diff --git a/setup/channels/imessage.ts b/setup/channels/imessage.ts
index 5730fca8d..c7c2b77df 100644
--- a/setup/channels/imessage.ts
+++ b/setup/channels/imessage.ts
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ async function askOperatorHandle(): Promise<string> {
       "What phone number or email do you iMessage with?",
       "That's where your assistant will send its welcome message.",
       '',
-      k.dim('  • Phone: full E.164, e.g. +15551234567'),
+      k.dim('  • Phone: start with + and your country code, no spaces or dashes'),
+      k.dim('    Example: +14155551234 (country code 1, then 4155551234)'),
       k.dim('  • Email: whatever iMessage recognises (Apple ID, iCloud alias, …)'),
     ].join('\n'),
     'Your iMessage handle',