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Text message fails on iPhone: “Error invalid number” notification

Text message fails on iPhone: Error invalid number notification

AT&T will say it’s Apple fault. Apple will say it’s AT&T’s fault. Either way, there’s a solution to get rid of that nagging problem that won’t let you send texts on your iPhone.

I received a text from a friend of mine today, but when I went to reply I was soon greeted with an automated response from AT&T saying I was trying to contact a non-existent phone number:

From: 1 (121) 611-611
Error invalid number. Please re-send using a valid 10 digit mobile number or valid short code.

I believe this problem stemmed from me adding a person to my iPhone’s contacts without the area code. Even when I went back into my contacts to edit the phone number with the area code, I was unsuccessful at shaking the error. Making a completely new contact and clearing the conversation’s contents didn’t resolve the problem either. The real solution, as it turns out, is to totally delete the conversation from the Text Messages screen.

To delete the entire conversation, tap the Edit button on the main Text Messages screen. Press the minus symbol next to the problematic conversation and confirm that you want to delete it. That should be all you need to do, aside from adding the area code to your contact’s phone number.

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88 Comments Have Been Posted (Leave Your Response)

Thank you, Dan I. This worked!

Fix worked when I finally found a group msg with the problem number in it. Once that was deleted I was good to go.

Every time Apple does an upgrade, something else gets screwed up.
I dread every new announcement.

Oh my freaking goodness I finally fixed it! The group messaging was my issue once i deleted that last little thing it worked

Thank you!! I have been struggling with this for months and this helped so much!

it worked…thank you!

I’ve had this problem for the longest! So I had to delete all conversations and the contact, then turn my iphone off and on, then send a text to myself. After that I typed the problem number in manually and it finally worked! woohoo

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[…] Text message fails on iPhone: “Error invalid number … – Fix an iPhone that won’t let you send a text message. “Error invalid number. Please re-send using a valid 10 digit mobile number or valid short code.”… […]

here are the steps:
1. Delete the name and number from your contact list, recent call list, Fav list, and any and all message threads.
2. Start a new text by typing in the first letter or so of the person’s name (or the digits of the number) and they should still pop up in a drop down box
3. Instead of selecting it for the text recipient, select the little “i” beside it and a new menu will pop up (that is the RECENT menu)
4. Select REMOVE from the top right corner
5. Do this for every instance with the name and number in it
6. Try a new text–nothing should pop up when you enter the number if everything is removed. 
7. Power Cycle the phone
8. Go to messages and make a new text with the number. It should now work, then re save the number as a new contact

Thanks for your solution–it worked perfectly!

Thank you! That worked like a charm!

I’ve tried everything in this blog string and nothing worked. Still can’t get texts through without error. Pain in arse.

I fixed mine by deleting the contact and all of my text messages

Found a super super easy way.

Instead of entering the number as:

(555) 555 – 5555
or
1 (555) 555 – 5555

Enter the number as “+1 555-5555”

For Some reason putting plus sign before the whole number made the difference. No erasing my contacts, just adding a plus. It could be because my phone is a world phone Discover V5 Landrover Edition that this works. Hope this helps someone else.

I tried everything that was mentioned above, but none of these suggestions worked for me. I discovered that my husband’s iPhone number was entered as a home phone number. I edited his info, kept hitting “add number” until iPhone appeared, and entered it under iPhone and it worked!!! No more annoying “Error invalid number…” and he actually received my text!

None of these things is working. I found the recipient has the same 7-digit number as another contact, but with a different area code. I wonder if that’s a reason.

For some reason I had this same issue, but nothing worked. It wasn’t until I just tried entering the phone number in several times did I realize it didn’t like the 1 in front of the number. So entering it as 1(555)555-5555 gave the error message, entering it just as 555-5555 gave the error message, but when I entered it as (555)555-5555 the text finally went thru. I also had their number set as “Mobile”, but I don’t think this had any effect on fixing the issue. Removing the 1 however was the fix for this in my particular case.

