How to Mark Someone as a Favorite on Your iPhone So They're One Tap Away

Remember the little plastic stand by the kitchen phone, the one with the most-called numbers written on an index card? Your daughter's house, the pharmacy, the next-door neighbor. You didn't have to flip through the whole address book — those names were right there, ready.

Your iPhone has the same idea. It's called Favorites, and once you set it up, calling the people who matter most takes one tap. Here's how to put someone on that short list today.

Adding a Favorite

Start by tapping the green **Phone** icon on your home screen — the one that looks like an old-fashioned telephone handset.

Along the bottom of the screen, you'll see a row of small words: Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad, Voicemail. Tap **Favorites** on the far left.

If you've never added anyone, the list will be empty. In the top-left corner, tap the blue **+** sign. Your contacts list will pop up. Scroll until you find the person you want — let's say your son, David — and tap his name.

Now your phone will ask what you'd like to do when you tap his favorite: **Call**, **Message**, **Video**, or **Mail**. For most folks, **Call** is the right choice. Tap it, then pick the phone number you want (if David has more than one, choose his cell). That's it. David is now on your Favorites list.

Using Your Favorites

From now on, when you want to call David, here's the whole process: open the Phone app, make sure Favorites is selected at the bottom, and tap his name. The call starts ringing right away. No scrolling, no searching, no squinting.

You can add up to 50 favorites, but I'd suggest keeping the list short — maybe 5 or 6 people. That way the names you need are always near the top of the screen, in big readable letters. Think of it like the index card by the kitchen phone, not the whole address book.

Rearranging or Removing a Favorite

Say you want David at the very top of the list instead of third down. Open Favorites and tap the word **Edit** in the top-right corner.

You'll see three small gray lines to the right of each name. Press and hold those lines next to David's name, then drag him up to the top. Let go. He stays there.

To remove someone from Favorites (this does not delete them from your contacts — they're still in your phone, just not on the short list), tap **Edit**, then tap the red minus sign to the left of their name, then tap **Delete** when it appears on the right.

When you're done, tap **Done** in the top-right corner.

A Small Tip Worth Knowing

If you set up a favorite as a **Video** call instead of a regular Call, tapping it will start a FaceTime video call — the kind where you see each other's faces. That's a wonderful option for a grandchild who lives far away. You can actually add the same person twice — once for a regular call, once for video — and label them clearly in your mind: "David" and "David Video."

One Thing to Do Today

Open the Phone app, tap Favorites, and add the one person you call most often. Just one. Tomorrow, when you go to call them, you'll feel the difference — and you can add a few more from there.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.