The fastest way to add a contact to your favorites

Open the Phone app, tap Contacts at the bottom, find the person you want, and tap the star icon next to their name. That star turns solid red, and the contact moves to your Favorites list at the top of the Phone app. You can also add favorites from the Contacts app itself — tap Edit in the top right, then tap the star next to any contact.

Favorites appear at the very top of your Phone app's Contacts tab, so you can reach the people you call most without scrolling. You can reorder them by dragging the three horizontal lines next to each name while you're in Edit mode.

Key Takeaways

  • The star icon in the Phone app's Contacts tab adds someone to your Favorites list instantly.
  • Favorites appear at the top of your Contacts tab in the Phone app, separate from your full contact list.
  • You can reorder your favorites by tapping Edit and dragging the three-line icon next to each contact.
  • Removing a contact from Favorites is the same action — tap the star again to turn it off.

Where to find the star icon

In the Phone app, go to the Contacts tab at the bottom of your screen. Scroll through your list or use the search bar at the top to find the contact. When you see their name, look to the right side of their entry — you'll see a small star outline. Tap it once, and it fills in solid red.

If you're in the Contacts app instead of the Phone app, the process is the same. Find the person, tap their name to open their full contact card, and you'll see the star icon near the top of the screen next to their name.

Reordering your favorites list

Once you have several favorites, you can arrange them in any order you want. In the Phone app's Contacts tab, tap Edit in the top right corner. You'll see three horizontal lines appear to the right of each favorite's name — these are drag handles.

Press and hold the three lines next to the contact you want to move, then drag them up or down to a new position. When you're done rearranging, tap Done in the top right. Your new order stays in place the next time you open the Phone app.

Removing someone from your favorites

To remove a contact from Favorites, tap the solid red star next to their name. It turns back to an outline, and they drop out of your Favorites list — but they stay in your full Contacts list. You can do this from either the Phone app or the Contacts app.

If you're in Edit mode in the Contacts tab, you can also swipe left on a favorite's name and tap Remove to take them out of Favorites without deleting the contact itself.

Using Favorites in other places on your iPhone

Your Favorites list shows up in more than just the Phone app. When you open Siri and ask to call someone, Siri suggests your favorites first. Your favorites also appear at the top of the Messages app if you tap the compose button, making it faster to text the people you contact most.

In the Contacts app, your favorites appear in a separate section at the very top, labeled "Favorites." This keeps your most important contacts visible without having to scroll through your entire address book.

What happens if you favorite a contact with multiple phone numbers

When you favorite a contact who has more than one phone number — like a work number and a personal number — the star adds the entire contact to your Favorites list, not just one number. When you call or text them from your Favorites, you'll see all their numbers and can choose which one to use.

If you want to call one specific number most of the time, you can set a default number in the contact's card. Open the contact, tap Edit, and look for the phone number fields. The number listed first is the one that appears when you tap the contact's name in Favorites, though you can still see and choose other numbers if you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I favorite a contact from a text message or call?

Yes. When someone texts or calls you, tap their name or number at the top of the conversation. Their contact card opens — tap the star to add them to Favorites. This works whether or not they were already in your Contacts list.

Do my favorites sync across my other Apple devices?

Yes, if you use iCloud to sync your contacts. Your Favorites list appears on your iPad, Mac, and any other device signed into the same Apple ID. If you don't use iCloud, Favorites stay only on the device where you created them.

What's the difference between Favorites and a contact group?

Favorites is a simple list of individual people you call or text often. Contact groups let you organize multiple people by category — like "Work Team" or "Family" — and send messages to everyone in the group at once. You can use both at the same time.

Can I favorite a business or website instead of a person?

You can favorite any contact in your phone, including businesses, restaurants, or services. When you favorite a business contact, it appears in your Favorites list the same way a person's contact does, and you can call or text it just as easily.