Contacts greyed out

Hello norine112.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. You mentioned that you're unable to send messages due to having your contacts greyed out. If so, we'd like to assist in any way we can. To confirm, are you syncing your contacts with iCloud or a third-party email account? You can find out by opening the Contacts app and select Groups. You'll want to make sure the account that has your contacts saved is selected. If your contacts are saved on iCloud but are not syncing your device, check out this resource here:

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync - Apple Support

We would also like to share some additional steps you can try. If you're unable to send messages, review this resource and follow the steps listed: If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If you have any pending updates available, try installing them. Keeping your device fully updated can resolve various issues. Just in case, the resources below can guide you through the update process:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If you're already fully updated, try deleting one of the affected contacts and re-add them manually to see if you notice any change in this behavior. Feel free to keep us posted on your results. Cheers.