No Contacts in Messenger App on Fenix 7

Hi there, 

when trying to send a message from the Fenix 7's Messenger App (19.41, connected to iPhone running iOS 18.2 with the Messenger App being on 2.2.1) I do get the following error on the watch when selecting New Message:

Add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app.

I do have contacts in the Garmin Messenger app and I can send messages to the using a connected inReach Mini 2. Fuethermore I do see the existing conversations on the watch but only the phone numbers of the conversation, so it appears that the watch indeed is missing the contact context. 

Am I missing a crucial step? Do I need to store contacts anywhere else in the app to make them visible?