What to Know
- Ensure iOS is updated.
- Check that the contact has an assigned photo in the Contacts app.
- Toggle “Show Contact Photos” on in the Messages settings.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Check if the issue persists with all contacts or specific ones.
Users of iPhones and iPod touch can save contact pictures on text messages or iMessages. However, sometimes, contact photos may not show up for each recipient due to incorrect settings. Don’t worry! I will guide you through restoring hidden contact photos in the iPhone’s Message App on the latest iOS.
Quick Fixes for iPhone Message App Not Showing Contact Pictures
Note: Before attempting the bottom steps, make sure you have assigned a picture to a contact on your iPhone or iPad. without the assigned picture, your phone message app won’t show you an image next to the contact. So please check out first. in case you have added a photo to a specific contact, however, the picture not showing next to that contact in the messaging app, then you should take the following actions.
The answer to How do you get the contact picture to show in messages on the iPhone? On a small screen iOS device (less than the 4.7-inch display, iPhone 5S or earlier device doesn’t show up contact profile picture). But if you have any iPhone – iPhone 7/ iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone X, 11(Pro Max), 12(Pro, Max), 14 (Pro, Max), 15 (Pro, Max) then you can set up contact image in the messaging app.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Scroll to Last Apps > Tap Messages.
- Turn toggle Show Contact Photos ON/Green background button means Enabled.
- [Zoomed Screen iPhone will Not See “Show Contact Photos” option under the messages Settings app, So first Turn off Zoom screen normal given in next solution #1]
Now, you can see pictures beside messages on your iPhone. For pictures not saved on contacts, there would be a black profile icon; see the figure below.
Solution #1: Not showing contact picture on iPhone after enabled in Setting app
In this case, if you have enabled Zoom display mode, please revert to the standard display mode. Display Zoom won’t allow the iPhone to show a contact Photo in Messages. If the Display view is set to zoom, it will disable it.
By the way, Display zoom makes iCon big in size compared to normal size. But it restricts some functions of iOS. Therefore, users reporting after Zoom display the Show Contact Photos option missing/ disappeared in Messages Settings. So you guys, disable Zoom Display to get Show Contact Photos Settings back.
Check and verify by
- Go to the Settings.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Display Zoom (Choose Standard).
- Now, Tap Set appears in the top right corner.
Your iPhone will turn on after a black screen for a few seconds. Now, Go back and see the above steps to Enable Show Contact Photos.
Sometimes, a restart is required to change settings.
Solution #2: Make sure a Contact has a Picture in Contacts App
Why are My Contact Pictures Not Showing Up in iPhone Messages iOS? The same contact number saved on different contact names means avoiding contact name duplication and setting the perfect Profile photo for that.
Step 1: Go to the Contacts or Phone app > Find a Contact > You can search by a type name in the search box or contact number.
Step 2: Tap on Name; there, you want to set a profile picture. Next, Tap on Edit from the top right corner.
Step 3: Add photo > Choose Photo/ Take Photo (Select Photos from your Albums or Photos).
Step 4: Tap on Done. > Continue. Crop Before Save it > Continue> Done. It looks like a Whatsapp profile.
The above solutions are perfect in most cases when the Message is not showing contact pictures on the iPhone.
Note: In the latest iOS running on an iPhone, you can enable the hide alert for Messages. Just open the Message app, tap and hold on to a message thread, and swipe left to get the hide alert option to stop the notification alert.
Solution #3: Turn Off Contacts inside iCloud and Turn it again to Fix
Step 1: Launch to Settings App. Tap Apple ID profile. Tap on iCloud.
Step 2: Tun toggle Contacts Off/white.
Step 3: Your Apple iPhone should ask “What would you like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone?” Tap “Keep on My iPhone“.
Step 4: After that, hit the Contacts toggle again to turn it back on and it should prompt your screen you to “Merge” all Contacts information from the iPhone with the iCloud. Choose merge.
That’s it.
- Now open the Apple Messages app and check it out.
I hope This third solution fixed your problem of the Message is not showing contact Picture on iPhone.
Bottom Line:
Many users say that add an extra phone number to their phone app contact. So if you edit contact and go to the ‘add number’ screen.
It doesn’t matter Even the same as the above phone number. Just Save it, and possibly it should carry the contact picture over onto iMessage chat.
Please share in the comment box what solution worked for you!! If none of the above solutions worked, then you can email us on admin at howtoisolve dot com. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks this actually worked.
I tried many other solutions and even from the apple site all failed or lasted seconds.
Logged out of iMessage, apple, rebooted, etc.