Adding telephone numbers to your contacts with VoiceOver on iPhone

If possible ask the contact to call you

The simplest, and most reliable way to add telephone numbers to your contacts is to ask your contact to telephone your mobile phone.  Whether you accept or decline the call, the caller's number will be available to add to your contacts. Open the Phone app immediately after the call. What you do next will depend on whether you are using the Classic or Unified interface to the Phone app. You can choose between these two interfaces using the filter button which is at top right of the Phone app's screen.

How to add a recent caller's number to contacts if you are using the Classic Phone interface

Locate the favourites tab at bottom left of the screen. Swipe right once to locate the recents tab and double tap to select it. If you answered the call, you will need to ensure that all calls and not just missed calls are being displayed. If you aren't sure, slide a finger near the top centre of the screen to locate one of two adjacent buttons - All and Missed. Slide or swipe to locate the All button and then double tap to select it. Now swipe right until you reach the first number in the list of calls and this should be your caller's number.

Triple tap and a menu will appear. 

Now swipe right until you hear "Create New Contact" and double tap or if you already have other information for this contact you should use "Add to Existing Contact". We'll deal first with creating a new contact and assume you have just double tapped Create New Contact.

Creating a new contact

At this point, VoiceOver's behaviour may vary a little. If you don't hear "first name" or "first name, is editing" slide a finger down the left side of the screen until you locate the First Name field and then double tap. Even if VoiceOver initially landed on First Name and said it was editing be sure to double tap to make certain that editing has really begun. If you are adding the telephone number for a company don't use First Name or Last nae. You will find a Company field after Last Name and you should use this. This field can also be used to add a Company name to an individual who works for that company if you wish. It will make finding them later easier if you forget their name.

Now you can dictate or enter the first name on the keyboard. If you use dictation, you should be able to swipe right to move on to the Last Name field. If you use the keyboard, the Return key should move you on to the Last Name field.  If this doesn't work, slide a finger down the left of the screen to find Last Name. However you got there, double tap to be sure you are editing and then dictate or key in the last name. If the last name is difficult to dictate you can spell it but the name will then be entered in capital letters. This doesn't affect the system. It just looks odd if you can see it. 

If you may want to save several numbers for your new contact it is best to label the number you have just added before you finish. It will have been given a default label like "phone" or "mobile". You should check the label and change it if necessary to a label that clearly describes the number, perhaps something like "home", "mobile"  or "work". This will avoid confusion later and will allow you to use Siri with instructions like "call Ann Smith work".

Here's how to check and change the number's label.

Continue swiping right until you hear something like "remove phone" or "remove mobile". Home or Mobile is the label the number has been given automatically. If that's the label you want, ignore the rest of this section and locate and double tap the Done button. If you want to change the label, swipe right once more and you will hear the current label spoken, followed by button. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. 

Finally, locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen to save your contact.

Adding the caller's number to an existing contact

When you select "Add to Existing Contact" you will be taken to your list of contacts and should locate and double tap the contact to which you wish to add the number. The telephone number will already be added to the contact and if this is the only telephone number you are likely to add for that contact then all you need do is locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen.

But if you already have another telephone number for that contact or expect to add another number later you should ensure that all numbers are labelled correctly, for example home and work. If you do that then Siri will be able to respond to instructions like "Call Ann Smith work".

Here's how to change the label of a telephone number.

If this is the first number you are adding for this contact proceed as follows:

Swipe right until you hear something like "remove phone". The word following remove is the current label for the phone number, in this case the label is "phone". 

If the label is OK, that's fine; ignore the rest of this step but if you want to change the label proceed as follows. Swipe right and you wil hear the current label followed by button. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. 

If this isn't the first number you have added for this contact, make sure you swipe right past any previously added numbers and then change the label on the number you have just added.

Finally, locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen.

How to add a recent caller's number to contacts if you are using the Unified Phone interface

Locate and double tap the Recents tab at bottom left of the screen. If you answered the call you need to ensure that all calls are displayed and not just missed calls. Use the filter button at top right to select Calls with a double tap. Now slide a finger down from the middle left of the screen to find the Recents heading and the number will be immediately below the heading. 

