Why is my iPhone not showing contact names on the lock screen when I receive messages?

Why is my iPhone not showing contact names on the lock screen when I receive messages?
I’ve been experiencing an issue with my iPhone where the names of my contacts don’t appear on the lock screen when I receive messages. Instead of showing the name, it only displays the phone number or just the word ‘Message.’ I’ve checked to make sure that the contacts are properly saved in my phone and that they include the correct details. This problem started occurring out of the blue, and it’s causing a lot of confusion, especially when I receive messages from people whose numbers I don’t immediately recognize. I tried restarting my phone, but it didn’t help. This issue is really frustrating because I now have to go into the Messages app to see who the message is from, which is inconvenient and time-consuming. I’m looking for some insight into why this might be happening and if others are facing a similar problem.
8 Answers

An iOS update can sometimes cause this kind of problem. Here’s how I dealt with it: I opened Settings, went to General, tapped on Reset, and selected Reset Network Settings. This resets network settings to their defaults, including Wi-Fi passwords and cellular settings, so you’ll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords afterward. After doing this, contact names began appearing correctly on my lock screen.

This problem might be rooted in the way contacts are stored. In my case, duplicates or sync issues caused the problem. Here’s how I fixed it: Open the Contacts app, look for any duplicate entries, and merge them if found. Also, check the phone numbers’ format and ensure they’re in the correct international format. Cleaning up my contact list and making sure numbers were right solved everything for me.

This issue could also be tied to privacy settings. Sometimes, the Messages app may not have the required permissions. Check it this way: Open Settings, scroll to Privacy, tap on Contacts, and ensure Messages is enabled. After adjusting these permissions, my contact names showed up on the lock screen.

I encountered a similar issue with my iPhone and realized it was related to my iCloud settings. Here’s what resolved it for me: Go to Settings, tap on your name (Apple ID banner at the top), tap on iCloud, and ensure that Contacts is toggled on. If it’s already on, try toggling it off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back on. Finally, restart your iPhone. This solution re-synced my contacts from iCloud, which fixed the issue.

If your contacts are stored in multiple accounts, there might be syncing issues causing this problem. Here’s how to address it: Open Settings, tap Accounts & Passwords (or Mail, Contacts, Calendars on older iOS versions), check each account, and ensure they are set to sync contacts. Toggle the sync option off and on for each account. This fixed my syncing issues and contact names appeared properly after that.