iPhone: The Missing Manual, 6th Edition

Chapter 3. Phone Calls & FaceTime

Suppose you’re in luck. Suppose the “number of bars” logo in the upper-left corner of the iPhone’s screen tells you that you’ve got cellular reception. You’re ready to start a conversation.

The iPhone has come a long, long way in its capabilities as a phone. Despite its name, the original models were good at just about everything except making phone calls.

But with each successive model, Apple has improved the antennas, the circuitry, the speakers, the microphone, and the software. And new features like Siri, auto-reply, and Do Not Disturb have turned the cell phone from an also-ran into one of the most useful gadgets ever to come with a two-year contract.

Dialing from the Phone App

To make a phone call, open the Phone app like this:

1. Go Home, if you’re not already there. Press the Home button.

2. Tap the Phone icon. It’s usually at the bottom of the Home screen. (The tiny circled number in the corner of the Phone icon tells you how many missed calls and voicemail messages you have.)

Tip

Of course, you can also double-press the Home button to open the task switcher. If you make calls often, the Phone app’s icon should be there waiting for you, as described on The Task Switcher. This shortcut skips the trip to the Home screen.

Now you’ve arrived in the Phone program. A new row of icons appears at the bottom, representing the four ways of dialing from here:

• Favorites list. Here’s the iPhone’s version of speed-dial keys: It lists the 50 people you think you call ...