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iPhone Dial Assist Problems

fraser4
Just joined

Since I updated to iOS 11.4.1 my iPhone X attempts to use dial assist for mobile numbers which start 07.  The calls then fail with unknown number.  Any number in my contacts that's stored with +44 works fine.  If I switch dial assist off then the 07 numbers work.

I did the firmware update while in Ireland so I'm wondering if the phone thinks it's in Ireland.  I've checked and the region is set to UK.

Does anyone have any ideas?

144 REPLIES 144

I just joined here to say that I am having exactly the same problem with the phone number formatting. I have a new iPhone XS and have changed from EE to Virgin as of 3 weeks ago. The dial assist problem came up to start with but have sorted that thanks to the community posts above, but the phone number formatting is a regular nuisance plus it also then doesn’t sync to your contacts so any messages or phone calls just show as a phone number. I haven’t been out of the country at all. Is this just a Virgin issue? I didn’t have this problem with EE and my old iphone6.  Can I report it somewhere? 

rasb0
On our wavelength

Todate, Apple claim it's a “Network Settings” issue however, the network service provider (in this case Virgin), claim it’s an issue created by Apple updates. 
Neither seem prepared to assist with a diagnosis, let alone a fix.

derekterry
On our wavelength

We have 2 iPhone SE's in this house, both with Virgin SIMs and both exhibited the phone number formatting problem.  One phone has not seen the problem for a couple of weeks after the the usual suggested fixes.  The second exhibits the problem several times a day.  We are now both at iOS 13.3.3 and still trying to find what is causing the issue.  Today has been problem free up to now because I have closed all Apps as soon as I finish using them in an attempt to determine if an App (s) is the cause.  Almost at the stage where I will reset then re-install.

Emily_G
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Thank you for your post and welcome to our community.

 

Can we please confirm if you've tried what @caroleanndrap has advised above to rectifying this? This includes switching the region on your phone and then switching back to the UK.

 

Let us know how this goes once you attempt this.

 

Thank you, Emily.

Just thought I would add to the post from @Emily_G to say I am still running my iPhone 8 on iOS 12.4.1 as I have read some  pretty negative reviews of the  iOS 13 updates. This may or may not shed some light on why the switches between UK & Belgium worked for me but not others? 

I am certain the problem originated with the Virgin message to update settings though, even if the software running has an impact on the solution. Definitely would never update any settings whilst abroad again. 

 

enlli
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

I'm almost certain this is some sort of problem caused by either how Virgin's SIMs report to the firmware or vice versa.

Surely the fact that the numbers are in the Belgian format and Virgin SIMs are programmed by Belgian Proximus (and show Proximus APN when roaming cannot be coincidental.

When the SIMs first came out early versions of Android showed the roaming symbol as if they were Belgian roaming in the UK!

Virgin and Apple need to work together on this, but what the likelihood of that happening is hard to say.

May be worth putting another network SIM into the phone and seeing if the fault clears the reappears when switching back

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Ashie2112
On our wavelength

Emily

Can confirm that I have been using the advice given ie switch phone settings language to Belgium and then back to the UK which does solve the problem. But as other people up thread have mentioned, sometimes it seems only short term and it can revert again. I've found that if I turn my phone off (as I did in the theatre the other evening), when it's turned back on again the phone number format has reverted to continental again.  Whilst I appreciate that there is a fix for it, it does seem ludicrous to keep having to do it.  My iphone operating system is up to date and I did not have this problem with EE until I switched to Virgin 3 weeks ago.

Emily - I have tried everything recommended after disabling dial assist.  Up until yesterday I was changing the region up to 6 times a day.  I am currently closing every app after using it with the result to date that I only had my phone numbers wrongly formatted once.  Still early days but I am open to any NEW suggestions.

@enlli 

I can see where your coming from about the SIM's being from Belgium.

But, there are so many post over years from a Google search about this problem.  One recent from Americans having theirs keep converting to Netherlands or Norway format - really can't imagine their SIM's are from those countries?.  https://tidbits.com/2019/01/09/is-your-iphone-calling-other-countries/

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BB 200 - Hub 3, Phone Talk w/ends, Mobile Sim only. Customer since 1993.

@derekterry said: "Emily - I have tried everything recommended after disabling dial assist. Up until yesterday I was changing the region up to 6 times a day. I am currently closing every app after using it with the result to date that I only had my phone numbers wrongly formatted once. Still early days but I am open to any NEW suggestions."

 

Just a long shot, but if you have iCloud turned on - have you tried changing/resetting the region from within the iCloud settings?.   https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000658

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BB 200 - Hub 3, Phone Talk w/ends, Mobile Sim only. Customer since 1993.