Recognizing phone number with and without international prefix

Hi,
I have the same problem... when someone is calling me iPhone recognizes the number as I stored it on my contacts.. but when receiving a SMS I get the number with international country code prefix, so it's not recognized by iPhone.
My workaround was to add several numbers to the contact (with and without prefix), but it is too much work and an endless task.
Is there any other way to make iPhone recognizes the contact by just adding the plain number.
Thx

Hello,

I have the same problem, I have a lot of international contacts, and I want to use my phone when travelling. At the Apple Store I was told to save all my phone numbers twice, with and without international dialling code, which is totally unacceptable. Even my previous cheap Samsung phone could handle international prefixes.

I found this on the Apple site:
"iPhone can automatically add your country prefix to phone numbers in your contact list when you're calling from another country using International Assist. This allows you to make calls using contacts or favorites without editing the phone numbers. To enable or disable International Assist, navigate to Settings > Phone from the iPhone Home screen. International Assist is on by default."

However, my phone doesn't even show this option (I have a Japanese iPhone with Softbank).

Does yours really?

Because that's killing me.

I have to add the same phone number 3 times under the same contact if I want it to be identified when I call it, when it calls me or when I receive an SMS from this number.

Example:

Phone number when I call: 12345678
When I receive the call: 08812345678
When I receive an SMS: 558812345678

Where 12345678 represents a standard number, 088 the area code and 55 the country code.

I'd love to have only the standard number saved and have it recognized no matter what the situation is.

Cheers.

JP

I guess this won't be much consolation for you - or it will point you in the right direction.

My iPhone 3G, here in UK, doesnt have this problem at all. Contacts added all with +xx (xx being country codes) and no leading 0 even for my UK contacts (I travel a lot so I want to be able to call them easily). The + sign is available as follows:

keypad/number pad screen from Contacts+
bottom left position is pad with symbols, press that
then press bottom left where + sign is shown
then screen returns to numbers

away you go.

Incoming, outgoing and SMS's all correctly identified.

What's the problem?

From the keypad on phone, simply press and hold down 0 and the + appears.

But the problem with me is like this:

In Portugal with Vodafone, with saving on contacts with or without +351 or 00351, receiving calls or sms, the number it appears ok....

In Timor Leste (East Timor) with Timor Telecom, if you save with +670 or 00670, when you receive a call or sms, it only shows the phone number...

i tested with other made's and models and the problem is not of the network.. but of the Iphone....

any Tech answer?

Same problem here.... frustrating....

I am in Hong Kong and all my contacts are saved in international format so they have
+"country code" then Number
occasionally an inbound SMS will omit the + so it gets assigned a new message stream, and not recognised as the appropriate contact.

Lets hope an update can fix this issue soon... it seems like a simple thing....

Similar problem here in Switzerland. I stored all my phone numbers in international format with the + prefix. The incoming numbers have the + also. But still they do not match since the incoming numbers have some SPACES in it. Not a single address is mapped, neither local, nor international.

I think this problem is a combination of the iphone's supposedly smart "regional formatting" and your particular cell carrier.

For example, all phone calls and SMS sent to my phone take the form of "plus"xx (xxx)xxx-xxxx. I'm in canada and my carrier is fido, I've set the regional format to Canada. Only some of my Canadian contacts have their full number, a few doesn't even have area codes and they are all recognized and their name shows up correctly. None of my contacts have the "plus" in front the country code but I know that all incoming call on my iphone have it.

The problem comes with foreign numbers is that they can't be properly formatted into my selected system. In those cases, I've found that ommitting the "plus" helps. Then, the iphone simply groups them into one giant string, without spaces and these are recognized. Obviously, only if you cell carrier sends the country code along with the call.

If you have a lot of foreign contacts, try getting rid of the regional formatting. Select a country like Botswana that doesn't have formatting and see if it helps.

Message was edited by: Kevin Liu

Message was edited by: Kevin Liu

Message was edited by: Kevin Liu

I recently bought an iphone in France to use it in La Réunion. And I have an annoying problem with the recognition of the incoming phone number.

My mobile operator is presenting the incoming phone number differently for a call or a sms. For calls it present it with the format XX XX XX XX XX (national standard format) and for SMS with the international format +33 X XX XX XX XX from france, and with the international format +262 XXX XXX XXX from La Réunion.

Where all other phone I had until now match the phone number while correctly handling both forms, the iPhone OS does not.

Is there a workaround ?

My iPhone recognises them as the same number no problem.

For instance :-

01925 489928 shows up the same as +441925 489928 when I receive calls.

Ian

I did the same thing. Too many numbers to fix.

Exactly same problem here... 😟

me too, I'm getting rather sick of wondering "who just sent me this text message?"

I have exactly the same problem here with international phonecalls.

before buying Iphone, I checked with the manuals, that it was possible to set the "+" sign for international phonecalls (International Assist), but it doesn't show on my iPhone (Bought it in Japan, with Softbank). Softbank and Apple told me to change my database to include number with and without the intenational code...

BS... Why would I do that... if it has worked perfectly with NOKIA N73 and 6680 for the last 4 years???? You cna set the "+" sign to be replaced by any number.

I love the iPhone capabilities, but it ***** for international phonecalls. I make and receive many international phonecall everyday because of my job...

I regreet getting the Iphone.. I was in better shape with my Nokia N73 and my iPod Touch.

Apple is LYING to customer, as the International Assit function is written on the manual on both English and Japanese versions, but cannot be accesed.

I feel that APPLE IS CHEATING just to get sutomers... and now I am stuck with a 2 year contract with Softbank for my iPhone!!!

APPLE'S MANUAL IS LYING...
What are Apple and Softbank thinking?