WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used worldwide. It allows users to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through text, voice notes, video calls, and more. One frustrating issue some users encounter is WhatsApp suddenly not showing contact names and instead displaying phone numbers. This makes it difficult to identify who you are talking to in group chats and one-on-one messages. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to likely fix WhatsApp not showing contact names on your iPhone or iPad.
Check App Permissions
One reason WhatsApp may not be displaying contact names is because it no longer has access to your contacts. Here’s how to check WhatsApp’s permissions on iOS:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on ‘Privacy’.
- Select ‘Contacts’.
- Make sure WhatsApp is toggled on to Allow Access to Contacts.
If WhatsApp was switched off, toggle it back on and it should regain access to your contacts and display names again. You may need to force quit and relaunch WhatsApp after changing the permission.
Update Your Contacts
Another possibility is that contact names are missing or formatted incorrectly in your native iOS Contacts app. Here are some tips for updating your contacts:
- Open the Contacts app and browse through your contacts – look for any without proper first and/or last names filled in.
- Tap the contact and select ‘Edit’ in the upper right corner.
- Make sure the contact’s First and Last name fields are filled out accurately.
- Ensure no special characters or unnecessary spaces are used in the name fields.
- Tap ‘Done’ to save changes.
Once your native contacts are cleaned up, WhatsApp may be able to pull the proper name for each contact again.
Unlink and Relink WhatsApp Contact Info
If neither of those fixes work, unlinking and relinking your WhatsApp contacts may do the trick. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and tap ‘Settings’.
- Select ‘Chats’.
- Tap on ‘Name Format’.
- Choose ‘Nobody’ to unlink contact names.
- Close WhatsApp completely by swiping it away in the app switcher.
- Reopen WhatsApp and go back to ‘Name Format’.
- Select ‘First Last’ to relink contacts.
Give WhatsApp a few minutes to re-pull your contact names and display them correctly again.
Disable Read Receipts
Some users have reported that turning off read receipts fixes the missing name issue. Here is how to toggle read receipts in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the ‘Settings’ tab.
- Go to ‘Account’.
- Tap on ‘Privacy’.
- Turn the Read Receipts switch off.
Try texting some contacts after disabling read receipts. Their names may start displaying properly again.
Update WhatsApp
Make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp on your iPhone or iPad. Bugs get fixed in app updates that could resolve your missing names problem. Here is how to update:
- Go to the App Store on your iOS device.
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and select ‘Available Updates’.
- If WhatsApp appears, tap ‘Update’ to download the latest version.
Updating provides you with the most optimized version of WhatsApp which may fix your contact name issues.
Reset Network Settings
Resetting your device’s network settings can sometimes fix connection problems with apps like WhatsApp. Here are the steps:
- Go to Settings > General on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap ‘Reset’.
- Choose ‘Reset Network Settings’ – this will not erase any data.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Your device will reboot and reset all network settings to default.
Once your iOS device reconnects, open WhatsApp and check if contact names are now displaying. Resetting network settings may clear up any issues communicating with WhatsApp’s servers.
Factory Reset Your iPhone
If all else fails, a factory reset of your iPhone or iPad can wipe out any corrupted data or software issues causing WhatsApp contact names not to show. Note this will erase your device, so make sure everything is backed up first. Here is how to reset:
- Open Settings > General > Reset.
- Select ‘Erase All Content and Settings’.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Tap through the warning prompts until your device resets and reboots.
- Go through the setup process until your home screen appears.
- Restore your data and downloads from an iCloud or iTunes backup.
- Once setup is complete, open WhatsApp and check for contact names.
Doing a factory reset removes any corrupted data or files that could be causing WhatsApp issues and gives you a fresh slate.
Contact WhatsApp Support
If the problem still persists after trying all troubleshooting steps, reach out directly to WhatsApp for additional support:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Help > Contact Us.
- Describe your missing names issue and what troubleshooting you’ve tried.
- Include details like your iOS version, WhatsApp version, and what phone you have.
- A WhatsApp support team member can provide customized troubleshooting tips or escalate the issue.
Going directly to the source for assistance can help resolve rare or challenging bugs not fixed by standard troubleshooting.
Use a Third-Party Contacts App
If you are unable to get WhatsApp to properly show contact names after troubleshooting, a workaround is using a third-party contacts app. Options like Sync.me or Truecaller can overlay contact names in WhatsApp without changing the app itself. Here is one way to set that up:
- Download Sync.me or Truecaller from the App Store.
- Grant it access to your contacts when prompted.
- Open the Sync.me or Truecaller app contacts list alongside WhatsApp.
- The contact names from Sync.me or Truecaller should display in WhatsApp messages.
While not an ideal fix, third-party contact apps can provide contact names missing in WhatsApp if all else fails.
Conclusion
WhatsApp suddenly not displaying contact names can certainly be frustrating. Fortunately, this issue can often be resolved through a few key troubleshooting steps like checking app permissions, updating contacts, relinking WhatsApp data, resetting network settings, or contacting WhatsApp support. Persistent name problems may require factory resetting your iPhone or employing a workaround like Sync.me. With some focused effort, you should be able to get your WhatsApp contact names showing properly again.