Facebook chat in OS X Messages shows numbers instead of names

Question

Facebook chat in OS X Messages shows numbers instead of names

Though I have used Facebook chat in iChat and now OS X's Messages programs for many years now with few issues (some disconnecting issues here and there but that's about it) The past few days I have encountered a problem that I can't figure out how to fix.

Whenever I first launch Messages and it logs me into FB chat, the names of my friends show up correctly for a handful of seconds. Then, suddenly all of the names and pictures disappear and instead turn into numbers (those aren't the actual numbers, just examples of what it looks like.) So my buddy/friends list becomes populated with all of these numbers and I can't tell who is who.

If I quit Messages and relaunch it, again I will see the proper names of my friends for a handful of seconds after logging in, but it always turns right back into a bunch of numbers.

I'm thinking this MUST be a server problem since not a single thing has changed on my computer.

Anyone else experiencing the same thing? Can anyone help?

Thank you.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), 24 GB RAM

Posted on Jul 25, 2013 1:31 PM

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Answer 1

brentg33

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2013 6:51 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

i'm having the same issue on my 2011 imac running 10.8.4 (messages) and my 2007 MBP running 10.7.5 (ichat) just started for me about 2-3 days ago.

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Answer 2

Jul 25, 2013 11:13 PM in response to brentg33

I'm at least glad to hear I'm not alone. It MUST be some kind of server problem. I can only hope it's temporary.

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Answer 3

Jul 26, 2013 2:33 AM in response to DigitalDuderino

+1 to this issue!

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Answer 4

Jul 26, 2013 8:55 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

I'm having the same exact issue on every computer. And it just started a couple days ago. I do notice that every couple minutes the number sting will turn back to the names and then back to the string of numbers. Very odd and frustrating. This is the first post that I have found concerning this proplem.

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Answer 5

Jul 26, 2013 8:59 PM in response to Christopher Zsarnay

I haven't seen the numbers turn back into names. They are only names for the first 10 to 20 seconds max after first signing in.

I used the "report a problem" link on FB help to tell them about it and sent in a screen shot.

Hoping this gets resolved. I had to disable FB chat in Messages for now.

Very glad it's obviously not just my problem, though.

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Answer 6

Jul 26, 2013 9:04 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

Will be interested to know if FB responds ;(

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Answer 7

Jul 27, 2013 8:30 AM in response to DigitalDuderino

I'm having the exact same issue. Seems to be a server problem. My Buddy List does indeed cycle back and forth between names and a string of numbers. All settings for this Jabber account are exactly as recommended by FB. How it gets fixed as it makes Facebook Chat within iMessage less than functional.

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Answer 8

Jul 27, 2013 1:01 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

HI,

I missed this thread as it was not tagged with the Messages Category.

However I have read most of the other threads in Mountain Lion and the iChat Communities on this issue.

I have read that it does not appear to effect Adium but has been reported effecting other Jabber Client app.

It is effecting both Messages in Mountain Lion and iChat in earlier versions of the OS.

It does appear to be a Facebook issue as the Buddy list will display User IDs unless linked to an Address Card when it will display the "Real Name" in your Address Book.

Obviously the numbers are linked to the Jabber IDs at Facebook (Any account with "Chat" enabled) but are not actually Jabber IDs as you lose the Buddy icon replaced with the generic Head and Shoulders icon.

I have asked the Hosts to remove pics in some posts that contain snapshots of the issue.

Although the issue is not Apple's there are considerations about whether they are seen to be assisting in posting Facebook users info.

9:01 pm Saturday; July 27, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Answer 9

Jul 29, 2013 5:38 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

I've had the same problem the last couple of days. I even tried it on another computer. Looks like FB is the problem. Its frustrating because computer seems to hang up, looking for names or ID. Not sure. Had to turn it off...

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Answer 10

Jul 30, 2013 1:39 PM in response to Gordon Jue

This has been posted in another thread relating to Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id=227370944025932

9:38 pm Tuesday; July 30, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Answer 11

Jul 31, 2013 7:46 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I just tried Adium and I'm seeing it there too, although in Adium it is a mixture....some names are the real names and some buddies are just numbers the moment they log on.

This is super annoying.

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Answer 12

Aug 6, 2013 7:24 PM in response to DigitalDuderino

Yup, same thing here. And I'll get the beachball for minutes at a time while facebook chat tries to do... something... highly annoying. Had to disable it.

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Answer 13

Aug 14, 2013 9:25 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph,

I'm not sure if this is a permanent fix, but on my iPhone I updated my facebook contacts (settings>facebook>update all contacts) and within a minute or two both chat clients (Adium and Messages/iChat) displayed my contact names instead of Jabber ID's. I'll leave it to you and others to reason as to why this worked.

Hope this helps.

Matt

MacBookPro early 2011

8 GB DDR3

2GHz i7

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Answer 14

Aug 14, 2013 10:13 AM in response to TheGodfatha

Didn't work for me...

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Answer 15

Aug 14, 2013 10:40 AM in response to Gordon Jue

Gordon,

I have my contacts synced via my gmail account on both my iPhone and my Mac. I should've mentioned that in my original post.

UPDATE: It's been a while since I performed my above fix and my FB contacts still appear correctly in both chat clients (Adium and Messenger/iChat).

Hope this helps.

Matt

MacBookPro early 2011

8 GB DDR3

2GHz i7

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