Numbers are usually ten digits and it will be humanly impossible to keep all the numbers of your contacts in your head; that is why there is the option of saving each contact’s digits with a name.
What then is to happen if the name of your contacts disappears and only the digits show? This would make it quite difficult to identify which set of digits belongs to who.
In this article, you will learn why your iPhone is not showing contact names and how to fix it.
Why Is Your iPhone Not Showing Contact Names?
Your iPhone not showing any contact names is because the syncing of your iCloud or The contact app on your phone has failed.
Syncing contact information is the only way your iPhone can keep track of your contacts.
Wrong iCloud Details
Also, if you log in to your iPhone with the wrong iCloud credentials, then the Contacts on your mobile device will be wiped and only the digits will remain
Technical Issue
Again, software errors like technical glitches and bugs can cause your iPhone to not display contact names.
Technical glitches and bugs affect system processes which have consequences; one of which is your iPhone being unable to display the names of your contacts.
How To Fix “iPhone Not Showing Contact Names”
Just because your iPhone is not displaying contacts does not mean there is nothing to be done about it. Here are some ways to solve them:
Fix 1: Update the phone
The technical bugs and glitches, that disrupt system processes, appear on your mobile the device is a sign that your phone needs a very necessary long overdue software update.
The solutions to these technical glitches and bugs can be found in the software updates that Apple release periodically.
To update your iPhone, Open the Settings app on your iPhone > Select General > Choose the second option: Software
Update > Wait while the device checks if there are any new upgrades available > Select the latest one and wait while it downloads and installs
Fix 2: Force Restart your iPhone
Force restarting your iPhone is another fix for when your iPhone is unable to display contacts.
Force restarting your iPhone is the extreme version of simply restarting your iPhone. To force restart your iPhone, quickly press and release the volume up button.
Do the same for the volume down button and press down the side button till the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Release the side button and wait for the phone to reboot. You can also restart your iPhone by:
Holding down the power button (for models below the iPhone X) or holding down the power button and the volume down buttons (for iPhone X models and later) for a few seconds > The shut down menu will appear on the screen > Slide the power icon to turn the phone off > After the phone shuts down, press and hold down the power button to turn it back on.
Fix 3: iCloud Settings
Check the syncing for your contacts from your iCloud to your device as an error during syncing might be the reason why your iPhone is not showing contacts.
To enable syncing for your contacts,
Open the Settings app on your iPhone > Select your Name which is on the top of the screen > Tap on iCloud > Toggle on the Contacts option for apps using iCloud.
Fix 4: Duplicate number
If iPhone not displaying contacts is only happening to a few contacts and not all, then it may be because those contacts have been saved twice and the phone does not know which one to display.
In such an event, search for the number in the Contact app search bar and delete one
of the double if it shows twice.
Fix 5: Groups
Your contacts not appearing on your iPhone may be an oversight on your part as you might have turned them off from displaying. Fixing this is as easy as a pie.
Open the Contacts app on your iPhone > Select Groups. This is located at the top left hand corner of the screen > Click on Show all Contacts to display your contact names > Choose Done.
Fix 6: Toggle off short name
Most iPhone users commented that after turning off the short names feature, their contacts started appearing.
The short names feature is a feature that displays the short names of all contacts in the Contact App.
Open Settings on your iPhone > Scroll down and select Contact > In the list of options that appear, select Short Name, and toggle it off
Fix 7: Change the region
Your iPhone may sometimes not recognize your selected region so we suggest that you change the region or set it back to the phone’s original region if possible.
This should fix your problem of your contacts not being able to display your iPhone.
Open the Settings app > Select General > Tap on Language & Region > Choose Region and change it to a different location > Restart your iPhone to effect the changes.
Conclusion
Having contact names is a much easier way of storing the phone numbers of people which is why when your iPhone cannot display the names, it poses an issue.
In this article, we have detailed the reasons why your iPhone might not display your contact names and we have given you the
solutions to that.
FAQs on How To Fix “iPhone Not Showing Contact Names
Why do my Contacts show up as numbers and not names?
Contact Apple Support via mail or any of their social media accounts and explicitly state your issue to them. They should get back to you with a solution.
How do I reset my contacts on my iPhone?
Open Settings on your iPhone > Select Contacts > Tap on Accounts. Choose the account that has contacts that you want to add or remove. To add contacts, turn on Contacts. To remove contacts, turn off Contacts, then tap Delete from My iPhone.
Further Reading
- Do Messages Deliver When Phone Is Dead?
- What It Means If A Phone Keeps Ringing
- How To Fix “iPhone Incorrect Wi-Fi Password”
- How To Fix “Random Photos Appearing On My Phone”
- How To Fix “Black Spot On Phone Screen”