Removed old phone number from contact on iPhone, but can't remove it from Mac Messages App

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Level 1

8 points

Removed old phone number from contact on iPhone, but can't remove it from Mac Messages App

A contact changed her phone number so I opened her contact info and replaced the old number with the new one. Everything looks fine on my phone, but when I type in her name in a new message on my Mac through the Messaging app, it now shows me her name once with the new phone number and a second time with the old phone number. I have checked Google and I don't have her old phone number in my Google contacts. I have seen some other threads that tell me to click on the "I" button at the top of the message and choose to remove the contact, but that option isn't there in the messaging app. It is strange that it doesn't do this on my phone, only on my computer.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Jul 20, 2021 3:36 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Jul 21, 2021 10:14 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Boot into Safe Mode according to Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to nearly twice as long as a normal boot as it's doing the following;

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Jul 23, 2021 9:56 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Have you tried deleting the contact card, rebooting and then add a new card with the correct information?

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Answer 3

Vilas_S

Community Specialist

Jul 21, 2021 9:58 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Hello Tom_in_Utah.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you're having issues with a contact on your Mac. Specifically, their old phone number is still populating and you're unable to properly message them using your Mac. We can understand how this would be an issue. Allow us to investigate this issue and assist in any way we can.

You did mention that everything appears correct on your iPhone. On your Mac, let's go ahead and open the Contacts app. Locate that specific contact and delete their old number that is listed. You'll also want to make sure that their newly updated phone number is listed, then click on "Done" once you're done. Just in case, the resource below can help:

Update contact information in Contacts on Mac - Apple Support

Once you've done this, you can test to see if this helps when messaging that specific contact.

Please feel free to keep us updated. Cheers.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Jul 23, 2021 10:12 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Log into a basic admin user account, Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac, sign into your iCloud account and see if the problem persists.

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Answer 5

Tom_in_Utah Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 23, 2021 11:02 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

The contact is stored in Google, and when I delete the contact with the new phone number in Google, then when I go to my Mac on the Messages App and type her name, the new phone number that was in the Google contacts no longer shows up, but the old phone number that is not in Google (there is no longer a contact for her in Google) still shows up. The Messages app seems to either have the number in Cache or is pulling it from a different application other than my contacts.

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Answer 6

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Jul 21, 2021 10:39 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Have you installed or run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up" or anti-virus apps on your Mac?

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Jul 23, 2021 11:14 AM in response to Tom_in_Utah

Might be time to contact Apple Support to bring in the big guns.

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Answer 8

Tom_in_Utah Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 21, 2021 10:02 AM in response to Vilas_S

Just to clarify, when on my Mac and I go to contacts, the old phone number is not listed, only the new phone number is there. That is why it is particularly frustrating that it is still showing the old phone number in the messaging app on my Mac.

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Answer 9

Tom_in_Utah Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 21, 2021 10:34 AM in response to Old Toad

I did as you suggested -- I booted up in safe mode (and confirmed I was in safe mode), then I went to the messaging app on my Mac and typed in the contact's name and both the new phone number and the old phone number came up as 2 separate options. I then re-booted into normal mode and the same thing occurred -- both the old phone number and the new phone number showed up as options on the Messaging app. This didn't solve the problem.

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Answer 10

Tom_in_Utah Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 23, 2021 10:05 AM in response to Old Toad

I just deleted the old contact and then created a new contact. When I go to the messaging app on my Mac and type the contact's name, it still shows her twice -- once with the new phone number and once with the old phone number.

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