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I've been looking all over and even called Apple and can't find a solution to this.

My son has changed his phone number. I put his new phone number into my contacts on my Mac and my iPhone and deleted the old number from each device. It still shows up when I text from my Mac.

Is there no way to remove this "memory" from Messages on MacBook Pro?

Thanks.

Unfortunately I suspect the list of previously sent Message addresses are stored in a database in ~/Library/Messages (where ~/ in Unix shorthand for your user folder) and not directly accessible by conventional means. You could try...

1. Quit Message
2. Rename ~/Library/Messages to ~/Library/Messages (deleted) NOTE: press Shift+Command+G (⇧⌘G) and enter ~/Library to access your Library folder and the tilde is important
3. Open Messages (this should recreate the Messages folder and its contents — but you will lose any other history and addresses stored in the original folder).
4. If this works you can delete the "Messages (deleted)" file and go on from there.
5. If it does not work…
   1. delete the newly created ~/Library/Message folder and
   2. Rename ~/Library/Messages (deleted) back to ~/Library/Messages — this will restore all of the stored data.

One other possibility occurs to me the previous recipients may be stored with previous Mail recipients. Open Mail > Window > Previous Recipients and see if the old address shows there and if so delete it.

Hi:

Here's what I tried before I got your email. Your's is confusing me a bit.

Deleting chat

When I did this, messages came up and stated it was upgrading. Unfortunately, nothing happened, it was kind of frozen. So, I replaced the chat items and everything is working again except it didn't fix the problem.

The way you worded your instructions is not computing!

Thanks, though.

I guess I forgot to mention that I already deleted recipients from the mail window. Upon re-reading your directions they make more sense now. After company goes home, I will try it. Thanks again.

joemike's instructions accomplish essentially the same thing as those in your posted link, the notable difference being that they retain your chat history until you're certain that you don't want it rather than deleting it willy-nilly.

Have you've shut down/restarted your MBP somewhere along the line (not that I really think it would be helpful, but hey...).

(15 secs to post)

Hi Artie:

Yes, I've shut down my Mac and I've shut down my iPhone. I even put a phony name on my son's old number and put it in the contacts but that didn't work.

I will try what JoeMike said later today or tomorrow. Hopefully, Messages won't freeze again and say it's upgrading but isn't.

Hi, Rita,

Belated seasons' greetings.

I found this, which supposedly works with Mail (here)...

• Fire up a "New Message" from the File menu (or use command + N)
• Begin typing the address
• When Mail starts to complete the address you want, hit the Return key to tell Mail to go ahead and auto-complete the address
• ...; a blue arrow will show up on the right hand side.
• Click on the arrow, which brings up a drop-down menu.
• The menu contains several options, one of which is "Remove address".
• Click it, and it will remove the address from auto-complete.

Perhaps there's similar functionality in Messages.

(15 seconds to post)

Hi Artie:

Seasons Greetings to you, too!

Believe it or not, messages does have a similar functionality but "remove address" isn't one of the choices. I think Apple has done us a disservice not providing a way to get rid of old addresses/phone numbers in Messages. Lots of people complaining online.

Rita

Hmmm... I wonder, then, if Messages is finding that old phone number in your history, rather than in some database?

If that's the case, joemike's suggestion may be your only answer, but you may want to think twice about what you really want to do before you delete your entire history.

(10 seconds to post)

I know it can get rid of all contact info but what else could go out when deleting the history?

If you delete your history you'll lose all the conversations you've saved over time, BUT your contact info may remain intact.

Following joemike's instructions will allow you to see what will happen before your history is gone for good.

(30 seconds to post)

I just found How to Delete Texts and iMessages on Your Mac which explains, down at the bottom, how to deal with the "Messages is updating..." pop-up you mentioned earlier, and which you may see again if you follow joemike's instructions.

(15 seconds to post)

Thanks. I will check that out. I don't save conversations of any kind. I read the texts and then delete so that wouldn't bother me if they disappeared. If I lose my contacts I have most of them in my iPhone anyway so no big loss. I may try all this tomorrow.

Hi:

I need to clarify something before I try this. After I quit Messages, when I press Shift+Command+G, ~library/Messages shows up already. So, do I just add the word (deleted) and press "go" and then open Messages and see if it worked?

If it doesn't work, I press Shift+Command+G and ~library/Messages (deleted) pops up and I remove (deleted) and press go and it's back to normal?

I don't really have to go into the library, right? I just need to deal with the box that comes up and rename it? I just want to make sure I am understanding you.

Rita

My apologies Rita, my initial reply was obviously not at the appropriate level and I assumed too much. All of the steps take place in FINDER and use FINDER actions and commands.