Double tap.

Now swipe right until you hear "Create New Contact" and double tap or if you already have other information for this contact you should use "Add to Existing Contact". We'll deal first with creating a new contact and assume you have just double tapped Create New Contact.

Creating a new contact

At this point, VoiceOver's behaviour may vary a little. If you don't hear "first name" or "first name, is editing" slide a finger down the left side of the screen until you locate the First Name field and then double tap. Even if VoiceOver initially landed on First Name and said it was editing be sure to double tap to make certain that editing has really begun. If you are adding the telephone number for a company don't use First Name or Last nae. You will find a Company field after Last Name and you should use this. This field can also be used to add a Company name to an individual who works for that company if you wish. It will make finding them later easier if you forget their name.

Now you can dictate or enter the first name on the keyboard. If you use dictation, you should be able to swipe right to move on to the Last Name field. If you use the keyboard, the Return key should move you on to the Last Name field.  If this doesn't work, slide a finger down the left of the screen to find Last Name. However you got there, double tap to be sure you are editing and then dictate or key in the last name. If the last name is difficult to dictate you can spell it but the name will then be entered in capital letters. This doesn't affect the system. It just looks odd if you can see it. 

If you may want to save several numbers for your new contact it is best to label the number you have just added before you finish. It will have been given a default label like "phone" or "mobile". You should check the label and change it if necessary to a label that clearly describes the number, perhaps something like "home", "mobile"  or "work". This will avoid confusion later and will allow you to use Siri with instructions like "call Ann Smith work".

Here's how to check and change the number's label.

Continue swiping right until you hear something like "remove phone" or "remove mobile". Home or Mobile is the label the number has been given automatically. If that's the label you want, ignore the rest of this section and locate and double tap the Done button. If you want to change the label, swipe right once more and you will hear the current label spoken, followed by button. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. 

Finally, locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen to save your contact.

Adding the caller's number to an existing contact

When you select "Add to Existing Contact" you will be taken to your list of contacts and should locate and double tap the contact to which you wish to add the number. The telephone number will already be added to the contact and if this is the only telephone number you are likely to add for that contact then all you need do is locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen.

But if you already have another telephone number for that contact or expect to add another number later you should ensure that all numbers are labelled correctly, for example home and work. If you do that then Siri will be able to respond to instructions like "Call Ann Smith work".

Here's how to change the label of a telephone number.

If this is the first number you are adding for this contact proceed as follows:

Swipe right until you hear something like "remove phone". The word following remove is the current label for the phone number, in this case the label is "phone". 

If the label is OK, that's fine; ignore the rest of this step but if you want to change the label proceed as follows. Swipe right and you wil hear the current label followed by button. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. 

If this isn't the first number you have added for this contact, make sure you swipe right past any previously added numbers and then change the label on the number you have just added.

Finally, locate and double tap the Done button near top right of the screen.

If you can't get the contact to call you

You'll need to add all the details in the Contacts app or the Contacts tab of the Phone app and you will need to enter the number manually.

Open Contacts or double tap the Contacts tab in the Phone app.

Double tap the add button near bottom right if you want to create a new contact. If you want to add a number to an existing contact, locate and double tap the contact in your contacts list and then double tap the Edit button near top right of the screen and then you need only enter the phone number and change its label if you wish.

Enter the fields you want one by one and you will need to enter the number manually. You will be given a numeric keypad on which to enter the number.  When you have entered the number locate and double tap the Done button at top right to save your new or edited contact.

Adding a telephone number received in a text message or email to your contacts

Open the email or text message containing the number and turn the rotor to links. 

Swipe down with one finger until you hear the number spoken, followed by "link". Double tap and select Add to Contacts from the menu that appears.  

Swipe right and choose either Create New Contact or Add to Existing Contact and then proceed using the procedure described above.

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last updated 8 December 2025