In short: a call from Rakuten Link to an ordinary Japanese mobile or landline number is free. Calls made from the standard phone app normally cost ¥22 per 30 seconds. Call options and certain numbers have different charging rules. Set up Rakuten Link once your line is active. Use Rakuten Link for ordinary domestic calls, including return calls. Some numbers and services are excluded from free calling; see “Calls and charges” below.
This guide covers setup, domestic calls, checking your call history and common problems. It is based on Rakuten Mobile’s official information. Screens and labels differ by phone, OS and app version. Japanese screen labels are shown in brackets, and the English next to them is my own description, not necessarily the wording in the English version of the app. Prices include tax.
What is Rakuten Link, and how is it different from your phone app?
Rakuten Link is Rakuten Mobile’s app for calls and messages. Since July 30, 2026, it is also where you manage your contract: all functions of the old my Rakuten Mobile app moved into Rakuten Link, and the separate my Rakuten Mobile app ended on August 5, 2026. Do not look for the old app. my Rakuten Mobile is now inside Rakuten Link (version 4.0.0 or later), and you can also open it in a web browser.
- my Rakuten Mobile (contract management) works when you sign in with your Rakuten ID, whether or not a Rakuten Mobile SIM is in the phone.
- Calling and messaging need their own setup, with the phone number of your active Rakuten Mobile line. Being signed in to my Rakuten Mobile does not mean calling is set up.
- Your phone’s standard phone app also works with your Rakuten Mobile number. Calls made from the standard phone app normally cost ¥22 per 30 seconds. Call options and certain numbers have different charging rules.
Calling and messaging are for Rakuten SAIKYO Plan and Rakuten SAIKYO U-NEXT lines. For the Data Type plan, Rakuten Turbo, Rakuten WiFi Pocket and Apple Watch Family Sharing, Rakuten Mobile says only the my Rakuten Mobile functions are available. If you applied without a Rakuten ID, you cannot use the app until you upgrade to a Rakuten membership.
Sources: Rakuten Link · my Rakuten Mobile app merged into Rakuten Link (Japanese) · Rakuten Link login errors (Japanese)
Before you set up calling
- A supported phone. Android 10 or later on a Rakuten Mobile compatible product, or an iPhone with iOS 16 or later that is on Rakuten Mobile’s compatible product list. Rakuten Mobile does not guarantee Rakuten Link on iOS beta versions or on iPhone 6 and earlier models. If your phone was bought outside Japan, see how to check an overseas phone.
- An active line. In my Rakuten Mobile, open 申し込み履歴 (application history), tap your application and check that the number you want to use shows 開通済み (activated). If you are still moving your number from another carrier, finish that first: see how to switch and keep your number. If you use an eSIM and it is not active yet, complete eSIM activation first.
- The Rakuten ID and password you used for your contract. Do not create a new Rakuten ID to get past a login problem.
- The phone number of your Rakuten Mobile line.
- The Rakuten network, not Wi-Fi, during setup. Install or update the app from the App Store or Google Play as usual. Then turn Wi-Fi off and check that 4G, 5G or LTE is shown next to the signal bars before you start the calling setup. This applies to the setup steps; you do not need to keep Wi-Fi off all the time.
Sources: Rakuten Link · Official setup guide for Android (Japanese) · Official setup guide for iPhone (Japanese)
Set up Rakuten Link on Android or iPhone
In short: sign in with your contract’s Rakuten ID, confirm your phone number and create a Rakuten Link profile. On Android you also enter a code sent by SMS. On iPhone you do not.
Android
- With Wi-Fi off and 4G/5G/LTE showing, open Rakuten Link and tap 同意してはじめる (agree and start).
- Review the permission requests: location, notifications, microphone, camera, photos and contacts. Allow the microphone, or you cannot make calls. Notifications are optional, but without them you will not be alerted to calls and messages.
- Tap ログイン (log in) and sign in with the user ID or email address and password of the Rakuten ID you used for your contract.
