Messages doesn't show some contact names

Hi,

I have seen this occur in two circumstances:-

1) the Contacts app is not syncing to the other devices normally the iPhone.

You need to check the settings on both devices.

If the iPhone is not syncing to the same service then info about iMessages Sent to the iPhone Number may not show up on the Mac version even you you are linking your ID and iPhone number.

2) Part of the above can be that the Contacts App > Preferences > Accounts is listing more than one "Account" or service to sync with.

I found that El Capitan enabled every possible choice in System Preferences > Internet accounts for contacts whether I wanted it to or not.

Some never had any contact listed anyway which may have added to the issue.

iCloud was my choice before that Upgrade but it enabled Yahoo, AIM (on several iMessages only names), Jabber IDs as they look like emails, Linked in as well as Google.

Check Contacts > Preferences > Accounts and System Preferences > Internet accounts to ensure the extras are turned Off.

8:10 pm Sunday; November 13, 2016

Hi,

On the iPhone > Settings > Contacts how many options are listed that could Sync the Contacts list.

Which one is actually active ?

On My iPhone is not actually an account that syncs it is just a list stored on the iPhone.

It may pay to effectively Sign Out of the sync on both devices and then reset to see if that improves things.

for the Points

8:25 pm Tuesday; November 15, 2016

hi,

I use one ID to sync the Contacts lists on both devices and another in the iMessages accounts

10:08 pm Monday; November 21, 2016

Hi,

Do you mean this ?

If so, then mouse over the divider between the Side Bar and the Main Chat panel part of the window and when the cursor changes click and drag the divider to the right.

It should expand to look a bit like this:-

8:07 pm Tuesday; November 22, 2016

Hi,

Apple push the idea that one ID can be used everywhere.

However this does not have to be the case, as I said earlier.

What does have to be the same is that the Sync ID used on the iPhone > Settings > Contacts has to be the same one used in System Preferences > iCloud (or Internet Accounts).

It should also be only one "account". See Contacts > Preferences > Accounts on the Mac version.

One the iPhone before your Sync there is an "account" called "On my iPhone".

There is a similar one "On my Mac" for the Mac version.

IF you sign out of syncing then you used to get offered to "Save the list Locally" which recreates the On My... list.

8:37 pm Tuesday; November 22, 2016