How to Fix WhatsApp Not Showing Contact Names?

My WhatsApp contacts are not showing suddenly. Can anyone help?

Lately, there have been many complaints from WhatsApp users about the contacts name not showing up - this even got some users to think their phone was malfunctioning and all their contact had been erased. You don't have to panic. It's just a slight issue from WhatsApp that's causing it to seem like your contacts have been erased from your phone.

In this article, we will walk you through different workable tricks that you can always rely on whenever you encounter WhatsApp not showing contact name error.

Part 1: Possible Methods to Fix WhatsApp Contact Name Not Showing

There are several methods you can employ to fix the WhatsApp contact name not showing, and luckily, we've explained the most reliable ones that work for any device on this page. So, without wasting much time, let's dive in to learn these fixes.

Fix 1: Reset WhatsApp Sync

If there's an issue with contacts syncing to WhatsApp, it might prevent your contact names from displaying on WhatsApp. Therefore, you should try resetting WhatsApp sync to see if it will resolve the issue.

The steps below explain the process of resetting WhatsApp sync;

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your phone and select 'Accounts'.

Step 2: Locate 'WhatsApp" and tap on it. Then select 'WhatsApp sync".

Step 3: On the new page, tap on the toggle next to Contacts to turn it on if it's off. If it's on, you should turn it off and turn it on back.

Step 4: Tap on 'More' at the top right corner, then select 'Sync Now' to complete the process.

Fix 2: Refresh WhatsApp Contacts

You can also refresh your WhatsApp contacts list to fix the contacts name not showing error. Android users will need to perform a manual refresh while on iPhone. You have to enable the background app refresh option.

For Android

Step 1: Tap on 'New Chat' at the bottom right corner of your WhatsApp, then tap the 'Three dot icon'.

Step 2: Select 'Refresh' from the menu list. Your WhatsApp contacts name should start showing once the refresh process is completed.

For iPhone

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll down and select 'WhatsApp', then navigate to 'Background App Refresh' and tap on the toggle next to it to turn it on. Enabling this will allow WhatsApp to refresh anytime you enter the app automatically.

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Fix 3: Allow WhatsApp to Access Your Contacts

You might have mistakenly restricted your WhatsApp from being able to access your device contacts - this would prevent WhatsApp contact names from showing. Instead, you should check your device settings app and verify WhatsApp can access your contacts.

For Android

Step 1: Open Settings App on your phone and navigate to 'Applications'. Select 'Application Manager' and choose WhatsApp.

Step 2: Tap on 'Permission'.

Step 3: If the toggle next to Contacts is turned off, tap on it to turn it ON. You can check your WhatsApp afterward. Contact names should be showing now.

For iPhone

Step 1: Locate WhatsApp from your iPhone Settings app.

Step 2: Navigate to Contacts and tap on the toggle next to it to turn ON WhatsApp access to your contacts.

Fix 4: Update WhatsApp

If you're running an old version of WhatsApp, there's a high chance of your WhatsApp malfunctioning, thus, causing it not to display your contact names. The steps below will teach how to check if your WhatsApp is updated to the latest version.

For Android

Step 1: Open the Google Play Store app on your phone.

Step 2: Tap on the three-line icon at the top left corner of the screen to open the Menu section.

Step 3: Select 'My apps & Games' from the options displayed on your screen.

Step 4: Tap on Updates and locate WhatsApp. Then tap on the Update button next to WhatsApp to update the app.

For iPhone

Step 1: Open Apple Store on your iPhone > Tap on the profile icon at the top right corner of the screen to prompt the Account screen.

Step 2: Find WhatsApp and if it's not updated, tap on the Update button next to it.

Open your WhatsApp once it's successfully updated to see if your contacts' names are showing.

Fix 5: Clear WhatsApp Cache

If caches accumulated on your WhatsApp become too much, it could compromise the functionality of the app, and this might cause WhatsApp contact names not to show. You can clear the WhatsApp cache to see if your contacts' names will start showing again.

