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iOS 18 brings a small but key improvement to the Phone app.
Image: Apple
Apple is finally adding T9 dialing support to the iPhone’s Phone app with iOS 18. The feature lets you search for contacts or phone numbers directly from the dialer.
T9, or text on 9 keys, is predictive text technology that enables you to enter a character with a single keypress for each letter.
Quickly go through your phonebook with T9 dialing
T9 dialing was a staple feature of non-touchscreen phones. It has also been part of Android phones for the last few years. The iPhone’s lack of T9 dialing made calling a contact from your phonebook from within the Phone app a frustrating experience.
Apple is finally making amends with iOS 18. To make a call to your “wife,” open the dialer app and tap 9 (for W), 4 (for i), 3 (for f), and 3 (for e). T9 will automatically show contacts that closely match your input. Tapping on the search result will enter the contact’s phone number into the dialer. You can then press the green Call button to initiate the call.
iOS 18’s Phone app is getting a much-needed T9 dialing integration.
Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
If you have used a non-touchscreen Nokia or Motorola phone in the past, you will quickly master T9 dialing.
Apple’s T9 dialing implementation is clunky
The problem with Apple’s implementation is that it only shows the top result. To view the full search result, tap the “x more…” option. This is unlike on Android phones, where multiple search results appear below each other. On some Android devices, a call button will appear beside each search entry for quick calling.
There’s room for Apple to further enhance T9 dialing integration in its Phone app. Still, its addition is a welcome improvement, especially since this was long overdue.
Besides T9 dialing, iOS 18 introduces other improvements to the Phone app, like call recording with transcription support and the ability to easily switch between multiple SIM cards. A new search bar in the Recents tab will also make searching through your call log easier.
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