Why does my iPhone show "Maybe" in Contacts for my wife's name?

The problem is Messages bundling into the same thread all messages sent to one contact no matter which of their phone number or email you sent it to. And now apparently it can’t figure out anymore when they message you back from a different number/email than the last from the thread…

My solution is to go to in your contacts for that person, tap info, message, choose one of the phone numbers/emails, send a test message and have them text you back. If it still does it resto that choosing the next number/email until it’s solved.

And maybe to prevent it on your end go to your settings, message app, send and receive, and only send from one of your numbers/addresses.

I had the same issue where my wife’s message would show up as Maybe: (my wife’s name)

Updating iOS to 18.3 fixed the issue for me.

You can disable this feature, if you want, by:

1. Go to Settings --> Mail, Contacts, Calendars
2. Under Contacts > Siri & Search > Fine Contacts in Other Apps, toggle the switch to the OFF position
3. Under Calendar > Siri & Search > Fine Contacts in Other Apps, toggle the switch to the OFF position
4. Under Mail > Siri & Search > Fine Contacts in Other Apps, toggle the switch to the OFF position

This worked for me as well (November 19th). Disabling the Siri functions on WhatsApp, never would have thought about that on my own. Thanks!

I found that updating my phone has fixed the problem for the “maybe” and “to you & <contact name>” on the notification.

The bug seems to be that the phone is not properly associating the contact's iMessage phone number with the name on the contact card, so avoiding the "Maybe" suggestion is actually a red herring: that just results in the contact's phone number being displayed in the notification instead. It gets sent "To you & (name associated with contact's iMessage email address)" because there are often iMessages in the chat history that used the email instead of the number. In other words, in the notification only and only with iMessages (not SMS), iOS 18 seems to have broken the association of the contact's iMessage phone number with the contact name bearing that number, but it hasn't broken the association of the contact's iMessage email address with that name. So it thinks there's a mystery number sending a message to you and to the contact's own name. It's maddening but weirdly I'm not experiencing it on my laptop, iPad, or Apple Watch -- only on my iPhone.

See related thread here, which is what's happening when it's not yet suggesting "Maybe" + contact's name:

Contact is displayed as number, and is se… - Apple Community

Two weeks of this and I tried everything but someone on here suggested to go into recently deleted, and I deleted a message from my son and then I went back and there was another message string there so I deleted that and then went back into recently deleted and deleted that one and then I sent him a new message and that seemed to have worked, although I don’t have a lot of hope that it will last!

I had this same problem this morning. My fix was that I went into the contact and edited the name then saved it. Went back into it and put it back to how it was and saved. Now it’s not doing it anymore.

This worked for me so far, but it’s only been 2 days. I was able to delete the conversation then go into the recently deleted tab at the top left, then delete the conversation, then start a new one and it was fixed. Fingers crossed it sticks. Apple needs to fix this

New IOS 18.2 update solved this issue for me. I also turned off “learn from app” setting on all applications using contacts.

It’s up to the AI to determine who a contact might be if they are not already saved to Contacts, thus showing "Maybe:" in front of a contact's name.

Here's how to remove maybe from iPhone contacts.

1. On your iPhone, open Settings.
2. Tap Contacts.
3. Tap Siri & Search.
4. Toggle off Show Contact Suggestions.

This solution work but you don’t have to loose any message. Once the second conversation appears with your contact email address you can just add it again to the existing contact and voilà !

click on person name in messenger then click on info hit edit enter persons first and last name problem solved If person was never added to your contacts just add problem fixed

i had this “maybe:” issue in front of my partner’s name long time ago. It was back in the year of 2017/2018 and I had iphone 5c or 6. Or both at the same time. I always thought that it was because of use same apple ID on two of mine iphones, but with different phone number on each. When we have had fight/argument and partner blocked me, and after few days unblocked me, it was the trigger of show up “maybe:” in front of her name. From my point of view.

After those years, I have seen it yesterday again since

now on my iphone 8

And it shows “maybe:” in front of name of friend of mine who shared his actual name and apple id profile picture with his contacts, so iphone asked me if I want update his info into my contact list, after I allowed it, he is now “maybe”.

I think he just sets up new iphone

i have the same problem with just one friends contact. I have discovered it happens when she texts me AFTER I’ve sent her an email… it seems the contact details I have for her change the default contact from her phone number to her email address after I’ve emailed her.

it only happens when I type her name in the ‘send to field’ and then select email rather than message from another app like safari or photos. After sending the email the contact info doesn’t switch back to her phone number being the default.

it could also be happening after I’ve chosen WhatsApp to send something to her via the square with the arrow on the top to select who or how to send a file. But it only happens with her no one else.

I’m thinking that is what is confusing AI as my friend is texting to my phone number but I have email as her default contact.