Question WhatsApp is reverting changes to my Contacts

[justicenewman]

Hi, I am using a Samsung Z Fold 5.

When I add new contacts, I add them on the contacts app on my phone, which is stored on my Microsoft Outlook account, and syncs both ways between my Outlook and my Contacts app on my phone.

When I add new contacts, there are no issues initially. They store on my phone, and they are showing in whatsapp.

After I add new contacts, I go back the next day to add notes to the contacts and tidy up the name. This is where i am having the issue.

After I change the contact name in the contacts app, for example, I changed a contact name from 'Tj Iceage' to 'TJ Iceage - City Lounge'.
After i changed the name, I went into WhatsApp to message this contact, and when I opened his contact in WhatsApp, the contact name reverted back to 'Tj Iceage'.

I then went to my contacts app on my phone to check, and it had also reverted there to 'Tj Iceage'.

Annoyingly, it had also reverted on Outlook on my desktop.

Please can anyone help with what could be causing this and how I can fix it.

Thank you

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central forums. Unfortunately, I have not experienced this issue but a quick Google offered this explanation and solution. Let us know if these instructions work for you.

Gemini
This problem is most likely caused by a sync conflict between your contacts app, WhatsApp, and potentially other services like Google or iCloud. An older, incorrect contact entry from one service is repeatedly overwriting the correct one across all your synced devices.
The key to fixing this is to break the sync chain, update the contact, and then re-establish the connection.
How to fix the recurring contact name issue
Step 1: Break the sync to stop the overwriting
First, you must temporarily stop the sync to prevent the incorrect name from reverting again.
For Android users:

1. Go to your phone's Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts.
2. Find and tap on your WhatsApp account.
3. Select "Remove account.". This is safe and will not delete your messages, but it will sever the connection between your contacts list and WhatsApp.
4. Also, do the same for the Google account that holds your contacts if necessary.
5. On some versions of Android, you may also need to go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions > Contacts and toggle off the permission.

Step 2: Delete and recreate the contact

1. After disabling the sync, go to your phone's contact app and delete the contact entirely.
2. Re-create the contact from scratch using the correct name: 'TJ Iceage - City Lounge'.
3. Confirm that the name is correct in your phone's contacts.

Step 3: Re-sync and refresh

1. Re-enable sync: Go back to your phone's account settings (Android) or privacy settings (iPhone) and turn the contact sync back on for WhatsApp and any other accounts you disabled.
2. Refresh WhatsApp: Open WhatsApp. Start a new chat by tapping the plus icon, then tap the three vertical dots (Android) or simply wait (iPhone), and select "Refresh".
3. Your contacts should now re-sync with the corrected name.

Step 4: Check Outlook

1. Wait for your desktop Outlook to sync, which it should do automatically.
2. If the contact name is still wrong, delete the contact from Outlook and wait for it to re-sync with your newly corrected contact list from your phone.

What if the issue persists?

• Look for duplicate contacts: The sync conflict might be caused by an old, duplicated entry that keeps reappearing. Use a tool like Google Contacts on the web to check for and merge duplicate entries.
• Clear WhatsApp cache: A corrupted cache can sometimes cause sync errors. In your phone's settings, go to Apps > WhatsApp > Storage and clear the cache.
• Check other connected services: Do you use any other apps or services that sync contacts? A third-party contact app or an old social media app could be the source of the old data. Review the accounts listed in your phone's settings.