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Messages - Facebook ID numbers instead of Names

Messages Facebook names are alternating between ID Numbers and Full Names. I think this started happening after Airport Utility Update 6.3.1

but not absolutely sure.

It will cycle several times between the correct full name and the Facebook ID number from the Facebook Email address (eg. ****@chat.facebook.com) while the contact is signed in. Once the contact signs out the greyed out name will stay as it was when the contact signed out... ie as the correct name or the number...

Also the contact's picture disappears when the number is shown and reappears when the full name appears.

Anyone else seen this problem?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jul 24, 2013 1:39 PM

130 replies

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Jul 25, 2013 2:33 PM in response to stevefromorpington

Since my last post, I've seen a couple of other reports like yours, so I believe it's a problem on Facebook's network. Nothing you can do but complain. They seem to have done something that breaks compatibility with Messages (but perhaps not other IM clients.)

Jul 25, 2013 2:46 PM in response to Linc Davis

Linc,

Yes, I think you are right. My experience of complaining to Facebook is not too productive so I am going to switch to Adium to monitor Facebook for the time being. I will continue to monitor the Messages problem for a solution but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Thanks for your input.

For anyone else with this problem as an interim, Adium is a free App which seems pretty good and it happily runs along side Messages so I suggest you give it a go to save your blood pressure going sky high... :-))

sngx1275

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2013 8:29 PM in response to stevefromorpington

The thing is, I've used Adium for FB occationally. Adium isn't perfect either. It pops up the FB authentication in a web browser like small window and you enter your FB password. Sometimes this fails (and it fails for extended periods of time, like weeks). I've noticed this over a several month period, at which time I was using a PC as my main computer so not having FB Adium chat on my MBP wasn't a big deal.

So I guess the point is, it is possible that it is some little FB changes that totally screw with 3rd party messaging systems. Cat and mouse game, but this time its Apple (or Adium) chasing the FB changes.

Jul 26, 2013 1:03 AM in response to sngx1275

Good point. So again the poor customer is stuck in the middle not knowing who to complain to.

Come on Apple... help us out here please!

Jul 26, 2013 1:40 PM in response to stevefromorpington

Same problem.

Changing one of the above settings (region or short name) is sometimes effective, but only temporarily.

Very frustrating.

Apple or Facebook?

OneTo36

Level 1

4 points

Jul 26, 2013 1:50 PM in response to stevefromorpington

Forcibly adding the contact name to your local contact list seems to prevent reversion of that particular contact to Facebook contact ID number, but Contact image still remains generic. And this seems like a very labour intensive process to fixing a problem that wasn't there a few days ago.

Refuat

Level 1

0 points

Jul 26, 2013 3:51 PM in response to stevefromorpington

Same Problem. Started a week or so ago.

TildeBee

Level 7

31,917 points

Jul 26, 2013 8:38 PM in response to stevefromorpington

Have any of you contacted FaceBook???

blaichch

Level 1

10 points

Jul 27, 2013 1:34 AM in response to stevefromorpington

The bug is also happening with Kopete or Pidgin on Linux. I filed a bug report on the facebook page.

Jul 27, 2013 4:05 AM in response to TildeBee

For what it's worth, my friend is a software developer at Facebook and he said that he passed this on to someone who would look at it when I told him about it.

Lion82

Level 1

4 points

Jul 27, 2013 3:50 PM in response to magician13134

You sir, are brilliant

TildeBee

Level 7

31,917 points

Jul 27, 2013 4:47 PM in response to magician13134

Great, magician. . . I hope he has some help for us all.

😎

Jul 27, 2013 6:01 PM in response to stevefromorpington

I too am having this issue. Hmmmm no work around posted yet? MIne switched back and forth between Names and ID's, happens like clockwork every 10 mins.

sngx1275

Level 1

8 points

Jul 27, 2013 6:36 PM in response to hauntvictim

Seems like a fb issue now. Probably how FB interacts with Jabber. Because, I have Pidgin on a Win 7 machine, and while the problem isn't as bad as it is in Messages, I did notice a couple contacts are showing up as numbers (but the pictures are still there). This is probably something that is being done on FB's end, and 3rd party players are going to continually play catch-up on making it work..

TildeBee

Level 7

31,917 points

Jul 27, 2013 6:59 PM in response to hauntvictim

Hi Haunt --

Do you have anything installed on your Mac that scans every 10 minutes?

Like an AV app?

In your case, when it happens so regularly, it seems like software . . .

Messages - Facebook ID numbers instead of Names