The basics: opening the Phone app and dialing

To make a call on iPhone, open the Phone app — the green icon with a white phone symbol on your home screen. Tap the Keypad tab at the bottom of the screen, then tap the numbers you want to call. You'll see each digit appear in the field at the top. Once you've entered the full number, tap the green Call button to connect.

If you're calling someone in your contacts, you can skip the keypad. Instead, tap the Contacts tab, search for the person's name, and tap their number. The call will start immediately.

You can also start a call from other places on your iPhone without opening the Phone app first — from your Messages app, your Calendar, or even from a web page that displays a phone number. Tap any phone number you see, and your iPhone will ask you to confirm before dialing.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Phone app, tap Keypad, enter the number, and tap the green Call button to dial manually.
  • You can call someone from your Contacts by searching their name and tapping their number.
  • Phone numbers in Messages, Calendar, Safari, and other apps can be tapped to start a call directly.
  • Your iPhone will show the duration of the call while it's active, and you can end it by tapping the red End Call button.

Calling someone from your Contacts

If the person you want to call is already saved in your Contacts, this is usually the fastest route. Open the Phone app and tap Contacts at the bottom. You'll see your full contact list. Scroll or search by typing the person's name in the search field at the top.

Once you find the contact, tap their name to open their card. You'll see all their saved numbers — home, work, mobile, or others. Tap the number you want to call, and the call will start. If they have only one number saved, tapping their name will dial that number directly.

Using Siri to make a call hands-free

If your hands are full or you're driving, you can use Siri to make a call without touching your screen. Press and hold the side button (or home button on older iPhones) until Siri appears, then say something like "Call Mom" or "Call John at work." Siri will confirm the number and dial it for you.

You can also activate Siri by saying "Hey Siri" if you've turned on that feature in Settings. This works even when your iPhone is locked, as long as you're not in a call already.

Calling from recent calls and favorites

The Phone app keeps a record of everyone you've called recently. Tap the Recents tab at the bottom of the Phone app to see a list of incoming and outgoing calls, sorted by date. Tap any name or number to call them again.

If you call someone often, you can add them to your Favorites. Open their contact card, scroll down, and tap Add to Favorites. Then tap the Favorites tab in the Phone app to see your most-called contacts in one place. Tap any favorite to dial them instantly.

What to do during a call

Once a call is connected, you'll see the caller's name or number at the top of your screen, along with the call duration. Several buttons appear below: Mute silences your microphone, Keypad lets you enter numbers (useful for automated systems), Speaker turns on speakerphone, and Add Call lets you start a second call while keeping the first one on hold.

To end the call, tap the red End Call button. Your iPhone will return to the home screen or to whatever you were doing before the call started. The call will appear in your Recents list so you can see when it happened and how long it lasted.

Calling internationally

To call someone outside your country, you need to dial the country code before their number. Country codes are one to three digits that represent each country — for example, the United Kingdom is +44, Canada is +1, and Australia is +61. Open the Keypad, tap and hold the 0 key until a + symbol appears, then enter the country code followed by the person's number (without the leading 0 if their number normally starts with one).

International calls may incur charges depending on your phone plan. Check with your carrier before making international calls, or use Wi-Fi calling if your plan includes it. To turn on Wi-Fi calling, go to Settings, tap Phone, and toggle on Wi-Fi Calling. This lets you make calls over Wi-Fi instead of your cellular network, which can reduce costs or work when you have no cell signal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call someone if I don't have their number saved?

Yes. Open the Phone app, tap Keypad, enter their number manually, and tap Call. You don't need to save them first. If you want to save them after the call, open Recents, tap the info icon next to their number, and tap Create New Contact or Add to Existing Contact.

What's the difference between tapping a contact and tapping a recent call?

Tapping a contact from your Contacts list calls the number you choose from their card. Tapping a recent call dials the exact number that called you or that you called last time — useful if someone has multiple numbers and you want to reach them at the same one again.

Can I make a call if I'm already on another call?

Yes. Tap Add Call to start a second call while the first one is on hold. You can switch between the two calls by tapping the name at the top, or merge them into a conference call by tapping Merge Calls. Your carrier may charge for conference calling depending on your plan.

Why won't my iPhone let me call someone?

Check that you have cellular service or Wi-Fi calling turned on. If you're in airplane mode, all calls are blocked — turn it off in Control Center. If you're on Do Not Disturb, calls may be silenced but will still go through. If the number won't dial at all, make sure you've entered it correctly and that you're not trying to call an emergency number (911, 999, etc.) as a test.