How to Turn Off "Maybe" Contacts on iPhone: 7 Simple Methods

Have you ever received a call or text and seen a name appear as "Maybe: [Name]" in front of an unknown contact? While this can be a little surprising at first, there's no need to worry. It's easy to assume that something's wrong with your contacts, but that's not the case at all—as this article will explain.

What Does Maybe Contacts Mean on iPhone?

Your iPhone displays "Maybe" before a contact's name when it thinks it knows who's trying to reach you, based on information it has gathered—but that person isn't saved in your Contacts yet.

Using on-device intelligence, your iPhone scans data from emails, text messages, and other apps to identify potential matches. Importantly, all of this processing happens on your device, so your personal information stays private and secure.

This is just one of the ways iOS aims to make your experience smarter and more convenient. There's no need to "fix" it unless you find it distracting or unnecessary.

If you want to turn off "Maybe" contacts on your iPhone every time you get a message or call, there are a few things you can do. The solutions shared below can help you manage or get rid of these suggestions based on your preferences.

Ensure the Contact Is Saved Correctly

This can happen if the contact is not properly saved on your device. The first thing to do therefore is to open the Contacts App to make sure you didn't save their number as a contact or you saved them as an empty contact.

Scroll down to the bottom of the contacts list to check if the phone number is listed as the contact's name or if there is no name. If there is a "No Name" contact, tap on it to delete it or add a name for it.

If all your contacts seem fine, try the next solution.

Create a New Contact for the "Maybe" Contact

The next solution to avoid seeing the "Maybe" again is to add the suggested contact to your list of contacts, if you haven't created a contact for the person. You will typically get these suggestions in the Phone app after someone has called you or in the Messages app when you receive a text message.

To add the contact to your contacts list, you can simply tap "Add" net to "Siri found new contact info…" or you can follow these steps to add a new contact via suggestions in the Phone app;

Step 1: Open the Phone App and make sure that you are on the "Recents."

Step 2: Tap on the "I" icon on the right of the phone number.

Step 3: Select "Create New Contact" and you will see that the contact's information will already be added in. Tap "Done" to save the new contact.

Delete the Contact an Add It Again

Sometimes, a contact may still show up as "Maybe" even after you've saved it correctly. This is often caused by the syncing glitch of your Contact app. A simple fix is to delete the contact and add it back again.

To delete the contact on your iPhone:

1. Open the Phone app and go to the Contacts tab at the bottom.
2. Find and tap the Maybe contact.
3. Tap Edit in the top right corner.
4. Scroll down and tap Delete Contact.

After deleting the contact, add them again manually to see if the issue is resolved.

Turn Off "Show Contact Suggestions" from Settings

You can also easily turn off contact suggestions from your iPhone's Siri settings to stop seeing "Maybe" contacts. Just follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap "Apps" > "Contacts", then select "Siri."

Step 3: Then simply turn off "Show Contact Suggestions" and you shouldn't see "Maybe" on iPhone messages, contacts, and numbers in the Phone app anymore.

Sign Out of Your Apple ID and Sign Back In

If your contacts are linked to your iCloud account, then signing out of your Apple ID and then signing back in can be a good way to fix this problem.

To sign out of iCloud, follow these simple steps;

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name at the top.

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap "Sign Out."

Step 3: Enter your Apple ID and password to turn off "Find My iPhone."

Once this is done, wait a few seconds and sign into your iCloud account again by going to Settings > Sign in to Your iPhone."

Check the Contacts Links to Your Social Media Apps

Many communication apps, like Skype or WhatsApp, often ask for permission to access your contacts. While this can be a convenient feature, deleting an app that has access to your contacts may cause various issues with your device's contact list—including "Maybe" contacts.

If none of the previous solutions help, it's worth checking the contacts linked to your social media apps. Go through your contacts saved in both your Contacts app and any connected social media apps. Try updating each contact manually to ensure the information is consistent.

Alternatively, you can try reinstalling the social media app to see if that resolves the "Maybe" contacts issue.

Update Your iPhone's iOS

Although it might not seem like the obvious fix, some users have reported that updating their iOS resolved the "Maybe" contact issue. If the suggestions have been persistent, it's definitely worth a try. Plus, keeping your iPhone up to date is always a good idea for performance and security.

To check for updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update, then tap Download and Install if an update is available.

Conclusion

Seeing "Maybe" before a contact's name isn't a bug or security issue—it's your iPhone doing its best to help you identify unknown callers using the information it already has. But if you'd rather not see these suggestions, the methods outlined above should help you turn them off or manage them more effectively.