E.164 is the international format for phone numbers. It is what lets a number entered in one country reach a phone in another. If you have ever seen a number written like +44 20 7946 0958, you have seen E.164 in action.
The structure of an E.164 number
An E.164 number starts with a plus sign, then the country code, then the national number, with a maximum of 15 digits total. The leading + tells any phone system that what follows is an international country code, so the same number works no matter where you dial it from.
Why E.164 matters
- It removes ambiguity - one canonical form for every number worldwide.
- It works from any country without needing local exit codes.
- It is what apps and VoIP systems store and dial under the hood.
- It prevents misdials caused by leading zeros or local prefixes.
How Localcall uses it
Localcall normalizes every number you enter to E.164 before dialing, so calls connect correctly regardless of where you or the recipient are. You can paste a number in almost any format and it is converted automatically.