US Phone Number Country Code: When to Add +1
On this page
For an international-format US phone number, write +1 followed by the ten-digit number, including its area code. If a form already selects the United States and adds +1 for you, enter the ten national digits instead. Do not add the country code twice.
Both formats describe the same number. The difference is which part the website fills in for you. On ThisSMS, the recipient field takes the full international number; it does not have a separate country selector.
| What the form shows | What to enter for this example |
|---|---|
| One international-number field, as on ThisSMS | +12025550147 |
| A separate selector that already adds United States (+1) | 2025550147, if that form asks for national digits |
These are formatting examples, not numbers to contact. Follow the labels in the form you are using.
Separate +1, the area code, and the local number
Take +1 202 555 0147 as an example:
- +1: the country code at the start of the international number. The plus sign indicates international format.
- 202: the 3-digit area code. It is part of the following 10-digit number and must not be omitted.
- 555 0147: the 7-digit local number, which must be used together with the area code.
A US number has 10 digits after the country code: a 3-digit area code plus a 7-digit local number. This structure is described in the North American Numbering Plan Administrator's numbering guidance. Do not treat both +1 and 202 as an area code and remove them together.
The article and illustration use demonstration numbers. NANPA reserves 555-0100 through 555-0199 for fictional, non-working numbers. Do not use these examples to request verification codes or send real messages. See the official reserved-number guidance.
Match the format to the input field
The country selector already shows United States +1
If the country selector adds +1 separately, the phone-number field usually needs only 2025550147. Do not add another leading 1 in the same field, or you may submit a duplicated country code.
Some forms, however, recognize a full number automatically. Read the placeholder, then check the complete number shown before submission. A US flag icon alone does not prove that the form will supply the missing part.
There is one field for a full international number
Enter +12025550147. The recipient field in the ThisSMS account area uses this format: keep the standard plus sign at the beginning, followed by uninterrupted digits, with no spaces, parentheses, or hyphens.
For example, +1 (202) 555-0147 may be easier to read in a contacts app, but it cannot be pasted unchanged into this site's current sending field. Convert it to +12025550147. That changes the formatting, not the number itself.
Invalid-number warning? Check these four things
- The country code was entered twice. The selector already supplies
+1, but the number field has an extra leading1. - Only the final 7 digits remain. You removed
202as though it were an unnecessary prefix. Keep the area code. - Formatting characters were pasted in. In the ThisSMS sending field, remove spaces, parentheses, and hyphens, keeping the standard
+and digits. - 00 was used instead of the plus sign. If the website asks for international format, enter
+as instructed. Do not copy a telephone dialing access prefix into the field.
After correcting the format, compare the full displayed number with the original, digit by digit, before submitting. Do not remove digits or change the country at random just to clear a warning.
Does +1 always mean a US number?
No. The United States, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean share the North American Numbering Plan and country code 1. Use the number provider's country or region information rather than automatically choosing the United States whenever you see +1. See NANPA's official introduction for its coverage.
Likewise, a correctly formatted number does not prove that it is a mobile number, supports texts, or will be accepted by a particular website. Line type and SMS support are separate questions.
The format is correct, but the text still has not arrived
Passing a format check only means the input meets the format requirements; it does not mean delivery has happened. After sending through ThisSMS, check the original outgoing record. If it is still processing, do not keep pressing Send. To understand the difference between Submitted and Delivered, see the sending-status guide.
If you requested a code on another website and are returning to ThisSMS to receive it, first confirm that the number entered there matches the current inbox. If it does and the code still does not arrive, follow the missing-code troubleshooting steps rather than requesting repeated texts.
To get started, receive texts using the available number list, or follow the browser-based sending guide to use the account area. Other visitors can also see texts received by public numbers. For important accounts, use a private number you keep long term.