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How to Remove Recent Contacts From Messages on Mac

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  • #1

Hi,

In my Mac OS Sierra (10.12.4), I can see old names that I have officially deleted from 'Contacts' in Messages. There doesn't seem to be any options of deleting this. Please help

E.g. In the search field when I type in the letter 'J', Jackson appears whom I have long deleted from contacts.

IWT

  • #2

Hi

In Mail, go to the top menu bar, Choose Window and then choose "Previous Recipients".

This will open a window of all your previous recipients. You can edit this, deleting any you no longer want or altering details about a specific recipient that may have changed (new email address for example).

Mail uses this list when you type in an address even if that address is no longer in Contacts.

Hope this helps.

Ian

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  • #3

Sorry but not sure if you're referring to the same thing. I wanted to delete contacts from message app (to send SMS to phones. it is a blue speech icon), not mail (sending emails).

IWT

  • #4

My apologies, Simonvee, and I thought I was being helpful:Oops:

I interpreted Messages as being a message you wanted to send in Mail - BTW what I wrongly thought was your meaning, is a FAQ. It was your post appearing under "Operating Systems" that threw me. My error.

I'll look into your "real" question, but no doubt others will chime in soon with their responses.

Ian

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  • #6

Hi,

In my Mac OS Sierra (10.12.4), I can see old names that I have officially deleted from 'Contacts' in Messages. There doesn't seem to be any options of deleting this. Please help

E.g. In the search field when I type in the letter 'J', Jackson appears whom I have long deleted from contacts.

Are you syncing your contacts via iCloud? I don't have that problem with my contacts and I use the messages app on a daily basis. Since I sync using iCloud, when I remove a contact from the messages app on my Mac it's removed from contacts on my iPhone and iPad and does not show up in the seach field. I just double checked this to make sure before I replied to you.

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  • #7

Are you syncing your contacts via iCloud? I don't have that problem with my contacts and I use the messages app on a daily basis. Since I sync using iCloud, when I remove a contact from the messages app on my Mac it's removed from contacts on my iPhone and iPad and does not show up in the seach field. I just double checked this to make sure before I replied to you.

Try this in Messages. Start a new message, then just type "2" or "3", and so on in the recipients field. You should get a list of every phone number with that digit in it that you've received a call or message from, including those truncated ones from your cell provider like 262-966, 283-69, etc. I have to periodically go through the Messages app on my iPhone and clean them out one-by-one using the tips from the link I posted. Unfortunately, I just tried cleaning up my list in Messages on my iMac and the tip I linked to doesn't work. It has to be done from an iDevice. There's probably a plist somewhere containing them. Hmmmm. I'll see what I can dig up.

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  • #8

I can do that with my iPhone but not my Mac. An interesting point to note is that the same 'recent contacts' that I can delete from iPhone, still appears in my Mac. They hold two separate memories.

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  • #9

I sync my contracts via iCloud

IWT

  • #10

I misunderstood simonvee's question when replying in post#2. I've apologised for that alreadyO:)

Taking up Admin chscag's point about iCloud - are we not confusing "Contacts" with "Previous Recipients"? As we know, in Mail, there is a separate list of Previous Recipients which has no direct bearing to what is in Contacts - and that list can be edited or recipients deleted.

The problem, as I see it, maybe wrongly, is that the Messenger app on the Mac and on iDevices appears to retain a similar list of Previous Recipients which is unconnected with Contacts and doesn't presumably sync with iCloud??

Ian

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  • #11

The problem, as I see it, maybe wrongly, is that the Messenger app on the Mac and on iDevices appears to retain a similar list of Previous Recipients which is unconnected with Contacts and doesn't presumably sync with iCloud??

I tested that with my iMac and iPhones and contacts that were previously removed do not show up when doing a contact search from either my iMac or iPhones. Sorry, but I can not duplicate the problem that member "simonvee" is experiencing. Which is why I asked about his syncing contacts using iCloud. And it appears he is doing it that way.

My contact list is not very large (around 50 or so), which might be the reason it doesn't show previous or removed contacts when doing a search.

Rod

  • #13

Let's see if I've got this right?
You have people who appear in the Messages app that you have deleted.
You say, "old names that I have officially deleted from 'Contacts' in Messages.

As far as I can tell you cannot access Contacts in the Messages app. You have to do that in the Contacts app.
I don't think that's changed even though I'm using a later macOS.

So I started a new message to a person who sadly is no longer with us. His full name comes up after I type a few letters, as in your example.
So I went to the Contacts app and searched for the same name, sure enough a "card" comes up with full contact information.
In the sidebar on the left I right click on the contacts name and select Delete, I think I could have also pressed the Delete key.
I get a small dialogue box asking if I really want to delete this Card. I confirm that.

Now I go back to the Messages app and begin a new message to the same person.
I type in his first name and everyone with the same first name appears but no longer the person who's Card I deleted. BUT initially the first time I tried, his gMail address came up. I quit Contacts and relaunched it then he did not come up again.
My guess is it took a little longer to delete him from my Google contacts list.

IWT

  • #14

As far as I can tell you cannot access Contacts in the Messages app.

That's the crucial point, Rod. I suspect that the OP may have been deleting names and texts thinking that this would remove the poster's name permanently.

If I'm wrong in this @simonvee, please don't be offended.:)

Ian

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  • #15

It's member @doorfloor who is currently having the problem. Please read thru his other post:

Deleted contacts location for Messages app?

Using imac. macOS Sierra Version 10.12.6 This is a 3 part question, however the 3rd question is really the answer/solution I'm looking for. 1. Where are deleted/previous contacts located on an imac for the Messages app. 2. How do you delete them? 3. How do you prevent them from being populated...

www.mac-forums.com

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  • #17

I think you just stated what the problem is from your post above:

Multiple Apple IDs and accounts.

How to Remove Recent Contacts From Messages on Mac

Source: https://www.mac-forums.com/threads/old-contacts-keep-showing-up-on-messages.340994/