The basic way to add favorites on iPhone

On iPhone, "favorites" usually means the Favorites list in the Phone app, where you store phone numbers you call most often. To add someone to Favorites, open the Phone app, tap the Contacts tab at the bottom, find the person's name, tap it to open their contact card, then tap the heart icon at the top. The heart turns red, and that contact moves to your Favorites list.

You can also add a contact to Favorites directly from the Favorites tab itself. Tap the Favorites tab (the heart icon at the bottom of the Phone app), then tap the plus sign in the top left corner. Search for the contact you want, then tap it to add it. Both methods do the same thing — the second route is just faster if you are already in the Favorites tab.

If you want to remove someone from Favorites later, open their contact card and tap the red heart icon again. It turns gray, and they disappear from your Favorites list. You can also remove them while in Edit mode by tapping the red minus sign next to their name.

Key Takeaways

  • The Favorites list in the Phone app stores contacts you call frequently, accessed by tapping the heart icon at the bottom of the app.
  • You can add a contact to Favorites by opening their contact card and tapping the heart icon, or by using the plus sign in the Favorites tab.
  • Removing a contact from Favorites is the same action — tap the red heart icon on their contact card to toggle it off.
  • Favorites in the Phone app are separate from bookmarks in Safari or saved items in other apps, which use different methods.

Adding favorites in Safari bookmarks

If you want to save a website as a favorite in Safari, the process is different from the Phone app. While browsing, tap the share icon (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Add Bookmark." Choose a name for the bookmark, pick where to save it, and tap "Save." Safari stores bookmarks in folders you can organize however you want.

To access your bookmarks later, tap the book icon at the bottom of Safari, then tap the Bookmarks tab. Your saved websites appear there. You can also add a bookmark to your home screen by tapping the share icon and selecting "Add to Home Screen," which creates a shortcut you can tap directly from your phone's main screen without opening Safari first.

Saving items in Mail and Messages

In the Mail app, you can flag important emails to mark them for later. Open an email, tap the flag icon (usually in the top right), and it turns red. Flagged emails appear in a separate Flagged mailbox you can access from the sidebar. This is useful for keeping track of messages that need a response or action.

In Messages, you can pin conversations to the top of your list. Swipe left on a conversation, tap the pin icon, and it stays pinned even if you receive newer messages. This is useful for keeping important chats visible without using a formal "favorites" feature. You can pin up to nine conversations at once.

Using Siri Shortcuts for quick access

If you want more control over what you consider a "favorite," you can create a Siri Shortcut. Open the Shortcuts app (it comes built-in on newer iPhones), tap the plus sign to create a new shortcut, and add actions like opening an app, calling a contact, or visiting a website. Give it a name and add an icon, then tap "Done."

Your shortcut appears on your home screen as a tap-able icon. This method works for anything you want quick access to — a specific contact, a website, a note, or even a series of actions that run together. It takes more setup than a simple favorite, but it gives you more flexibility for complex tasks you do repeatedly.

Organizing your Favorites list

Once you have added contacts to Favorites, you can reorder them. Open the Favorites tab in the Phone app, tap "Edit" in the top left, then press and hold the three horizontal lines next to a contact's name and drag it up or down. Tap "Done" when you are finished. The order you set here is the order they appear every time you open the Favorites tab.

You can also remove a contact from Favorites while in Edit mode by tapping the red minus sign next to their name, then tapping "Remove." This is faster than opening their contact card if you are cleaning up your list all at once. Edit mode lets you make multiple changes before saving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a contact to Favorites from a text message or call?

Yes. If someone calls you or texts you, swipe left on their name in the call or message list, tap the three dots, and select "Add to Favorites." You can also tap their name to open their contact card and use the heart icon method.

What is the difference between Favorites and Contacts?

Contacts is your full address book with everyone you have saved. Favorites is a smaller list of people you call or message most often. Everyone in Favorites is also in Contacts, but not everyone in Contacts has to be in Favorites.

Can I add a group to Favorites?

No. The Favorites list in the Phone app only works with individual contacts. If you want to call a group of people quickly, create a Siri Shortcut that calls multiple numbers in sequence, or use a group message instead.

Do my Favorites sync across my devices?

Yes, if you use iCloud and have Contacts syncing turned on. Your Favorites list appears on all your Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account. Check Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud to make sure Contacts is toggled on.