Although iOS tries to turn phone numbers in many apps into clickable links, this doesn’t work everywhere, and can be especially troublesome for “vanity” phone numbers such as 1-800-MY-APPLE. In these cases, however, you can take advantage of a hidden feature in iOS and simply paste your number right into the Phone app from the iOS clipboard.
Simply copy the number to the clipboard as you normally would, and then open the Phone app to the “Keypad” section and tap and hold on the blue phone number display section above the keypad and the standard “Paste” option should appear. As an added bonus, when pasting in a vanity phone number, it will be converted to its numeric form with the original alphanumeric version displayed in a smaller font below. Note that this also works in the other direction—a phone number already displayed in the Phone app can be copied TO the clipboard using the same standard tap-and-hold gesture.
2 comments
thanks for the advice, but for me, the trickier issue is when copying a number that does not include the area code, and then trying to paste it after typing the area code. (cell phone requires area code to be used)
an example is when you copy a phone number from a website – say you’re checking store hours, needing directions, or ordering take out from a local business that did not include the area code when listing their number.
as far as i know, ios does not allow you to first type in the area code and then paste the seven-digit phone number. and it does not allow you to paste the seven-digit number, and then touch an area of the phone number, thus reactivating the cursor in order to type in the area code.
someone please correct me if i’m wrong. but this has always been a nagging detail i wish apple would address since the product is supposed to be a phone, after all.
thanks for the advice, but for me, the trickier issue is when copying a number that does not include the area code, and then trying to paste it after typing the area code. (cell phone requires area code to be used)
an example is when you copy a phone number from a website – say you’re checking store hours, needing directions, or ordering take out from a local business that did not include the area code when listing their number.
as far as i know, ios does not allow you to first type in the area code and then paste the seven-digit phone number. and it does not allow you to paste the seven-digit number, and then touch an area of the phone number, thus reactivating the cursor in order to type in the area code.
someone please correct me if i’m wrong. but this has always been a nagging detail i wish apple would address since the product is supposed to be a phone, after all.