- When asked, allow access again. If you refuse microphone or phone access, you cannot make calls.
- Enter your Rakuten Mobile phone number and tap 確認 (confirm). Then enter the verification code sent to you by SMS and tap 確認. The code arrives in your phone’s standard messaging app, not in Rakuten Link.
- Enter a Rakuten Link name (required), choose who can see your name and profile picture (required) and add a profile picture if you want one. Tap 完了 (done).
iPhone
- With Wi-Fi off and 4G/5G/LTE showing, open Rakuten Link. Confirm the iOS version and device notice, then tap 同意してはじめる (agree and start).
- Review the same permission requests. Allow the microphone, or you cannot make calls. Notifications are optional.
- Tap ログイン (log in). When asked whether to share your Rakuten member login, tap 続ける (continue). If you tap キャンセル (cancel), you cannot use Rakuten Link.
- Sign in with the Rakuten ID and password you used for your contract, and allow access when asked.
- Enter your Rakuten Mobile phone number and tap 確認 (confirm). There is no SMS code on iPhone: Rakuten Mobile verifies you with your contract’s Rakuten ID, password and phone number.
- Enter a Rakuten Link name, choose who can see your name and profile picture, add a picture if you want, and tap 完了 (done).
If you plan to travel abroad, complete this setup in Japan first. Rakuten Mobile says setup may not be possible in some roaming areas.
Sources: Official setup guide for Android (Japanese) · Official setup guide for iPhone (Japanese) · SMS verification code (Japanese)
Make a call and understand the charges
In short: use Rakuten Link for ordinary domestic calls, including return calls. The person you call does not need Rakuten Link. Some numbers and services are excluded from free calling; see the table below.
Open Rakuten Link, go to 通話 (calls) and choose a contact or enter the number. To return a missed call, call back from Rakuten Link. If you call back from your standard phone app’s recent calls list, the call is made from the standard phone app. Calls made from the standard phone app normally cost ¥22 per 30 seconds. Call options and certain numbers have different charging rules.
| Rakuten Link to a Japanese mobile or landline number, on any carrier | Free. The other person does not need Rakuten Link. |
|---|---|
| Calls and messages between two Rakuten Link users | Free |
| Standard phone app, domestic call | Normally ¥22 per 30 seconds. Call options and some numbers have different rates. |
| Numbers starting with 0570 and similar services, and the special number 188 | Not free, even from Rakuten Link. Rakuten Link switches to the standard phone app automatically and the call is charged. |
| Domestic SMS sent without Rakuten Link | ¥3.3 per message of up to 70 full-width characters |
- Block calls to chargeable numbers. In Rakuten Link, tap the gear icon at the top right, then 通話とメッセージ (calls and messages), and turn on 通話料が発生する電話番号への発信を制限する (restrict calls to numbers that charge call fees). This needs Android app version 3.3 or iOS app version 3.6.0 or later. It helps prevent unexpected charges from calls you start in Rakuten Link. It does not stop charges for calls you make in the standard phone app.
- Emergency calls from Rakuten Link switch to the standard phone app automatically. Do not call an emergency number to test your phone.
- International calls and use abroad have their own rules and are not covered here. Check Rakuten Mobile’s Rakuten Link page before you travel.
Sources: Rakuten Link · Numbers that are not free, and blocking chargeable numbers (Japanese)
What is different on iPhone?
In short: on iPhone, where a call or text arrives depends on whether the other person uses Rakuten Link. This is how the iPhone version works, not a fault.
- Calls from Rakuten Link users arrive in Rakuten Link.
- Calls from people who do not use Rakuten Link, such as landlines and phones calling from their standard phone app, ring in the iPhone’s Phone app, not in Rakuten Link. When you call them back, call from Rakuten Link.
- SMS with people who do not use Rakuten Link goes through the iPhone’s Messages app. Messages between Rakuten Link users stay in Rakuten Link. Apple’s iMessage is a separate service and is not covered here.
