Can't seem to be able to change a WhatsApp contact name

Question

I'm having trouble editing a WhatsApp contacts' name. I have this contact saved in my contacts list with the desired name, but WhatsApp just doesn't want to use that name apparently. I can even see the WhatsApp "voice call", etc. options from the contacts screen in my contacts app. If I'm on the contact page in WhatsApp, clicking the dropdown menu "edit" or "view in address book" simply doesn't work, so I think this is some kind of sync problem.

In my Contacts app on Nexus 5X, when I select "All Contacts", there's only one version of this specific contact, under the correct name, so I don't think there's a duplicate with the wrong name unless WhatsApp has somehow hidden this duplicate.

I feel like I've tried everything you can possibly try by googling; deleting the contact, playing around with WhatsApp permissions, etc.

Any insight is very appreciated.

(How it seems to me: WhatsApp has some kind of hidden contact list somewhere that I can't view/edit, from which it keeps syncing the wrong contact name)

Answer 1

In Whatsapp, press the green icon (message) at bottom to go to "Select Contact" page. Press the "3 dots" on top right side. Dropdown will show 4 options. Press "Refresh". Done.

Answer 2

Turns out Whatsapp was getting the contact info from the contacts stored on my SIM card (you can see where WhatsApp gets your contact from by the tiny label "Mobile" or "Sim" at the side of your contact in your contact list in WhatsApp).

So, I downloaded a SIM card managing app and deleted the contact from my SIM, and now WhatsApp displays the correct name and gets the contact info from my phone itself.

Answer 3

Close the app in the background, go to Settings > open WhatsApp settings > go to storage > clear cache. Then permissions > disable all permissions > force stop application.

Now, go to WhatsApp. You should see that every contact has no name. Go to contact list (in WhatsApp), it will say to accept the permission for accessing contacts. Now it will work.

Answer 4

As above, I found the info was from my phone contacts list. I had two entries for the person, one wrong. Deleted the wrong one and within seconds my WhatsApp messages had the right name above all the messages.

Answer 5

That's how I've made it for Android:

1. Open WhatsApp and open chat with the contact
2. Tap on the name to open chat menu with a big avatar on top
3. Press three dots on the top right corner of the screen
4. Press Edit, the system contact editing menu will appear
5. List down and press split contacts, because your WhatsApp contact is merged with your regular contact
6. Open WhatsApp contact like in 1-4 again and delete it
7. Open regular contact like in 1-4 again and remove phone number assosiated with that chat contact, then your chat in WhatsApp will only have a phone number
8. Click add contact in the WhatsApp chat and select add number to existing contact
9. Select your contact with prefered name

Answer 6

I have found one solution (the only one to my knowledge). A bit lengthy, but effective for sure.

1. Uninstall WhatsApp
2. Refresh contacts list of Android phonebook's (irrespective what make of mobile you are using)
3. Be alert that you have uninstalled WhatsApp, as it is the only way you can edit WhatsApp names in your phone book
4. After editing a whole lot of your phone list, install WhatsApp again (confirm on the step to restore chat history, which is stored in your phone memory by default. You will get your entire WhatsApp history back in minutes with edited names.)

P.S. Restoring messages will work only at the entry level of installing WhatsApp back. Once you skip that step, you won't be availed with the chat history restore option. You may have to uninstall & install it all again to have that option, work.