iMessage on Mac not showing contact names

[athand]

It worked for me too! Big thanks, it was the most annoying MacOS bug and still not fixed by Apple

 

[robrobedin]

FNG here. Apologies in advance if this has been solved. This was happening to me a few days ago and discovered a solution by chance. It's to do with (not only iMessage) but FaceTime. The same thing happens when you use a temp number on your iPhone. As you probably already know, it syncs with your iCloud and assigns/locks it to your Apple ID and both iMessage/FaceTime. On your Mac, go to the iMessage/FaceTime preferences and sign out. When signing back in, recheck the number on both ensuring your FaceTime location is set to the U.K and not the U.S.

This worked for me!!! big tick.. thanks

 

[blythy]

You're right, information were ambiguous.

To summarize, download, and unpack (if Safari doesn't do it for you automatically) the ZIP file at https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

You need to launch the program using the Terminal application, which is located in the "Utilities" folder of the Finder. You can reach this folder by pressing ⌘⇧U in the Finder, or using the Finder's menu "Go > Utilities" (I don't have the correct English translation, as my system is installed in French, sorry about that).

Once launched, you can drag and drop the FixIDSRegion utility into the Terminal window: this will paste the exact location of the program on the disk. You'll probably see something like:
"/Users/yourname/Downloads/FixIDSRegion" appearing in the window.

Add the arguments to this command, ie, something like:

R:FR +330000000000

The exact arguments depend on the region where you live. If you are in the UK, it would be "R:UK +4400000000000", etc. The first part is the "R:" string, followed by the country, and the second part is a template international number for the country.

Once done, press enter. You'll be prompted to enter your password: this is to allow the program to modify a key on your behalf in the Keychain system program.

After that, launch Messages. You'll, once again, be asked for your password: this is because the key has changed, and now, you just need to allow Messages to access it again. So, in this case, choose the option to always allow access to the item (once again, sorry about that, I don't know the exact sentence in the English version).

This worked perfectly, thank you

 

[Junsu Park]

I created an account just to post a fix for this. I was having this problem and tried a few things before I found one that worked for me.

1. Go to iMessage account preferences and sign out of your Apple ID. (not sure if this step is required, but it was a step I took when I did it)
2. Open one of the iMessages that is showing numbers instead of their proper contact info.
3. Go to Buddies/Show Contact Card (Option+Command+B). This should open Contacts to a blank contact card with just the number and no name. (You might be able to to see all of them by searching No Name)
4. While you are in Contacts, make sure you have the correct phone number on a correct contact card. Including the international prefix.
5. Delete the blank contact card.
6. Quit both Contacts and iMessage.
7. When you restart iMessage you should see the correct info in place. Make sure you sign back in to your Apple ID.

I hope this helps everyone out.

I don't get it. Pls help. I am on my MacBook and no such thing as contact card. and number 1 was not clear.

 

[Knightcastle]

Hi,

I also had this problem, and I finally found a way to fix it without changing my contacts!
This is not an easy fix, so I wrote a small utility, and set up a GitHub project.

The main page: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion
The pre-compiled binary can be downloaded here: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

It worked for me, but I cannot guarantee that it'll work for everyone... use it at your own risks...

What a hero.

 

[cochinet]

Hi,

I also had this problem, and I finally found a way to fix it without changing my contacts!
This is not an easy fix, so I wrote a small utility, and set up a GitHub project.

The main page: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion
The pre-compiled binary can be downloaded here: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

It worked for me, but I cannot guarantee that it'll work for everyone... use it at your own risks...

Wow! that worked pretty well. Thanks!

 

[Aggamemnon]

You're right, information were ambiguous.

To summarize, download, and unpack (if Safari doesn't do it for you automatically) the ZIP file at https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

You need to launch the program using the Terminal application, which is located in the "Utilities" folder of the Finder. You can reach this folder by pressing ⌘⇧U in the Finder, or using the Finder's menu "Go > Utilities" (I don't have the correct English translation, as my system is installed in French, sorry about that).