On both iPhone and Android, sign-in and verification codes sent by companies by SMS arrive in the phone’s standard messaging app, not in Rakuten Link.
Sources: Calls and notifications on iPhone (Japanese) · iPhone calls and SMS from non-Rakuten Link users (Japanese) · Rakuten Link
Check your call history and the referral call requirement
In short: Rakuten Link shows which app each call used. my Rakuten Mobile shows the Rakuten Link call time that Rakuten Mobile uses to check campaign call conditions.
In Rakuten Link
Tap 通話 (calls) in the bottom menu, then すべて表示 (see all) next to the call history. Rakuten Mobile says the handset icon shows which app was used: pink for a call made with Rakuten Link, green for a call made with the standard phone app. A green icon on a call you started in Rakuten Link may mean the call was switched to the standard phone app, for example to a 0570 number. The display may differ by app version.
In my Rakuten Mobile
Open 利用状況 (usage), choose the 通話 (calls) tab and check the call time for Rakuten Link（国内） (Rakuten Link, domestic). Calls between two Rakuten Link users do not appear here; check those in Rakuten Link. If you have more than one Rakuten Mobile line, check that my Rakuten Mobile is showing the number you want to check.
The employee referral call condition
For the Rakuten SAIKYO Plan and Rakuten SAIKYO U-NEXT, the employee referral campaign requires a Rakuten Link call from the line you applied for. It must be a call you make, lasting at least 10 seconds, completed by 23:59 on the last day of the second month after your referral login. Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ says the Rakuten Link condition is met when the Rakuten Link（国内） call time in my Rakuten Mobile is 10 seconds or more.
- Make one ordinary outgoing call that connects and lasts at least 10 seconds, to a regular Japanese number. Receiving a call does not meet the condition.
- Calls that do not count: numbers starting with 0570 and similar services, the special number 188, # numbers and calls made with a prefix number.
- A recorded call is one condition, not the whole offer. Your application, activation, deadline and the line you used must also meet the terms. See the employee referral steps and when points arrive for the full conditions and point amounts.
- No fixed time to appear. Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ does not say how quickly a call shows in the usage screen.
The Data Type plan and Rakuten Turbo do not have this call condition.
Sources: Rakuten Link call history (Japanese) · Checking the Rakuten Link campaign condition (Japanese)
If Rakuten Link is not working
In short: check the basics below first. Reinstalling the app is not the first step.
You cannot log in
- Use the Rakuten ID and password from your contract. If you forgot the ID, try the email address registered to your Rakuten account, or the address that received the 【楽天モバイル】お申し込み完了のお知らせ (application completed) email.
- Check for extra spaces, full-width characters and upper or lower case in what you typed.
- Make sure your default browser is Google Chrome or Safari, and that the phone’s date and time are set automatically.
The Android SMS code does not arrive
- Look in your phone’s standard messaging app, not Rakuten Link.
- Check that your line is activated, turn Wi-Fi off and make sure you have a signal. Codes may not arrive over Wi-Fi.
- Check any spam filter or setting that only accepts messages from certain numbers.
- Rakuten Mobile also asks you to check two settings in my Rakuten Mobile under 契約プラン (contract plan): caller ID blocking (発信者番号非通知) off, and international calls and SMS (国際通話・国際SMS) on. Follow its SMS code guide (Japanese) if the basic checks do not help. These are not general setup steps for everyone.
You were charged for a call
- Check whether the call was made in the standard phone app. In Rakuten Link’s history, a green handset icon means the standard phone app was used.
- Check whether the number is one that is not free, such as 0570 or 188.
- To see where call charges appear, read our guide to checking call charges on your bill.
Calls do not arrive in Rakuten Link on iPhone
- If the caller does not use Rakuten Link, the call rings in the iPhone’s Phone app. This is expected.
