Q: Messages app mixing up contacts

Hi,

I had a similar problem where on three Macs I was "Ralph Johns" (each being "Ralph Johnss Computer" with some allowing the missing apostrophe).

This meant all Address Card read the same and as you say trying to iMessages to a specific device can then become difficult.

I changed the Address Cards on my iMac to Ralph Johns iMac, Ralph G4 and Ralph Johns on my My MacBook Pro.

This does mean I get separation fro my AIM accounts and iMessages is a little easier.

It has led me to removing the Apple ID  on my G4's Address Card - which like you is a partial answer.

For me, your "Remove the Home Number" will actually be a solution as I don't need that on the Address Cards.

I would only suggest to try changing the Address Cards so that maybe the Last Name  between your son's and wife's cards are different  (such as making one of my Cards have the last name of G4 instead of Johns).

Another possible is to Edit the label for the "home" number.

I think this is less likely to work though.

9:12 pm      Friday; August 19, 2016

Humm,

I have an email that you posted but the Discussion boards seem to have an issue showing it to me.

6:58 pm      Saturday; August 20, 2016

Hi,

It was as I posted that I realised that I had not removed the Home phone number on one of the cards, whereas I had on the other.

It was this new fact that you seem to have discovered that may help me further.

I had gone down the route of changing the Last Names in the Contacts app to get the distinction between what were just the AIM accounts in iChat in the first place.

I would still be tempted to change the description title for the Phone to see it it make a difference.

For instance a Google Email type ID listed in the IM section of the Address Card does not get pulled through as a potential Apple ID.

If someone has  multiple email IDs and they all appear in the email section then the Messages app will tend to regard them and potential Apple IDs and therefore iMessages IDs.

I do realise that I have only suggested changing the title to the phone number from "Home" to something else whilst giving an example of keeping email type IDs in a different section, but I believe in trying the least amount of change that might be required to make a difference.

I do have the same Home number listed on my wife's Address Card  and I don't get her Messages showing up in my iMessages account - nor does she see mine.

However neither is shown with a Country code (our Mobiles do as iMessages needs that fro Location purposes).

I realise this adds more confusion as to why this happens  but it might explain why it is not widely reported.

7:21 pm      Saturday; August 20, 2016