9 Ways to Fix Contacts Not Showing Up On WhatsApp [Solved]

WhatsApp has become a vital communication tool for millions of people all over the world, connecting friends, family, and coworkers.

However, a common problem that users face is that their contacts do not appear on WhatsApp.

This frustrating problem can result in missed messages and a sense of disconnect.

In this blog post, we’ll look at a number of solutions to help you resolve this problem and reconnect with your loved ones. So, let’s get started!

How to Fix Contact Names Not Showing Up On WhatsApp

Here are the nine (9) ways to do so.

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1. Grant WhatsApp Permission to Access your Contacts

WhatsApp requires access to your phone’s address book in order to display your contacts within the app.

If you haven’t granted the necessary permissions, or if they were accidentally revoked, this could be the cause of your contacts not appearing in WhatsApp.

Here’s how to check WhatsApp’s permissions and troubleshoot permissions on Android and iOS:

How to ensure WhatsApp has the proper permissions:

For Android:

• Open the Settings app on your phone.
• Scroll down and tap “Apps” or “Apps & Notifications.”
• Find WhatsApp in the list and tap on it.
• Tap “Permissions.”
• Make sure the toggle switch next to “Contacts” is turned on.

For iOS:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and tap “WhatsApp.”
• Tap “Contacts.”
• Make sure the switch next to “Contacts” is turned on (green).

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2. Check your Contact’s Privacy Settings

Through privacy settings, WhatsApp allows users to control who can see their information, such as their profile picture, last seen, and online status.

If your contact has changed their privacy settings, they may be removed from your WhatsApp contact list.

How to access privacy settings:

For Android:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
• Select “Settings.”
• Tap “Account,” followed by “Privacy.”

For iOS:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the “Settings” tab at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Tap “Account,” followed by “Privacy.”

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3. Verify your Contacts’ Phone Numbers

Your contacts may not appear in WhatsApp because their phone numbers are incorrectly stored in your phone’s address book.

WhatsApp requires the proper international format to recognize and display phone numbers in the app. Let’s go over how to check and edit the phone numbers of your contacts:

Importance of the correct international format:

The international format for phone numbers includes the country code, area code, and local phone number. This format is crucial because it helps WhatsApp identify users from different countries and ensures that your contacts are displayed correctly within the app.

Here’s an example;

• Country Code: +1 (United States) Area Code: 415 Local Number: 555-1234

• International Format: +1 415 555 1234

In this example, the country code for the United States is +1, and the area code for San Francisco, California is 415.

The local number is 555-1234. When formatted correctly in the international format, the country code and area code are separated by a space, and the local number is separated by spaces or hyphens.

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4. Refresh your WhatsApp contacts list

Sometimes, refreshing your contacts list within the app is all that is required to resolve the issue of contacts not showing up in WhatsApp.

This simple action will prompt the app to re-check your phone’s address book for any missing contacts. Here’s how to manually refresh your contact list, as well as what to do if your contacts are still missing:

How to manually refresh your contact list:

For Android:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the green chat icon in the bottom-right corner to access the “Contacts” tab.
• Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
• Select “Refresh.”

For iOS:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the “Chats” tab at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the new chat icon in the top-right corner (a square with a pencil).
• Pull down the contacts list to refresh it.

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5. Sync your phone’s contacts with WhatsApp

Another possible reason your contacts are not showing up in WhatsApp is that your phone’s contacts aren’t syncing properly.

To resolve this issue, you can try enabling contact syncing or troubleshooting any sync-related problems. Here’s how:

How to enable contact syncing:

For Android:

• Open the Settings app on your phone.
• Scroll down and tap “Accounts” or “Users & accounts.”
• Tap “WhatsApp” or “Add account” and then select “WhatsApp” if it’s not already listed.
• Make sure contact syncing is enabled.

For iOS: Contact syncing is automatically enabled on iOS, so there’s no need to enable it manually.

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6. Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp

Before we get into the more involved fixes, ensuring that you’re using the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp is crucial.

