Noticed that some of the .ichat archive files contained in the Archive folder don't always show the name of the person, but instead their number flanked either end by ? (see below).
Messages send and receive ok plus their name always appears for the Conversation in the Messages App itself, so does anyone know why ichat history files sometimes has the name associated with it and on others the phone number.
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), macOS Sierra (10.12.3)
Hi,
The one I found when I checked was when I had "called" my iPhone from my Mac.
My Mac is set to use the Apple ID to start new Messages from.
The iPhone is set to use the iPhone Number.
Also the "To" spot will not show you your My Card details (since El Capitan) as you are not expected to call yourself so to speak and you have to manually enter the number.
So in may case the Number is not directly (if that is the right word) linked to a Name.
However in the Chat window I and both Sender and Receiver and the Mac will see iMessages Sent to the iPhone Number and therefore it does seem to then recognise it is your details and put your Name in the "To" Spot.
Another possible is they are SMS. The one I found and checked and double clicked to open opened in separate window and it was all an SMS chat.
It also seems that chat was to my iPhone and it is "missing" from the conversation that contains iMessages to the same Number.
8:23 pm Friday; March 24, 2017
for the
Points.
7:39 pm Monday; March 27, 2017
Thanks for checking, much appreciated - I have iMac, iPhone and iPad all set to start conversation with iPhone number but your thought regarding SMS might have some mileage - because the contact in the screen shot used to illustrate my question is a Samsung user (no accounting for taste 😁).
The important point is that you have confirmed this behaviour on your system so it's probably not unusual (due to whatever the reason) and therefore not a problem for concern - especially since messages are still syncing between devices and the names are correctly displayed within the actual Apps themselves.
Messages Chat History Archive question
