iPhone Contact Names Missing From Message Notifications

Apple iPhone users may encounter a problem where contact names are missing from text message notifications. The problem is commonly solved with these fixes.

Fix 1 – Edit One Name

This is the most common fix. Open the Contacts app and edit any of the names. Make any small change and save the contact. This will “refresh” the contacts database and often fix the problem with missing names.

Fix 2 – Restart iMessages

1. Open “Settings” > “Messages” and turn “iMessages” to “Off“.
2. Restart the iPhone.
3. Open “Settings” > “Messages” and turn “iMessages” to “On“.

Fix 3 – Reset Syncing

1. Open “Settings” > “Contacts” > “Accounts“.
2. For any accounts you have, (like iCloud, Exchange, Yahoo, etc.), select the account, then set “Contacts” syncing to “Off“.
3. Restart the iPhone.
4. Return back under “Settings” > “Contacts” > “Accounts” > account name, and toggle the setting back to “On”.