Once launched, you can drag and drop the FixIDSRegion utility into the Terminal window: this will paste the exact location of the program on the disk. You'll probably see something like:
"/Users/yourname/Downloads/FixIDSRegion" appearing in the window.

Add the arguments to this command, ie, something like:

R:FR +330000000000

The exact arguments depend on the region where you live. If you are in the UK, it would be "R:UK +4400000000000", etc. The first part is the "R:" string, followed by the country, and the second part is a template international number for the country.

Once done, press enter. You'll be prompted to enter your password: this is to allow the program to modify a key on your behalf in the Keychain system program.

After that, launch Messages. You'll, once again, be asked for your password: this is because the key has changed, and now, you just need to allow Messages to access it again. So, in this case, choose the option to always allow access to the item (once again, sorry about that, I don't know the exact sentence in the English version).

Brilliant, thank you very much!

 

[alisonthursby]

The solution with downloading the IDS Region hasn't worked for me. If I type in R:UK +4400000000000 it won't work. and says

-bash: FixIDSRegion: command not found

I don't know what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Aggamemnon]

The solution with downloading the IDS Region hasn't worked for me. If I type in R:UK +4400000000000 it won't work. and says

-bash: FixIDSRegion: command not found

I don't know what I'm doing wrong?

Are you doing ./FixIDSRegion from the directory you downloaded it to?

the ./ matters because FixIDSRegion isn't on your $PATH.

 

[alisonthursby]

Sorry, I really don't know what I'm meant to be writing - have tried to follow. This is what I've wrote, the FixIDSRegion is saved in my downloads.

Last login: Thu Apr 5 07:02:03 on ttys000

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$ /Users/Alison/Downloads/FixIDSRegion

Usage: FixIDSRegion country phone_pattern

Examples:

USA: FixIDSRegion R:US +10000000000

France: FixIDSRegion R:FR +330000000000

Italy: FixIDSRegion R:IT +390000000000

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$ ./FixIDSRegion

-bash: ./FixIDSRegion: No such file or directory

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$

 

[Aggamemnon]

Sorry, I really don't know what I'm meant to be writing - have tried to follow. This is what I've wrote, the FixIDSRegion is saved in my downloads.

Last login: Thu Apr 5 07:02:03 on ttys000

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$ /Users/Alison/Downloads/FixIDSRegion

Usage: FixIDSRegion country phone_pattern

Examples:

USA: FixIDSRegion R:US +10000000000

France: FixIDSRegion R:FR +330000000000

Italy: FixIDSRegion R:IT +390000000000

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$ ./FixIDSRegion

-bash: ./FixIDSRegion: No such file or directory

Alisons-MacBook-Air:~ Alison$

Do exactly this:

~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:UK +4400000000000

 

[alisonthursby]

Do exactly this:

~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:UK +4400000000000

Ahh that worked thanks so much!!

 

[kalsta]

To summarize, download, and unpack (if Safari doesn't do it for you automatically) the ZIP file at https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases
…

Mate, this is brilliant. I can't thank you enough. I'd scoured the Web for a solution previously, and even talked with Apple Support here in Australia, but came up empty every time. Thanks for your explanation in the README file too. The people who really need to read it are the software engineers at Apple! (I wonder if fixing this might have been higher on Apple's priorities had it affected US customers?)

Australian users, the following worked for me:
~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:AU +61000000000

 

[jinga]

I had the same issue, and eventually I figured what was the problem with me, and I wonder if this might solve the issue for some (if not most):

It turned out that I had two contact lists (Google and iCloud) on my iPhone but only one (iCloud) on my Mac. Most of my contact names were on Google, and once I added this to Mac, all the names came through on iMessages as well!

[doublepost=1524665024][/doublepost]I have the same issue and think I have multiple contacts lists. How did you add them to MAC - I have LOTS of them so can't do them one by one. How did you know that you only had one contacts list on your MAC? where di you check? Many thanks

 

[MJalove]

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?

