Problem with Contacts Phone Numbers

Durango · Apr 4, 2015

When I enter a new phone number into my Contacts listing, the program puts () around the area code but no preceding "1", i.e., (123) 456-7899. Then when I try to send a message to a listed phone number, I get the error message telling me to enter a valid 10-digit mobile number. Furthermore, it looks like my iPhone is putting a "1" in front of the number.........thus 11 digits. The phone numbers listed in my Contacts list have no"1" in front of them.

What am I doing wrong? I've only had the iPhone for a week. Thanks in advance.

xrayeyes · Apr 4, 2015

Is it one particular contact you're having this issue with? Have you tried calling another? How will you be backing up your contacts, thorough iCloud or through a third party such as gmail or yahoo? You could try entering the contacts online and then syncing them over.

All of my contacts have the parentheses around the area code, but not a 1. It's not necessary with mobile dialing.

Another thought is that it could possibly be a carrier issue.

bear7962 · Apr 4, 2015

xrayeyes said:
Is it one particular contact you're having this issue with? Have you tried calling another? How will you be backing up your contacts, thorough iCloud or through a third party such as gmail or yahoo? You could try entering the contacts online and then syncing them over.

All of my contacts have the parentheses around the area code, but not a 1. It's not necessary with mobile dialing.

Another thought is that it could possibly be a carrier issue.

My contacts have the 1 before the area code but when I text, it must eliminate the 1 because I have no problem. Further checking shows something interesting though. Older contacts do not show a 1 before the area code but the most recent number I have added does. And I did not add the 1 but I have sent texts to that person using contacts and they went thru no problem.

bear7962 · Apr 4, 2015

this is my set up in settings and it shows the 1 by my number but I am not having texting issues.

EDIT: email address removed from screenshot

Durango · Apr 4, 2015

xrayeyes said:
Is it one particular contact you're having this issue with? Have you tried calling another? How will you be backing up your contacts, thorough iCloud or through a third party such as gmail or yahoo? You could try entering the contacts online and then syncing them over.

All of my contacts have the parentheses around the area code, but not a 1. It's not necessary with mobile dialing.

Another thought is that it could possibly be a carrier issue.

Thanks for your response. As it turns out, the error was my doing. Without thinking, I was trying to send a message to my son's HOME phone rather than his cell phone. Once I caught the error of my ways, I was able to send a message.
Before I got my iPhone a couple of weeks ago, I had never sent a message in my life, so that part of my iPhone is new to me. And it's all a learning process........

bear7962 · Apr 4, 2015

Glad you got it figured out. We all have a gotcha like that in our iphone use. Thanks for letting us know what happened. You never know when your answer will save someone else some frustration

xrayeyes · Apr 4, 2015

bear7962 said:
My contacts have the 1 before the area code but when I text, it must eliminate the 1 because I have no problem. Further checking shows something interesting though. Older contacts do not show a 1 before the area code but the most recent number I have added does. And I did not add the 1 but I have sent texts to that person using contacts and they went thru no problem.

Did you add the 1 or did it appear on it's own when you added a phone number? Just curious if it is a carrier thing. I haven't added a one to any of my contacts, local or long distance and haven't had any issues.

bear7962 · Apr 4, 2015

I never added the 1. It just appears in
My settings and is also added to my newer contacts but the bulk of my contacts are a year or more older and they do not show the 1. All do show the area code and did before that was required for locale calling but that was because I needed it for texting.