iOS 18 – Finally – Brought T9 Dialing to Your iPhone. Here’s How It Works

Apple launched iOS 18.2 on Dec. 11, greater than a month after the tech large launched iOS 18.1 in October. The most recent replace introduced loads of Apple Intelligence options, like Genmoji and Image Playground, to some iPhones. However when Apple launched iOS 18 in September, the tech large introduced T9 dialing to your iPhone.

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With T9 dialing, you may name somebody simply by typing their identify into your iPhone. Meaning with iOS 18, you do not have to seek for an individual’s identify in your contacts to name them or name them from Messages. 

Learn extra: iOS 18 Brings These Features to Your iPhone

This is all the things you have to learn about T9 dialing and the right way to apply it to your iPhone.

What’s T9 dialing?

T9 stands for textual content on 9 keys. Earlier than cellphones had full keyboards, many telephones had 12 keys. These had been for the numbers zero to 9, star and the pound signal or hashtag — I felt previous simply writing that. To textual content somebody, you principally used the 9 numbered keys. 

The keyboard on an older cellphone

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Every numbered key had both three or 4 corresponding letters hooked up to it, with the zero key being the spacebar and the one key clean. Should you go into your Cellphone app and faucet Keypad throughout the underside of your display screen, you may see the corresponding numbers and letters.

At first, if you happen to needed to kind “Hi there” you needed to press 44(H)-33(E)-555(L)-555(L)-666(0). That is loads of typing for one pretty brief phrase. 

T9 texting was launched later, and it is an early type of predictive typing. It helps you to press fewer keys and ship messages quicker. So for “Hi there” you’d kind 4-3-5-5-6. A lot simpler.

The right way to use T9 dialing on iPhone

With iOS 18, now you can use T9 dialing to make calls. This is how.

1. Open your Name app.
2. Faucet Keypad throughout the underside of your display screen.

Dialing 3-2-3 in Phone to bring up the contact Dad

That is not his actual quantity.

Apple/Screenshot by CNET

From right here, begin typing the identify of the individual you need to name utilizing the rules of T9. So if you wish to name your dad, you’d kind 3-2-3 into your keypad, and in your mother, you’d kind 6-6-6 — nothing to be freaked out about there, promise. Their identify ought to seem throughout the highest of the display screen. As you kind, a backspace button will seem beneath the pound signal/hashtag if you happen to make a mistake. Press that as many instances as wanted. Be aware that there isn’t a house button. 

As soon as you discover the precise individual, faucet their identify and their cellphone quantity will routinely be entered. Then hit the inexperienced name button, and also you’re set.

If there’s multiple individual in your Contacts by a given identify, as you kind you may see an choice beneath the highest end result that claims one thing like “3 extra…” Faucet that to open a brand new menu with all of the corresponding contacts. Faucet the decision button subsequent to the precise contact and your name will instantly begin. Be ready to elucidate why you are calling the opposite individual and never simply texting them.

For extra on iOS 18, here is what to learn about iOS 18.2 and iOS 18.1 and our iOS 18 cheat sheet. It’s also possible to try what might come to your iPhone with iOS 18.3.

Watch this: Ideas for Creating in Apple’s Picture Playground and Genmoji

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