In March, Apple launched iOS 18.4, which updated your iPhone with new emoji and other features. However, T9 dialing was introduced to all iPhones by the tech giant when iOS 18 was published in September.

T9 calling allows you to call someone just by entering their name into the Phone app on your iPhone. This means that with iOS 18, you may call someone directly from Messages or without having to look up their name in your contacts.

Read more: iOS 18 Upgrades Your iPhone with These Features

Everything you require to utilize T9 dialing on your iPhone is provided here.

T9 dialing: what is it?

Text on nine keys is referred to as T9.

Many mobile phones have 12 keys before they had complete keyboards. These stood for the hashtag, the pound symbol, the star, and the numerals 0 through 9. It made me feel old to write that. Additionally, you mostly utilized the nine-numbered keys to text someone. The zero key was the spacebar, while the one key was blank. Each numbered key had three or four matching letters connected to it.

You can see the matching letters and digits if you open your Phone app and hit Keypad across the bottom of your screen. Initially, typing “hello” required pressing 44(H)-33(E)-555(L)-555(L)-666(0). For a relatively short word, that much typing is required. An early example of predictive typing was T9 texting. It enables you to send messages more quickly and with fewer keystrokes. Thus, you would enter 4-3-5-5-6 for “hello”. Much simpler.

How to utilize iPhone T9 calling

You may now make calls with T9 dialing with iOS 18. Here’s how.

1. Launch the iPhone’s Call app.
2. At the bottom of the screen, tap Keypad.

Then, using the T9 principles, begin entering the name of the person you wish to call. You would enter 3-2-3 to call your father and 6-6-6 to contact your mother on your keypad, but don’t worry, there’s nothing to worry about. The top of the screen should display their name. If you enter something incorrectly, a backspace button will show up beneath the pound symbol or hashtag. Press it as often as necessary. Take note that there isn’t a space button. Tap the person’s name to automatically input their phone number once you’ve located them. Once you press the green call button, you’re ready to go.

He doesn’t actually have that number. As you type, you’ll get an option that reads something like “3 more…” beneath the top result if there are other people in your Contacts app with the same name. To view a new menu including all of the relevant contacts, tap that. Your call will then start right away if you hit the call button next to the appropriate contact. When you call someone instead of messaging them, be ready to explain why.