Error: Invalid phone param when using users.create() despite valid input

Hi everyone, I’m currently working on a backend with Appwrite and I’ve run into a persistent issue while trying to create a user using the users.create() method.

I keep getting the following error:
Invalid 'phone' param: Phone number must start with a '+' and can have a maximum of fifteen digits.

Here’s what I’ve confirmed:

The phone number is in the correct format (+254111579473)

I’ve trimmed and validated the number in code

I also printed the character codes to verify there are no hidden characters

I’m using the Node.js SDK and Appwrite v1.6.2 (self-hosted)

My code looks like this:

const newUser = await users.create(sdk.ID.unique(), {
email,
password,
phone: '+254111579473',
name: username,
});

Despite everything being valid, I keep getting the same error. Can anyone confirm if phone is supported in the users.create() method in this version? Or is there a workaround or update I should be aware of?

Any help would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance.