Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Papawhiskey

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2016
2
0
Sweden
Hi! Recently I've been told by a few relatives that I am called something, for them, weird instead of my real name when texting them. It is communication through iMessage. The thing is that instead of my real name which they have in the contact, I am displayed for them, with a short name or nickname. You know, under the settings > contacts > short names..

The thing is, I am clueless in how Apple/their phones/ios or whatever, gets the information to use that exact short name. I haven't put it in somewhere on my own phone or theirs from what I remember. Where does apple get the information from?

I know that I am called this on eBay but thats all I can remember for now. How come apple displays this shortname/nickname for my relatives? Does anyone know how this works? I know you can turn it off and if I turn it off on my own phone it just disables the function for my messages not "sending away my nickname"?


Under my contact info in my girlfriends phone, it has, on one line "IM_SERVICE_NAME" and the nickname that i'm getting called, which is the problem. What is that?

Please, help me. It's not embarrassing but imagine if the nickname was something vulgar.
 

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,380
3,415
'IM Service' probably means instant-messaging service. They must have synced their contacts with another service and got the nickname from there. It has nothing to do with you.
 

Papawhiskey

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2016
2
0
Sweden
'IM Service' probably means instant-messaging service. They must have synced their contacts with another service and got the nickname from there. It has nothing to do with you.
Yeah that's what I thought also. I just can't figure out which, maybe Facebook messenger or something. But I've never called myself that nickname there or anywhere except maybe eBay. Thats why I am so confused.

Maybe I am fully uncharted by apple/facebook/google LOL
 

Kuntry.Monkey

macrumors newbie
Aug 6, 2017
1
0
'IM Service' probably means instant-messaging service. They must have synced their contacts with another service and got the nickname from there. It has nothing to do with you.
I hate to contradict you but, we as humans, are becoming tooooooo comfortable with the caibilities of the "world of hyperzooming personal info in the air (Clouds). I found the same on a friends phone under a contact he had for me, EXCEPT, my name was exactly who i am and not only that but an entire description of me including my birthday. I did not give this information to my friend. So it makes me wonder who else out there has what about me weather I inadvertently grated access without knowing. Is this in anyway have the ability to access someone's chat. Or worse yet these private matters spread through ones work place causing embarrassment & possible loss of employment, depending on what you said to who that gave access to that one who got your initial conversation about THEM!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.