How to Dial an Extension on iPhone & Save It to Contacts

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Do you regularly call extensions for your work or personal phone calls? If so, you're probably sick of dialing through phone trees to get to the person you want to reach. We'll show you how to dial an extension on iPhone to skip the whole phone-tree nonsense, and how to add an extension to a phone number in Contacts for later use.

Why You'll Love This Tip:

  • Skip listening to a long, automated menu or waiting to talk to an operator.
  • Automatically call the extension you need when you call your contact.

How to Dial an Extension on an iPhone

System Requirements

This tip works of iPhones running iOS 15 and newer. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

We'll start by showing you how to dial an extension on your iPhone. Then, in the next section, we'll cover how to add an extension to a phone number in iPhone contacts. Here's how to dial an extension on iPhone:

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  1. Open the Phone app, and tap the Keypad tab if it is not already selected.

    iphone phone app with a red box around the keypad tab
  2. Dial the main number you’re calling, and then tap and hold the * key (asterisk) until a comma appears. The comma acts as a pause and lets your phone know it’s dialing an extension.

    iphone phone app with a red box around asterisk key
  3. Now enter the extension number after the comma.

    iphone phone app with a red box around the phone number that has been dialed with an extension added to the end
  4. Tap the green phone button and you’ll dial straight to the person you’re trying to reach.

    iphone phone app with a red box around the call button

That's all there is to it! Now, you know how to dial an extension on your iPhone. If you'd like to learn how to add an extension to a phone number already saved to your Contacts, keep reading!

Related: How To Redial a Phone Number on Your iPhone

How to Add an Extension to a Phone Number in Your Contacts

If you plan to regularly call a phone number extension, you can save it in your Contacts. That way, the next time you go to dial the extension, it will already be saved as it needs to be dialed. To learn more iPhone tips and device hacks, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Now, here’s how to add a phone extension in your iPhone Contacts:

  1. Open the Contacts app.

    iphone home screen with a red box around the contacts app
  2. Tap on the contact that you want to add an extension for. If you do not already have the number saved, simply create a new contact by tapping the plus icon.

    iphone contacts app with a red box around a specific contact, local eatery
  3. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner.

    iphone contact card with a red box around the edit button
  4. Tap the number you’re adding the extension to, or tap the + icon next to add phone to add a new phone number for the contact.

    iphone edit contact screen with a red box around the phone number entry field
  5. Tap the symbols button on your keyboard.

    iphone edit contact phone number screen displaying a keypad and a red box around the extra symbols button
  6. With the cursor at the end of the phone number, tap pause to insert a comma.

    iphone edit contact phone number screen displaying a keypad and a red box around the pause button
  7. Now enter the extension.

    iphone edit contact phone number screen displaying a keypad and a red box around the new phone number with an extension added on to the end
  8. Tap Done to save.

    iphone edit contact screen with a red box around the done button

Now you can dial an extension before you even get to the operator, and you can also add an extension to a phone number in your iPhone Contacts as well. 

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Author Details

Conner Carey's picture

Author Details

Conner Carey

Conner Carey's writing can be found at conpoet.com. She is currently writing a book, creating lots of content, and writing poetry via @conpoet on Instagram. She lives in an RV full-time with her mom, Jan and dog, Jodi as they slow-travel around the country.