You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

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

Top-ranking reply

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,649 points

Posted on Jul 24, 2013 2:58 PM

Please try each of the following steps.

Step 1

From the Messages menu bar, select

View ▹ Buddy Names ▹ Show Full Names (or Show Short Names)

Step 2

From the menu bar, select

 ▹ System Preferences... ▹ Language & Text ▹ Region

From the Region menu in the preference pane, select one of the preset regions. If one is already selected, choose a different one, then change it back. Close the preference pane and test.

If you still have the problem after taking those steps, post your results.

View in context

130 replies

krez56

Level 1

9 points

Aug 24, 2013 12:51 PM in response to ernie goldstein

Please keep me posted if removing the text message code works. I hope that isn't it. Thanks!

Aug 27, 2013 10:22 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Today I noticed that all chat apps did not change to numbers, and that if I selected "auto detect server" in Messages, I was able to connect to facebook. Maybe they fixed this error?

Aug 28, 2013 8:10 AM in response to stevefromorpington

Yes, I spoke way too soon. Back to numbers it is today for me.

Aug 28, 2013 1:14 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

{USERNAME} is my facebook username which I took out. It seems Contacts is not syncing facebook, and that syncing feeds Messages.... 😟

Aug 28, 2013 5:58 PM in response to hauntvictim

I always had bonjour enabled and I did get the error, so it may not be related. You may have induced a reconnect whch re-freshed the names.

Aug 28, 2013 6:00 PM in response to Roy Caratozzolo

Yeah after I rebooted the issue came back soooo. Maybe I can try your method 😕 or perhaps we can all hope that in some way Mavericks fixes this issue or FB does!

Sep 1, 2013 8:07 PM in response to Roy Caratozzolo

or perhaps FB or Apple finally fixed this issue? I have not noticed the names and numbers changing all day. Stayed on names so far, so good.

djctown

Level 1

0 points

Sep 3, 2013 11:37 AM in response to stevefromorpington

Seems to be working for me as well, glad they figured this out in my lifetime. 🙂

Refuat

Level 1

0 points

Sep 3, 2013 12:16 PM in response to krez56

I receive the warning email avery time I log on (computer wakes up)

Sep 3, 2013 12:55 PM in response to krez56

I'm curious if your facebook settings are the same in every location....

Messages - Facebook ID numbers instead of Names