut down your Mac and iPhone or iPad, then turn on Mac and iPhone or iPad.

What if Nothing Works?

All the methods given above are valid fixes. But even if the issue fails to get fixed we have given some fixes that have actually worked for people and their contacts start showing.

1. Go to Messages > Preferences > messages, select Apple ID, sign out, and again sign in.
2. For those who use Gmail, try changing to iCloud in your phone settings. Visit Settings > Contacts > Default Account > iCloud. (If Gmail is selected, change it to iCloud.
3. On Mac, visit System Preferences > Apple ID > APPS ON THIS MAC iCloud, check the box marked “Contacts”.
4. This sounds absurd but this has worked for users, just open the spotlight on Mac and search “Contacts”, sign in and wait for 10 min to complete the syncing process. All of the iMessages will start to show on contact names on Mac.

That’s it for now, hope this helps! We are glad to know your thoughts in the comment section below. Till then, stay tuned for more info.

See next: How to Delete Texts and iMessages on Mac