- For calls from Rakuten Link users, check that notifications for Link are allowed in the iPhone’s Settings, that silent mode and Focus modes such as Do Not Disturb are off, and that Low Data Mode and Low Power Mode are not limiting the app.
No notifications on Android
Check that notifications are allowed both in Rakuten Link’s own settings and for Link in your phone’s Settings app, and that silent or do-not-disturb modes are off. Setting names differ by phone.
Your calls show as “No Caller ID”
- Turn off Wi-Fi and any VPN, check that 4G or 5G is shown, and call again from Rakuten Link. Calls made over Wi-Fi only, or with a very weak signal, can show as No Caller ID.
- Check that caller ID blocking (発信者番号非通知) is off in my Rakuten Mobile.
- On a dual SIM phone, set Rakuten Mobile for both mobile data and calls. Rakuten Mobile does not guarantee Rakuten Link when another carrier’s line is set for these, and choosing the line for each call can also cause No Caller ID.
If you need to reinstall
In Rakuten Mobile’s No Caller ID guide, reinstalling comes after the network, caller ID and software update checks. Log out of Rakuten Link before you delete the app. Reinstalling is not guaranteed to fix the problem. If nothing works, contact Rakuten Mobile support.
Sources: Login errors · SMS verification code · Numbers that are not free · iPhone calls and notifications · Android notifications · No Caller ID (all in Japanese)
Frequently asked questions
Does the person I call need Rakuten Link?
No. A domestic call from Rakuten Link to an ordinary Japanese mobile or landline number is free whether or not the other person uses Rakuten Link. Numbers such as 0570 and 188 are the exception.
I use an iPhone. Why is no SMS code arriving during setup?
On iPhone, Rakuten Link does not use an SMS code. It verifies you with your contract’s Rakuten ID, password and phone number. Only the Android version asks for an SMS code.
Why do some calls ring in my iPhone’s Phone app?
Calls from people who do not use Rakuten Link, including landlines, arrive in the iPhone’s Phone app. Calls from Rakuten Link users arrive in Rakuten Link. When you call back, use Rakuten Link.
How do I know my 10-second call counts for the referral offer?
In my Rakuten Mobile, open 利用状況 (usage), then the 通話 (calls) tab, and check that the Rakuten Link（国内） call time is 10 seconds or more for the line you applied for. That shows the call condition only. The other campaign conditions and the deadline still apply. Calls between two Rakuten Link users do not appear in this usage screen. Check those calls in Rakuten Link’s call history; their absence here does not by itself mean the requirement was not met.
Why is my call to a friend who uses Rakuten Link missing from my Rakuten Mobile?
Calls between two Rakuten Link users are not shown in my Rakuten Mobile’s usage screen. Check them in Rakuten Link’s call history.
Can I just delete and reinstall Rakuten Link?
Try the other checks first. If you do reinstall, log out of Rakuten Link before deleting it. Reinstalling does not always fix the problem.
Do I need to keep Wi-Fi off all the time?
No. Rakuten Mobile asks you to turn Wi-Fi off during setup. Later, if your calls show as No Caller ID, its first advice is to turn off Wi-Fi and VPN and call on the Rakuten network.
Related guides
- Phone bought outside Japan? See how to check an overseas phone.
- Still moving your number from another carrier? See how to switch and keep your number.
- Questions about billing? See Rakuten Mobile payment methods.
- Not applied yet and need to check your identity document? See Rakuten Mobile requirements for foreign residents.
For problems this guide does not solve, contact Rakuten Mobile support.
Not applied yet? If you plan to use the employee referral offer, log in through the referral link before you apply. See the employee referral steps.
Checked against Rakuten Mobile’s official pages and its official Rakuten Link setup guides on September 26, 2026. I have not tested these steps on a specific phone for this guide. Screens, prices and conditions may change; if anything here differs from Rakuten Mobile’s official information, the official information applies. This guide is written by Takahiko Tanaka and is not an official Rakuten Mobile website.