How to Make International Calls from an iPhone

Key takeaways

• The format: +, then the country code, then the number. On the iPhone keypad, touch and hold 0 to type +.
• Save contacts in the + format and they work from any country, at home or while you travel.
• Your carrier sets the price of calls made in the Phone app. Ask what international calling costs on your plan before a long call.
• Calls between apps (FaceTime, WhatsApp and similar) travel over the internet, but both people need the same app.
• A second number such as 2Phon lets you make real calls without showing your personal number.

To make international calls from an iPhone, open the Phone app, tap Keypad, touch and hold 0 until + appears, then type the country code and the phone number. Tap the call button. That's all the iPhone needs. Whether the call goes through, and what it costs, depends on your carrier plan.

You can also reach someone abroad with an internet call in an app you both use. And if the question is which number the other person sees, there's a separate option: calling from a second phone number. 2Phon, an iPhone app that gives you a real second phone number from dozens of countries, makes and receives real calls, and the person you call sees your 2Phon number instead of your personal one.

This guide covers the dialing format, the two iPhone settings worth knowing, and how the calling options compare.

How to dial an international number on iPhone

Every international number has three parts: the plus sign, the country code, and the local number. Apple's iPhone User Guide gives the keypad step in one line: "Enter a '+' for international calls: Touch and hold the '0' key until '+' appears" (Apple Support: Make a call on iPhone, checked November 2026).

1. Open the keypad

   Open the Phone app and tap Keypad.

2. Type the plus sign

   Touch and hold 0 until + appears.

3. Add the country code

   Type the code of the country you're calling, for example 44 for the UK or 91 for India.

4. Type the rest of the number

   Enter the area code and the local number. In many countries you drop the first 0 of the national number. See the note below.

5. Tap the call button

   The call goes out on your carrier line. If your iPhone has two lines, Apple says you can tap the line at the top of the keypad and choose which one to call from.

What about the leading zero?

In many countries, the zero at the start of a national number is only for calls inside that country. A London number written as 020 7946 0000 becomes +44 20 7946 0000 when you call it from abroad. Not every country works this way. Italy, for one, keeps the zero. If a call fails, try the other version, or ask the person for their number "in international format".

Common country codes

This table shows how dialing works. It isn't a list of where any particular app or plan lets you call.

Need a code that isn't listed here? See the full table of international dialing codes.

Should you dial + or an exit code like 011?

Dial +. It works from every country, and exit codes don't. An exit code is the prefix a country uses to start an international call: 011 from the US and Canada, 00 from most of Europe and many other places. The plus sign stands in for whichever one applies where you are.

That matters most for your contacts. A number saved as +44 20 7946 0000 works from home, from the UK itself and from a third country. A number saved with 011 in front only works from the US, Canada and most other +1 countries.

Before a trip, edit the contacts you'll need so each number starts with + and the country code. Include people at home: once you're abroad, they're international numbers too.

What does Dial Assist do?

Dial Assist adds the right prefix for you. Apple describes it this way: "Dial assist automatically determines the correct international or local prefix when dialing" (Apple Support: Change your Phone settings on iPhone, checked November 2026).

You'll find it in Settings → Apps → Phone. Scroll down to Dial Assist. On older versions of iOS, Phone sits in the main Settings list.

Leave it on in most cases. If your iPhone keeps changing a number you typed correctly and the call fails, turn Dial Assist off and dial the full + format by hand.

Ways to make international calls from an iPhone, compared

You have four practical options, and they differ in who carries the call and who sets the price.

Your carrier line

This is the default, and it reaches any phone number. The catch is price. Carriers set their own international prices, and the per-minute price without a plan can be high. Many carriers sell an international add-on or include some countries in certain plans. Check your carrier's app or site before a long call.

Your carrier may also have international calling switched off on your line. If a correctly dialed number won't connect, ask them.

Wi-Fi Calling

Wi-Fi Calling fixes weak signal. It doesn't change who bills the call. It lets your iPhone make and receive calls on your carrier number over Wi-Fi where cellular coverage is poor. To turn it on, Apple's Wi-Fi Calling guide (published October 7, 2026) says to go to Settings → Cellular, choose the line if you have more than one, tap Wi-Fi Calling and turn on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.

Apple tells you to verify that your carrier offers the feature. How an international call over Wi-Fi Calling is billed is your carrier's decision, so ask them.

App-to-app internet calls

If the other person uses the same app, an internet call skips the phone network. FaceTime audio, WhatsApp and similar apps connect over Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Two limits. Both of you need the app, so this won't reach a hotel front desk, a bank or a government office. And Apple notes that FaceTime may not be available in all countries or regions.

A second number

A second-number app gives you another real number to call from. It's useful when the call is with someone you don't know well, such as a landlord, a seller or a company, and you'd like them to see a number that isn't your personal one. Which numbers you can call depends on the app. 2Phon shows its current calling options in the app. More on this below.

Calling home while you're abroad

The dialing format doesn't change when you travel, but the billing does. Dial + and the country code as usual, including for numbers back home. Your carrier decides what calls made abroad cost, so ask before you go.

For the full setup, covering which line handles data, how to keep bank codes arriving and what to switch off, see our guide to choosing a phone number for travel.

Roaming is its own topic: see how to call abroad without roaming charges.

What can go wrong (and how to fix it)

Common causes are the number format and the plan.

• "Call failed" right away. Check the number. Use + and the country code, and try it with and without the first zero of the national number.
• A recording says the call can't be completed. Your plan may not include international calling. Ask your carrier to turn it on or to add an international option.
• The number changes after you type it. Turn off Dial Assist in Settings → Apps → Phone and dial the full number by hand.
• The call goes out on the wrong line. With two lines on one iPhone, tap the line shown at the top of the keypad before you call. Here's how two numbers work on one iPhone.
• The other person doesn't pick up. Calls from an unfamiliar foreign number often get ignored. Tell them in advance, in whatever app you both use, that you're about to call.
• You'd prefer not to show your number. You can hide it, but many people don't answer calls with no caller ID. See how to hide your phone number when calling for the trade-offs.

Where 2Phon fits

2Phon is a way to make real calls from a separate number. It isn't a replacement for your carrier. Here's what it does:

• A real second number. 2Phon gives you a real mobile number, not VoIP, from dozens of countries. The coverage section shows a sample, and the app shows what's available today.
• Real calls in both directions. You make and receive calls on that number, at home or abroad.
• Your personal number stays private. The person you call sees your 2Phon number, and they can call you back on it.
• Calls use minutes in the app. The current calling options are shown in the app, so check there before you count on it for a particular country.

And the limits. 2Phon is iPhone only. Your account has one number. It doesn't send texts: it receives verification codes and handles calls. The number is yours while your subscription is active.

So the fit is specific. If you call family abroad every week, your carrier's international plan or an app you both use is probably the simpler answer. If you need to phone a business or a stranger and keep your own number out of it, a second number does that job. To compare apps, see the best second phone number apps for iPhone.

Get 2Phon on the App Store for a real second number for calls and verification codes, on your iPhone.

The short version

Hold 0 for +, add the country code, then the number. Save your contacts that way and they'll work wherever you are. Before a long call, find out what your carrier charges, or use an app the other person already has. And when you'd like the call to come from a number that isn't your personal one, a second number on your iPhone is the tool for it.