Step 1: Open Settings on your device and find Apps.

Step 2: Select WhatsApp in the Apps screen, then tap on Storage.

Step 3: Tap on the 'Clear Cache' button to complete the operation.

Fix 6: Reinstall WhatsApp

If you've tried all the methods explained above and did not work, this is the ultimate for you. All you have to do is to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. But before doing this, ensure you've backed up the latest version of your WhatsApp data.

Uninstall WhatsApp

For Android

Step 1: Open Settings app > select ‘Applications’ > tap on ‘Application Manager’.

Step 2: Find WhatsApp on the Application Manager screen and tap on it.

Step 3: Tap on 'Uninstall' to delete WhatsApp from your phone.

For iPhone

Step 1: Hold the WhatsApp icon from your home screen, then tap on 'Delete' from the menu list that pops up.

Step 2: Confirm the delete process by selecting 'Delete' in the pop-up on your phone screen.

Install WhatsApp

For Android

Step 1: Open Google Play Store > Search for WhatsApp, then tap on the Install button next to it.

Step 2: Allow WhatsApp to access your Contacts.

For iPhone

Step 1: Launch App Store, then search WhatsApp using the search bar.

Step 2: Tap on the 'Get' button next to WhatsApp to download and install the app on your phone.

Step 3: Allow WhatsApp to access your Contacts from the pop-up that appears.

For Both Android & iPhone

• Agree to WhatsApp terms of service.
• Log in to your WhatsApp account using your mobile number and verify the number.
• Once you get to the data destination page, Restore your data from the backup you made before uninstalling WhatsApp. Your WhatsApp contacts name should show now for sure.

For users who don't have enough storage space to back up their WhatsApp data, you can also download MobileTrans to execute the operation for free to avoid data loss. You might ask "What's MobileTrans"? MobileTrans is a lightweight data-sharing software that allows users to transfer, backup, and restore all kinds of data, including WhatsApp, without compromising original data. This tool can backup WhatsApp data to a computer with a few clicks. See steps on how to use MobileTrans below.

Here is a video for you to learn how to backup with MobileTrans:

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How to Backup WhatsApp Data using MobileTrans

Step 1: Download the MobileTrans app on your Mac/Windows computer. Then, connect your device to the computer.

Step 2: Start the MobileTrans program > select ‘Backup & Restore’ > navigate to Apps Backup & Restore then click on ‘Backup’.

Step 3: Select WhatsApp as the preferred app whose data you want to backup.

Take a look at the category of WhatsApp data you can back up to your computer. Then click on Start Button to begin the backup process.

Step 4: Once MobileTrans starts the WhatsApp data backup process, do not tamper with the phone connected to your computer. You can disconnect your phone after the operation is completed.

Part 2: FAQs

1. Why is WhatsApp not displaying contact names?

If WhatsApp is not displaying your contacts name, then it could be due to WhatsApp sync error, restriction of WhatsApp access to your contacts, WhatsApp caches, or your WhatsApp is outdated.

2. Why is WhatsApp web not showing contact names?

This is because some permission settings are restricting WhatsApp from accessing your contacts. Thus, causing it not to show your contact names. You could fix this error from your mobile device using one of the fixes explained on this page.

3. Why is WhatsApp name not showing in a group chat?

This is either because the person has restricted WhatsApp from displaying his/her to unknown people they don't have on their contact list, they did not add their name on WhatsApp, or you don't have the person's number saved to your phone contacts.

Conclusion

If you've been facing the WhatsApp not showing contacts' names error, we are pretty sure this post has helped you with a suitable fix for the problem. As you can see, we've summarized all the helpful fixes that could always come in handy for you anytime. Also, for managing your WhatsApp data, we recommend using MobileTrans as it supports the transfer, backup, and restoration of WhatsApp data.

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Axel Nash

staff Editor