Messages Contacts Show Number Not Name

Hi,

Numbers, not Names in Messages is normally down to how you are syncing the Contacts App info between devices.

One issue can be that in System Preferences > Internet Accounts (and of course iCloud) the option to Enable Contacts is On for several possible options such as Google, Yahoo as well as iCloud.

This tends to mean that the app constantly checks each server in turn, never realising it has got to the end of the list.

This can cause Messages to Hang to to not display names.

You can also check Contacts > Preferences > Accounts

Use one account and make sure On My Mac is not showing and also active.

It does seem that all Contacts need the International Dialling Code (+44 for the UK)

As UK number then follow the 0+other digits, with all Mobile Number starting 07xxx then the 7 you list is not so important.

The folder ~/Library/Messages with the three database items an the Attachments folder is the one to have if you don't Save Chats.

These should be Migrated to change ownership and permissions to the new User on the New Mac rather than Dragging and Dropping in place.

You will also need ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages/Archive if you Save Messages.

The Alias in here also needs to be reconnected to the Attachments folder in ~/Library/Messages

Again Migration should be used rather than Drag and Drop to move them.

You cannot Merge these database items

If you have started to use the New Mac in Messages then it will only pick up the iMessages since it was logged in to the iMessages server.

Logins are Devices Specific based on the Serial Number.

For this reason copying across the Keychain is not a good idea (or at least not leaving the IDS: yourAppleIDemail-Auth Token in place). If you have migrated this delete this IDS item.

8:39 pm Tuesday; June 6, 2017

Hi,

I must admit I have lots of people I did know via AIM so I only have that AIM valid ID (Some Apple IDs are AIM valid Screen Names so I have some potential email IDs)

I have few I use in iMessages (actually only family)

Of people I used to test various things in iChat with I have ended up with two international (for me) +1 numbers but I still use their AIM Screen Name by preferences.

As the number of Contacts I do use iMessages for the process of adding the +44 seems to have happened to me rather than me remembering selecting it to be done.

Now it used to be in early versions of Messages you had to state your country and it then did the "magic" behind the scenes to use "country local" numbers into internationally recognised ones.

It seems to me that when this box disappeared was when Contacts suddenly listed "country Local" numbers with leading + 44 (for the UK) unless they already listed a +number in Contacts.

It was probably some choice you go through quickly after an Upgrade when the "Set up your Mac" bits appear.

I would do a NVRAM reset start up to see if that helps.

How to reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

This may help if you Migrated rather than Drop and Dragged items.

8:57 pm Wednesday; June 7, 2017

Hi,

As I said I cannot remember setting this anywhere but I can see the possibility that it might have been at the Set up stages of an Upgrade such as Yosemite to El Capitan (or possibly an iOS one).

I do notice that on the iPhone > Settings > Phone there is Dial Assist but undoing the setting does not seem to change the numbers back.

What is even more strange for me is that recently I added a non iPhone for a work colleague and their's does not include the International code, just their particular carrier's 07xxx code.

The other thing I have done is, two years ago the iPhone and a Laptop went to France with me.

Whilst I used very little "roaming" phone time I would have needed family members to have the correct code to call them.

I think this last item might explain it for me - as to when I changed it without remembering (lots more exciting things going on).

8:11 pm Thursday; June 8, 2017

Hi,

That is good testing.

I do know that in the past you used to have to set where Messages was for the iMessages account

This was held in the com.apple.ids.service.com.apple.madrid.plist (in ~/Library/Preferences)

This held a country code and a two letter ID for GB

This is the Xcode view of the file, expanded to show that info.

In OS X 10.12.x I have had reason to delete it (it is the only way to remove unwanted emails that get added) However the last time I deleted it it was not recreated (or at least not in a place I can find).

Your Contacts might be showing the Correct info but the Server end may list iPhone IDs as complete with Country Code so that the feed back about who is On Line will not match the info on your computer.

8:45 pm Thursday; June 8, 2017

Hi,

I know the .plist is not this one

com.apple.ids.service.com.apple.private.alloy.idsremoteurlconnection.plist

As it does not contain a Vetted Alias that is the Email ID I want to remove. (it is in fact a second Apple ID I don't want to use in this Account but was used with a second iPhone)

However this .plist is almost the same in other respects.

8:55 pm Thursday; June 8, 2017

Hi,

I did not think it would.

As I have said I have looked at other potential .plists that might be holding this info.

I have also used and Non Apple Find App to search the whole computer (rather than where Spotlight lets you look) but have not found where it has been put.

Other than working through your Contacts list I don't have any other suggestions.

8:24 pm Friday; June 9, 2017

Hi,

It is about how Messages accesses this information from the Contacts app and what it does if it is not there.

Previously it relied on the OS storing the info where Messages and the iMessages account could make use of it.

Right at the beginning of Messages there was a Pane in the App to do it.

Up until OS X 10.12.4 it was done on polling the Networks nearby to fix a location. It is unclear where the OS stored this as the com.apple.ids.service.com.apple.madrid.plist no longer exists if your delete it- so it is not recreated and new info on moving a computer is obviously not stored there.

8:56 pm Wednesday; June 14, 2017

Hello.

Same problem here, I'm in France. Previously, all numbers starting by 06 were recognized as being the same than +336, yesterday I had to log out and back in from iMessage, now, only numbers with +336 are recognized. The very odd thing though is that I still see the picture of the contact next to discussion and text messages transfered work flawlessly. Even odder, I tried to send a message to myself, tells me my number in 06 is not registered on iMessage when I can send a message to myself, on my phone number with any iOS device. all iOS devices work normally and merge messages 06 and +336. Before I logged out of iMessage, I had no problem at all.

I did change the mail address of my Apple ID recently, and this is the reason I logged out and in again of iMessage.

Even odder, I just noticed that trying to start a conversation with someone, when I start typing the name, it appears with the iMessage sign, and when trying to send, tells me that ne number is not registered with iMessage.

I really think this is a bug in MacOs 10.12.5 as it still shows the pictures of my contacts, and the right ones. I tried deleting my address book to force reset it, nothing changed.

On another computer, my messages were showing correctly, i logged out of iMessage, then back in, and the problem appeared immediately.

I created a new user, logged into iMessage, created a contact with my phone number, and the problem was there from the very beginning.

Seems there was something in the cache or older settings that was making it work and just disappeared when resetting the iMessage connection.

I just tried something.

I logged out of iMessage, the names and numbers appeared correctly. Then I logged back into iMessage again, the names disappeared and numbers went back to needing the international code again.

So, it really looks like the problem is related to the AppleID and not anything else. This is odd cause my appleId is set to the correct country.

This is very interesting.

I posted a bug report.

Hope it can be resolved in High Sierra but i just saw that in my new iPad, there was sort of the same problem, numbers appeared with US format, even if the device is set to france on language and region, until i plugged a french sim card. I guess the operator settings override the default IOS settings.

Was about to come on and post something similar. I've moved to a new computer and tried a few different log in/out combinations. Also noticed that when logged out of messages/iCloud the names appear normal, but as soon as I log in they revert to numbers with country code.

Hope there's a fix soon, it's gonna be really annoying updating all the existing contacts (and then adding new ones) with the country code.