Presumably, we have all tried to call a friend, family member, or acquaintance and received a voice message instead that says, ‘the number you have dialed is not in service‘.
This isn’t something you would want to hear if you are trying to call an important contact or the person’s phone number you are calling is gone and there is no other way to contact them.
But that aside, anyone will want to know why they are getting this message and what it means for them.
Well, it could mean many things including the fact that the person you’re trying to call has you on their blocklist.
But that’s not all, is it?
There are other lesser-known reasons for this and that’s what we’ll be exploring in this guide.
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Why am I getting ‘the number you have dialed is not in service’ message?
Frankly, this message is meant to notify you that the number you’re trying to call is not in use by anyone at the moment.
This is because it hasn’t been assigned to a user just yet and that’s why it’s not in service.
But what if you’re absolutely certain it’s the correct number and has been in service before?
Perhaps something else is at play here and we’ll try to get to the bottom of it.
We have detailed different situations where this message could come up.
Dialing an Incorrect number
We will start off with the most obvious reason for this and that is dialing the wrong number.
A slight slip of the finger can lead to unknowingly typing in the wrong number.
Perhaps one digit is missing or you tapped on 5 instead of 7.
If this happens, you’ll end up getting this message because you dialed an incorrect number by mistake.
So before anything else, do a quick check to confirm that you’re actually entering the right phone number.
It will save you a lot of time and frustration.
Wrong area code
There are probably billions of phone numbers in use all around the globe.
That’s why every number has a prefix that represents the country or area code or sometimes both.
Now when making calls to people in the same area as you, there is no need to worry about the area code because you’re in the same region or location.
However, it’s different when you’re calling someone who is in an entirely different country or area code.
You must add the unique area code as a prefix whenever you dial the number to avoid this error message.
Simply search online for the area code of where the particular phone number belongs and remember to add it before making calls.
Deactivated/Discontinued number
The next situation is when you know the number you’re trying to dial was indeed in service at some point and even had a user.
In this case, it could be that the person who had it before deactivated it, but you have no idea.
You may have tried to call them many times, but your calls aren’t going through and all you get is this message.
The user might have discontinued the number and stopped using it completely.
If that’s the case, the most you can do is ask around and see whether you can find anyone who remembers the person who had it before.
You might be successful in getting the new number they’re using now.
Call forwarding
In this fast-moving modern world, you’re bound to be making and receiving a lot of calls.
While it’s true that texting and chatting are the most common form of communication nowadays, it still happens that someone needs to talk to you and is unable to call.
You may have a call forwarding number that allows them to reach you whenever you’re not available.
However, the problem here is that some people actually forward their calls to a certain number that’s not even in service especially when they don’t want to be disturbed in any way.
Now if the calls are being forwarded to an invalid number, you will certainly be on the receiving end of this error message.
Failing to pay phone bills
Another obvious reason why you’re getting this error message is that the person you’ve just dialed isn’t paying their phone bill in a timely manner.
As such, the service provider has cut off their number and stopped it from working.
This happens because they’ve been late in paying their bills.
As soon as the phone bill is paid, the service will be reconnected and calls will go through as usual.
Inability to connect
This error may occur if your phone network is congested due to heavy traffic or because of other reasons that are out of your control.
Maybe the signal is too weak for calls to actually be made.
Whatever the case may be, if you’re receiving this message, it means you have to wait for a while and try again until the call is made.
Final Thoughts
We rely on calls for all kinds of reasons and purposes.
From making reservations to ordering food, calling for help, business, and even sending a message to someone you know, the phone is always in our hands.
However, sometimes we may face a problem that prevents us from making a call.
Hopefully, the information in this article will help you better understand the problem and what you can possibly do about it.
FAQs
What is the difference between “Call Forwarding” and “Call Waiting”?
Call forwarding and call waiting are two different features of your phone line.
When call forwarding is enabled, it allows you to forward calls from your phone to another number.
On the other hand, call waiting allows incoming calls to be put through whenever there is an unoccupied line on your phone.
What should I do when I get the message ‘the number you have dialed is not in service’?
If you suspect the network is overcrowded and that’s why you’ve got this error, you can try to call the number again after a while.
