However, many dual-SIM iPhone users have lately reported running into an issue where they get a “Last Line No Longer Available” error when attempting to call someone from the Recents log in the Phone app from their default phone number. If you, too, are seeing the “Last Line No Longer Available” error message on your iPhone when trying to call someone using the default phone number, here’s what it means and how to fix it.
What is “Last Line No Longer Available” Error?
For the uninitiated, Apple requires all dual-SIM iPhone users to set a primary line/default line for all their outgoing calls, including FaceTime calls. A primary line is essentially the default phone number you want to use for all outgoing calls and messages on your iPhone. Apple’s idea behind setting a primary line is to eliminate the need to choose a phone number each time you need to call someone so you can quickly make phone calls on your iPhone. However, setting the default phone number on your dual-SIM iPhone can sometimes confuse the dialer app and trigger a pop-up with a message that reads “Last Line No Longer Available,” followed by the prompt “Do you want to call using your remaining line?” Simply put, this error message tells you that your default phone line isn’t currently available for making calls, and therefore, you must use the remaining line (the second line/SIM card) on your iPhone instead. If you tap the Call button in this prompt, your iPhone will call the number using the second line.
How to Fix “Last Line No Longer Available” on iPhone
Since the “Last Line No Longer Available” issue has been around for a while, many iPhone users who’ve experienced the problem in the past have reported various fixes that have fixed the problem for them. Here’s a list of all such fixes you can try to fix the “Last Line No Longer Available” error on your iPhone.
Restart Your iPhone
One of the easiest ways to fix most problems on your iPhone is to restart it. When you power off your iPhone, it clears out the memory and frees up the processor, which, in turn, restores the state of all apps and services on the device. Follow these steps to restart your iPhone:
Force Restart Your iPhone
While powering down your iPhone often fixes many issues, there are times when it isn’t effective. Conversely, you can try force restarting your iPhone instead, which cuts off its power and forces it to restart. Force restarting is most effective in situations when your iPhone is in a state where it’s unresponsive to touches or when you can’t perform a simple reboot. But since several iPhone users have reported that it helped them fix the “Last Line No Longer Available” error on their iPhone, it makes sense to give it a try. Here’s how to force restart your iPhone: Launch the Phone app and try making a call to the contact/number in your Recents again. If the call goes through, you’re good. Else, move to the next solution.
Toggle Airplane Mode
Airplane mode is a setting available on all smartphones, including iPhones, that disables all wireless connections, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, to prevent your device from using them. Many network-related issues are often fixed by simply toggling Airplane mode on and off on the device. To toggle Airplane mode:
Disable Automatic Network Selection
Although toggling Airplane mode on iPhone helps fix a variety of network-related issues, in case it doesn’t help in this case, you can try disabling automatic network selection on your iPhone and see if it helps. Follow these steps to disable automatic network selection on the iPhone:
Disable Wi-Fi Calling
Wi-Fi calling is a service that lets you make and receive calls over your phone’s internet connection as opposed to the cellular network. It works by transmitting cellular data packets over the connected Wi-Fi and comes in handy when you’re in a place with poor cellular reception. However, sometimes, this Wi-Fi calling functionality can conflict with the cellular settings on the iPhone, causing it to throw the “Last Line No Longer Available” error message. If the solutions listed so far don’t fix the “Last Line No Longer Available” error, try disabling Wi-Fi calling should help fix it. Here’s how to disable Wi-Fi calling on the iPhone: Once Wi-Fi calling is disabled, try calling the contact again. If the problem persists, try the next fix.
Update Your iPhone’s Carrier Settings
Carrier settings updates allow service providers to improve cellular network connectivity and performance on your device. When there’s a new carrier update available, you’re prompted to update your iPhone’s carrier settings to the latest version. However, there are times when you won’t get such prompts. In such situations, you can manually update your iPhone’s carrier settings using these steps: After you’ve installed the latest carrier update on your iPhone, try calling the contact/number in your Recents again to see if your call goes through. In most cases, this should fix the “Last Line No Longer Available” error on your iPhone, and you should be able to make calls again.
Clear Your Recents Call Log
Many iPhone users seeing “Last Line No Longer Available” on iPhones have reported that clearing the Phone app’s Recents has fixed the problem for them. Although this solution seems strange initially, it’s actually the most recommended fix for the iPhone’s “Last Line No Longer Available” error. Follow these steps to clear your Recents log:
Reset Network Settings
If none of the fixes mentioned so far work, resetting your iPhone’s network settings should help you resolve your device’s “Last Line No Longer Available” issue. It’s one trick that helps fix most network/cellular-related issues on the iPhone. When you reset network settings on the iPhone, it erases all the stored network settings and configurations, such as Wi-Fi networks, cellular preferences, connected Bluetooth devices, and VPN settings. Follow these steps to reset network settings:
Update Your iPhone to the Latest iOS Version
A lot of the time, simply updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version fixes most issues on the device. “Last Line No Longer Available” is one such issue that can be fixed by installing any pending update if none of the fixes listed so far fixes the issue. To install an iOS update:
Remove and Reinsert the SIM Card
Lastly, if, despite trying out all the fixes, you’re still getting the “Last Line No Longer Available” error on your iPhone, you should try removing and reinserting the SIM card on your device. It’s quite an old trick, but it’s known to resolve many network-related issues, and many users have reported success with it. Turn off your iPhone, and using the SIM ejector tool, remove the SIM card from your iPhone. Please wait a few seconds, insert the SIM back into your iPhone, and restart it.
Fixing “Last Line No Longer Available” Error to Restore iPhone’s Calling Functionality
eSIM facilitates dual-SIM functionality and allows you to have more than one number active on your iPhone at once. Although having two lines doesn’t usually cause problems, there are times when it can, and that’s when you end up seeing the “Last Line No Longer Available” error message when trying to place a call. But it turns out this isn’t a major problem, and the above solutions should help you fix the error on your iPhone and restore the calling functionality. Some common fixes for this problem include
- Make sure that both of your SIM cards are properly inserted into the phone and registered. If one of them is not correctly inserted or if it’s not registered, then the phone will not be able to use that card properly.
- Try turning off cellular data on both devices and see if that resolves the problem. You may also need to turn off Airplane Mode on one device if it’s causing issues with the other device’s signal.
- Disable iMessage on both phones by going into Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and disabling iMessage for each account separately (you won’t be able to send messages while they’re disabled). Then re-enable iMessage after trying out Step 2 again to make sure it was actually disabling all messages from both accounts.
- If disabling cellular data and Airplane Mode doesn’t work, try resetting your phone to its factory settings. This will erase all of your data and settings, so be sure to back up any important files first. After resetting your phone, try the steps in this article again to see if they’ve resolved the issue.
- If none of these solutions work, you may need to take your phone to an Apple store for help.