Just started to happen to me this morning with 2 people that I has no problems with yesterday. I’m using a Galaxy 5.

It’s only happening when I message someone with an iPhone from my Galaxy. None of the fixes that I’ve read are working.

Delete that persons messages and their phone number then save their number with out and without the +1. It works for me. *I called my phone company they said they are working on the problem) it’s annoying cause my bf have the same phone I do and his is fine

I began receiving this problem today as well. AT&T HTC One. Anyone have any suggestions? Is this an AT&T problem? My kids have AT&T iPhones and they are NOT experiencing this, only me… the Android user.

Same thing happened to me today. I have an LG phone that was texting to one person fine last night. This morning received text, replied and received the error message. Second person texted me this morning, replied and the error message again. Checked both texts from others and the problem seems to be that the phone is adding an additional 1 when the incoming message arrives so when I reply, it is too many numbers. I have tried the solutions above…seems to have fixed it with the deleting of the contacts & re-saving them…PITA!!!

I have an iPhone 5c. I have never had any problems with it until this morning and it started doing this exact same thing I deleted the conversation it stopped for a few hours and now it’s doing it and it will not let me send a message to my mom. I’ve deleted her contact every entered it. I’ve tried everything. About to go crazy

I deleted all of my text messages and the contact from my list of contacts. Then sent a new text to that same problematic number and it finally worked. Good to know I wasn’t the only one with the problem. Thanks for all the solution ideas and advice.

Recently switched from Verizon to Straight Talk. My daughter’s phone (iphone 5c) is doing this same thing with a few numbers. We have tried all of these remedies and aren’t getting any results. Suggestions would be great.

Hello,

I have the invalid code that I get when I send a text. I have read and followed the tips that were given. By doing all that I still get the invalid code. This is very frustrating. Help needed.

Thanks, Mary

I am getting the invalid code when I try to send a text to only one person. I have read through all this and spent 1 1/12 hrs on the phone with AT&T wiped my phone I can text after my phone is wiped then when I recover it bounces it back. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!they tell me my only option is to wipe my phone and start over! ridiculous!

I am having the same Invalid 10 digit number and I am on SPRINT carrier so its not just an ATT Problem!

I’m having the same issue with Straight Talk. I called them and they said its an issue with my phone. Does anyone know what is the correct 10 digit code format?

I’m having the exact same problem with just one person. Everyone else in my contacts is fine and can receive my texts. I have done everything to correct this! Soooo frustrating!

I am having this problem as well…. I have tried everything including wiping the phone and reinstalling everything. What I find absolutely interesting and completely disappointing is the fact that this seems to be a very common problem… This thread goes back 8 years and there is still no fix! REALLY??? Come on……. For the amount of money they charge for these devices and what they charge for services this is completely unacceptable……. So here is one little tidbit ill add in my findings as im continually trying to resolve this issue… After deleting all contact info and recent messages associated with this number I also found if you do a spotlight search the error messages come up with the questionable number in it. I believe this to be the source of the number disallowing text messages to go through even adding the area code… I am so disappointed that they have not come up with a simple fix for this… What an absolute PITA……..

I kept getting the 2127 message when trying to send message to certain contacts. Once I deleting almost all my messages the issues I was having stopped.

I was having this problem while trying to text my nephew who is in Japan. He has an international number and I thought maybe that was the problem. Deleted all his contact info from my phone and tried again, nothing. Then tried entering his number in the +81[555]555-5555 format (Japan’s country code is 81) and it worked!!! Every time I tried to enter it without the plus in front of the 81 it tried to add USA’s country code to the number, so I think that was potentially my problem. So if anyone is having any issues like this with any international friends or family try putting the plus in front of their country code after you delete all the previous phone numbers for that person. :)

Omg Apple tech had like 6 or 7 things I needed to do and still did not work. This took 5 seconds and problem gone, Thanks!

every time i try to search with google, it gives me the error message i have deleted all of my threads and still didn’t help. PLZ HELP!

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