[doublepost=1526312720][/doublepost]I had the same problem. I could only see phone numbers on my MacPro in Messages. To fix it, go to Settings>Messages on you iPhone. There is a section called TEST MESSAGE FORWARDING. Make sure that you MacPro is listed here and turned on. Restart Messages on your MacPro and that should fix it.

 

[Hicksmat1976]

[doublepost=1526312720][/doublepost]I had the same problem. I could only see phone numbers on my MacPro in Messages. To fix it, go to Settings>Messages on you iPhone. There is a section called TEST MESSAGE FORWARDING. Make sure that you MacPro is listed here and turned on. Restart Messages on your MacPro and that should fix it.

er - no. but thanks. this is an advanced issue, and the solution isn't going to be as basic as that, no offence!

 

[rivertrip]

I added the country (United States) to the addresses of the contacts that did not display properly. This fixed the problem for me. YMMV.

 

[Jeffers2018]

Hey guys,

I think I found a workaround to this (for me at least) - It seems that Messages (macOS) is referencing the entire phone number including the country code. Any numbers in the macOS contacts app that haven't got the country code included (in my case +61) come up without contact names. if you add the country code to the contact number, the contact name appears in messages. My guess is that it has something to do with the telco that you're with sending the full number to your phone, and messages not being smart enough to interpret it...

hope that helps.

 

[tarsins]

I wish people would read the whole thread before posting their "solution".

 

[roundaboutmusic]

Mate, this is brilliant. I can't thank you enough. I'd scoured the Web for a solution previously, and even talked with Apple Support here in Australia, but came up empty every time. Thanks for your explanation in the README file too. The people who really need to read it are the software engineers at Apple! (I wonder if fixing this might have been higher on Apple's priorities had it affected US customers?)

Australian users, the following worked for me:
~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:AU +61000000000

This is so fantastic -- worked perfectly for me. Thanks guys!

With the recent release of messages in iCloud, I've been worried that i would get duplicates due to iMessage on OSX malfunctioning. Hopefully using this little tool to fix the issue before installing iOS11.4 will prevent that.

 

[pedromagico]

Just tried
~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:BR +55000000000

It said "Done" but nothing has changed.
Even tried the manual workaround of adding +55 to the number, but nothing.

• Some contacts appear the name
• Some appear only number
• Some appear number but the image shows their initials

Im so annoyed.. Tired of figuring it out who is who.

 

[AmanO]

I have read the entire thread. There are at LEAST two separate causes for this.
People NOT in the +1 area seem to have the best luck getting it corrected.

I an in the US and did not. I can create a contact in OSX with the code and it does not transfer to the phone. All my contacts have the +1. That is not the issue, for me.

Has this worked for anyone in the US?

 

[BoyBach]

Hi,

I also had this problem, and I finally found a way to fix it without changing my contacts!
This is not an easy fix, so I wrote a small utility, and set up a GitHub project.

The main page: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion
The pre-compiled binary can be downloaded here: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

It worked for me, but I cannot guarantee that it'll work for everyone... use it at your own risks...

Do exactly this:

~/Downloads/FixIDSRegion R:UK +4400000000000

I've logged into my MacRumors forum profile for the first time in many years just to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU for this!

 

[wooties]

Hi,

I also had this problem, and I finally found a way to fix it without changing my contacts!
This is not an easy fix, so I wrote a small utility, and set up a GitHub project.

The main page: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion
The pre-compiled binary can be downloaded here: https://github.com/bSr43/FixIDSRegion/releases

It worked for me, but I cannot guarantee that it'll work for everyone... use it at your own risks...

I literally signed up to this forum just to say thanks this worked perfectly!

 

[SilkY SliM]

I've logged into my MacRumors forum profile for the first time in many years just to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU for this!

Like many, i've logged in simply to say THANKS and this definitely works for me, honestly it seems like years that this issue has slipped passed Apple updates.

For any others having issues just drag and drop the downloaded file into terminal app then type "R:AUS +61000000000"

or the country and country code relevant to you