Developers continuously work to improve the app, and an outdated version could be the cause of your contacts issue. Here’s how to check for updates and update your WhatsApp:

How to check for updates:

For Android:

• Open the Google Play Store.
• Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
• Select “My apps & games.”
• Scroll down to find WhatsApp in the list. If there’s an update available, it will be indicated next to the app’s name.

For iOS:

• Open the App Store.
• Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
• Scroll down to see available updates. If an update for WhatsApp is available, it will appear in the list.

How to update WhatsApp:

For Android:

• Follow the steps above to check for updates.
• If an update is available, tap “Update” next to WhatsApp.

For iOS:

• Follow the steps above to check for updates.
• If an update is available, tap “Update” next to WhatsApp.

After updating the app, check if your contacts are now visible in WhatsApp. If not, let’s move on to the next solution!

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7. Reset your phone’s network settings

Problems with your phone’s network settings can sometimes cause problems with WhatsApp, such as contacts not showing up.

Restoring your network settings to their default state can assist in resolving such issues. Remember that resetting network settings will also delete any saved Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings.

Why network settings can cause the issue:

Network settings control how your phone connects to the internet and other devices. If these settings are misconfigured, it could interfere with WhatsApp’s ability to access your contacts and other app functions.

How to reset network settings on Android:

• Open the Settings app on your phone.
• Scroll down and tap “System” or “General management.”
• Tap “Reset” or “Reset options.”
• Select “Reset network settings” or “Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.”
• Tap “Reset settings” or “Reset” to confirm.

How to reset network settings on iOS:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and tap “General.”
• Tap “Reset.”
• Select “Reset Network Settings.”
• Enter your passcode if prompted and tap “Reset Network Settings” again to confirm.

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8. Reinstall WhatsApp

If none of the preceding methods have worked, you may wish to reinstall WhatsApp as a last resort. Reinstalling the app may help resolve any underlying issues that are preventing your contacts from appearing.

Before you begin, make a backup of your chats and data to avoid losing any vital information. Here’s how you can reinstall WhatsApp without losing your conversations or data:

When to consider reinstalling the app:

Reinstalling WhatsApp should be considered as a final step when all other methods have failed to resolve the issue.

This process can help eliminate any lingering issues that may not have been fixed by the previous solutions.

How to reinstall without losing your chats and data:

For Android:

• Open WhatsApp and tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
• Select “Settings.”
• Tap “Chats.”
• Tap “Chat backup.”
• Tap “Back Up” to create a backup of your chats and media.
• Once the backup is complete, uninstall WhatsApp from your phone.
• Reinstall WhatsApp from the Google Play Store.
• Open the app and verify your phone number.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your chat backup.

For iOS:

• Open WhatsApp and tap the “Settings” tab at the bottom-right corner.
• Tap “Chats.”
• Tap “Chat Backup.”
• Tap “Back Up Now” to create a backup of your chats and media.
• Once the backup is complete, uninstall WhatsApp from your iPhone.
• Reinstall WhatsApp from the App Store.
• Open the app and verify your phone number.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your chat backup.

After reinstalling and restoring your chats, check if your contacts are now visible in WhatsApp. If the issue still persists, it’s time to contact WhatsApp Support.

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9. Contact WhatsApp Support

If you’ve tried all of the methods listed above and your contacts are still not showing up in WhatsApp, it’s time to contact WhatsApp Support.

Their team can assist in investigating the problem and providing additional advice on how to resolve it.

Here’s how to get in touch with WhatsApp Support and what you should include in your support request:

How to reach WhatsApp Support:

For Android:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
• Select “Settings.”
• Tap “Help.”
• Tap “Contact us.”

For iOS:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Tap the “Settings” tab at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Tap “Help.”
• Tap “Contact Us.”

What to include in your support request:

When contacting WhatsApp Support, be sure to provide the following information:

• A clear description of the issue you’re experiencing, including the fact that your contacts aren’t showing up in WhatsApp.
• The steps you’ve already taken to try to resolve the issue.
• Your phone’s make and model, as well as the operating system version.
• The version of WhatsApp you’re using.

WhatsApp Support may take some time to respond, but they should be able to provide further assistance in resolving the issue with your contacts.

Remember to be patient and provide any additional information they may request to help expedite the process.

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