Why do my senders of txt messages show up as telephone numbers instead of names?

Chances are the senders are not in your contacts.

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HT4623 My contacts are listed by telephone numbers instead of names in my messages since I upgraded to OS8? How can I change it to names?l,

My contacts are listed by telephone numbers instead of names in my messages since I upgraded to OS8? How can I change it to names?l,

Under Settings->Messages->Send & Receive
1) is your Apple ID listed there?
2) Under "You can be reached..." is your phone number appearing at the top of the list and does it have a checkmark next to it?
3) Under "Start New Conversation From" is the checkmark next to your phone number?

Text messages come up as phone numbers instead of names - even though they're in my contacts.

i updated my 4S from iOS 5 to iOS 5.0.1 and all of my contacts transferred, but now all of my text messages come up as phone numbers instead of names - even though they're in my contacts.

Hi,
I take it these are iMessages contacts ?
Are you using iCloud to Sync your Contacts apps info ?
In Messages > Preferences > Accounts > Details Button (You will need to sign in again) do you have the correct Country/Region set ?
This can effect the adding of the correct Country Code prefix to your own number and distort the coming form the Contacts app if the number there don't include a Country Code.
9:12 pm Wednesday; July 2, 2014
 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Messages showing up as phone numbers not as names

just updates to the latest Mountain Lion today. In Messages, my list of chats that are sent via iMessage are now showing up listed with their iPhone number or their apple id email, not with their names. In the past, Messages would match these up with my Contacts, and list them by name. Is this a bug or is there now a preference to set that.

HI,
With the Messages window as th Front Window check the View Menu > Buddy Names > Show As....
10:42 PM Wednesday; September 19, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

How do i stop my txt messages showing on my iMac

how do i stop my txt messages showing on my iMac

Follow the instructions under the heading "How to unlink a phone number" on this page.

IChat shows numbers instead of names for facebook contacts, how to fix?

I just started using iChat for Facebook Chat, but it shows numbers instead of names for most of my contacts.
Is there any workaround for this?
Adium shows names just fine, but I want to use iChat instead.
Thanks!

Hi,
With AIM names there is an Option on the AIM pages to change your Display name. (in your Account Settings)
If you have an AIM Buddy list and stick in my Screen Name (ralphjohnsr) you will notice it displays as Ralph johns R with the Upper case letters and spaces.
I am wondering if FaceBook have done something similar but not everyone has changed (or more likley Facebook are using the "wrong" list or haven't told anyone).
The strange thing is only the two of you have mentioned it so far so there is probably some other explanation.
On the Address Book Front I have added (level 4) to some Buddies that I happen to know via these Apple Forums (under the previous software there were only 5 Levels of posters) when we used to chat using iChat on a more regular basis.
iChat does allow you to Create Nicknames in the Info Card but this Adds them to the Address Book.
(it also has difficulty with lots of Nicknames that are the same such as Dave for David)
It would interesting to know if Adium "Sees" the numbers instead of names. (Or ProteusX if anyone has it)
8:28 PM Thursday; May 12, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Why did contacts suddenly show numbers instead of names on calls and messages?

My calls and messages stopped showing names and started showing numbers instead? Why?

On verizon dial *228 to setup.

Why can't I send txt messages to anyone w/iPad ?

Why can't I send txt MSG to anyone w/ iPad 3?

You can send iMessages to anyone with an iPad that has installed iOS 5.0 or later and has registered/activated iMessages on their iPad. The same applies with an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Numbers instead of names in Messages

A couple of days ago, my "recent calls" list started showing numbers instead of contact names, but the Messages app still showed names. I did the Verizon *228 reset and the recent calls changed to names, but the Messages switched to numbers. I have tried doing the *228 again, doing a reset on the network settings and also doing a hard reset on the phone, but it didn't work. Any ideas? Thanks!

Hopefully the solution below will solve the problem your experiencing.
Turn off your iPhone;
Turn it back on;
Remove the sim card for a few seconds;
Replace it and see if that fixed it. If not, restart your iPhone again.

Messages - Facebook ID numbers instead of Names

Messages Facebook names are alternating between ID Numbers and Full Names. I think this started happening after Airport Utility Update 6.3.1
but not absolutely sure.
It will cycle several times between the correct full name and the Facebook ID number from the Facebook Email address (eg. ****@chat.facebook.com) while the contact is signed in. Once the contact signs out the greyed out name will stay as it was when the contact signed out... ie as the correct name or the number...
Also the contact's picture disappears when the number is shown and reappears when the full name appears.
Anyone else seen this problem?
<Personal Information Edited By Host>

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain iMacs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Contacts showing up as phone numbers instead of by name in messages

How do i fix this issue? I can go to the contacts app and the names will show up there.

Hi,
I take it these are iMessages contacts ?
Are you using iCloud to Sync your Contacts apps info ?
In Messages > Preferences > Accounts > Details Button (You will need to sign in again) do you have the correct Country/Region set ?
This can effect the adding of the correct Country Code prefix to your own number and distort the coming form the Contacts app if the number there don't include a Country Code.
9:12 pm Wednesday; July 2, 2014
 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

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.
<Personal Information Edited By Host>

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

Messages.app shows phone numbers instead of names

Can anyone help me configure Messages.app to show names instead of phone numbers (for iMessage/SMS)? I'm running OS 10.10 Yosemite and my contacts are synced from iCloud. Both my phone and mac are set to the same region and language.
Thanks!
G

Please try each of the following steps that you haven't already tried.
Step 1
From the Messages menu bar, select
View ▹ Buddy Names ▹ Show Full Names (or Show Short Names)
Step 2
From the menu bar, select
 ▹ System Preferences... ▹ Language & Region
From the Region menu in the window, select one of the preset regions. If one is already selected, choose a different one, then change it back. Close the preference pane. Quit and relaunch Messages.
If you still have the problem after taking those steps, post your results.

Some contacts are numbers instead of names in messages on Mac

On my Macbook, I have a few contacts that aren't coming up in my messages. When they send a message, their phone number shows up instead of their name. I have current software on both and I have disabled and inabled my messages on both my phone and Mac. When I go to add the contact in messages on my Macbook, it creates a duplicate contact in my phone. Why is this happening?

Contacts not displaying properly on Messages for Mac

Text messages stored as numbers instead of names

I just got the new 4s iPhone. When I text with people with the new 4s iPhone (through iMessage), the phone shows their number in the text message area, instead of their name, even though they are stored in my contacts. I tried adding the iPhone number to their contact info, but it's still showing up as a number. I also tried erasing the contact and adding it again and this didn't work either.

Hi
I have just solved this problem on my phone by rebooting it!!!!
I hope it works for you too!
Cheers Roluck

Why do my senders of txt messages show up as telephone numbers instead of names?

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