1. CLARIFICATION:
   • By default in Mojave and Yosemite the user's Library folder (~/Library) is hidden and not directly accessible. ⇧⌘G is a shortcut for the GO > GO TO FOLDER… menu entry on the Finder Menu Bar and will OPEN any folder even those that are hidden
   • The data entry is filled in as that was the last entry in that field and is an instruction to open that file or folder in FINDER. If you change the entry in that field you will open the file/folder with that name if it exists.
   • You must actually open the ~/Library folder in FINDER in order to change the name of the folder
   • If you press ⇧⌘G and the data entry field that appears already contains ~/Library then you simply press the RETURN key and a Finder window will appear with the contents of the ~/Library folder
2. INSTRUCTION REDO The following is as detailed a set of instructions as I can come up with and they should work with any version of OS X/MacOS in the lest seven years.
   1. Quit Messages if it is running
   2. Click on your desktop
   3. press ⇧⌘G
   4. A data entry field should appear
      • If the contents of that field is ~/Library press RETURN
      • If the content of the field is other than ~/Library change it to ~/Library and press RETURN
   5. Select the Messages folder
   6. Press ⌘I to bring up the Info window for that directory
   7. Near the vertical center of that window there is a field labeled Name & Extension and to the left of that field name a Reveal triangle.
      • If the triangle is not pointing down click on it to reveal the folder name
   8. Add the word (Disabled) to the folder name so that it reads Messages (Disabled)
   9. click on the leftmost of the three dots or buttons at the top left of the Info window
   10. Launch Messages and see if the unwanted name still appears.
   11. If it does NOT appear...
       1. The Finder window should still be open and there will now be two folders one named Messages and the other named Messages (Disabled). Drag Messages (Disabled) to the trash and empty the trash
       2. Close the Finder window
       3. Problem solved
   12. If the errant name still appears
       1. The Finder window should still be open and there will now be two folders one named Messages and the other named Messages (Disabled)
       2. Drag the folder named Messages to the Trash and empty the trash
       3. Select the Messages (Disabled) folder
       4. Press ⌘I to bring up the Info window for that directory
       5. Near the vertical center of that window there is a field labeled Name & Extension and to the left of that field name a Reveal triangle.
          • If the triangle is not pointing down click on it to reveal the folder name
       6. Delete the word (Disabled) in the folder name so that it reads Messages
       7. click on the leftmost of the three dots or buttons at the top left of the Info window
       8. Close the open Finder window
       9. Problem still exists

Here we go: I got to the place where I had pressed Command I to get the info on the messages folder. I typed in (Disabled) next to Messages and click out like you said. I went into Message to see if it worked but I got that window that says messages is upgrading. It just sits there and the message icon just bounces on the dock. So, then I deleted the (Disabled) part and clicked out. I got the message "The name Messages is already taken." So now I have two message folders, one says Messages and one Says Messages (Disabled). Neither one works. When I click on either one I get the "Messages is upgrading" window. I need to undo what I did but can't seem to. H e l p!!!

I haven't trashed anything yet because I couldn't even get into Messages, just the upgrading window.

Rita

FWIW I agree with you there should be a better way to edit the recipients list and I plan to submit a feature request for that and a few other this is too hard items I have run into.

1. Quit Message even if you have to Force Quit
   1. Press ⌘⌥␛ (Command+Option+Escape)
   2. Select Message
   3. Click FORCE QUIT
2. Use Get Info (⌘I) and check the date created for each of the two Messages folders. The one with today's creation date is the one Messages created when it did not find the Message folder and can be dragged to the Desktop.
3. Be sure the remaining Message folder is named Message NOT Message (Disabled)
4. Restart the Message app

I am not sure what options are available in MacOS 10.12.6 as I am running MacOS 10.14.3 beta and there have been changes in what can be synched with iCloud but

1. when you get Messages open, press Command+comma (⌘,) to bring up the Messages > Preferences window
2. Select iMessage on the window tool bar
3. Is "Enabled Messages in iCloud checked (✓)?

In either case you might try changing that setting to see what happens.

COMMENT often the quickest (albeit often least satisfactory) solution to an intractable problem like yours is either

1. Booting from the Recovery drive and reinstalling MacOS or
2. downloading the MacOS 10.12.6 Combo updater and reinstalling from that.

If you need step by step instructions for either there are many here who can help.

I don't have that whatever it is on my keyboard that you show between "command and escape". Now I feel like I'm up a creek. If I download the OS again, will it integrate with what I have, or do I have to delete the original OS 10.12.6?

There is no remaining message folder. There are only the ones created today: The message folder and the message (disabled) folder, both with today's date. Unless the original message folder is somewhere else.

The one labeled messages is empty. The one labeled message (disabled) has this in it:

Archive
Attachments
chat.db
chat.db-shm
chat.db-wal
StickerCache

Rita

1. Quit Message even if you have to Force Quit
   1. Press ⌘⌥␛ (Command+Option+Escape)
   2. Select Message
   3. Click FORCE QUIT
2. Use Get Info (⌘I) and check the date created for each of the two Messages folders. The one with today's creation date is the one Messages created when it did not find the Message folder and can be dragged to the Desktop.
3. Be sure the remaining Message folder is named Message NOT Message (Disabled)
4. Restart the Message app

I am not sure what options are available in MacOS 10.12.6 as I am running MacOS 10.14.3 beta and there have been changes in what can be synched with iCloud but

1. when you get Messages open, press Command+comma (⌘,) to bring up the Messages > Preferences window
2. Select iMessage on the window tool bar
3. Is "Enabled Messages in iCloud checked (✓)?

In either case you might try changing that setting to see what happens.

COMMENT often the quickest (albeit often least satisfactory) solution to an intractable problem like yours is either

1. Booting from the Recovery drive and reinstalling MacOS or
2. downloading the MacOS 10.12.6 Combo updater and reinstalling from that.

If you need step by step instructions for either there are many here who can help. [/quote] [/quote] [/quote]

Here's what one person did online that had the "messages is updating" message. I am wondering if I should try that.

Rita

Quit Messages
Kill the IMDPersistenceAgent process via Terminal with killall IMDPersistenceAgent
Searched my user Library > Messages folder for anything with Messages, iMessage, or iChat in the name and deleted it.
Emptied the Trash.
Cleared the preferences cache by running killall cfprefsd in Terminal
Restarted the Mac.
After this, opening Messages brought it to the setup screen. I logged back in with my accounts and am now off to the races. While I don’t like that Messages imploded, at least it was fixable without major surgery.

I rebooted my Mac and all is well now. I still have the problem of both phone numbers showing up, but at least Messages is working now!