How to Add a Contact to the Home Screen on Android and iPhone

Do you want to call your favorite people quickly without opening the Phone app and searching for the right contact every time? Bookmark your most used contacts for quick access – simply add a contact to your home screen on Android and iPhone.

Using the Google Contacts App (Android)

1. Open the Google Contacts app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on the contact that you want to add to your home screen.

3. Press the three-dot icon at the top and select “Add to home screen.”

4. Tap on “Add to home screen” on the confirmation screen that appears.

The contact shortcut shows on your Android phone’s home screen. Tap on the shortcut to open the contact, then tap on the number in the contact to call the person.

Also read: How to Organize Your Contacts on Any Android Device

Using a Widget (Android)

If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use the Contacts widget to add contacts to the home screen with a direct dial shortcut, which allows you to call a person from the home screen without opening the contact.

1. Touch and hold an empty space on your Android phone’s home screen until you see an icon menu at the bottom of the screen, then tap on “Widgets” from the menu.

2. Scroll down the list of widgets and expand “Contacts.” You will find three widgets here: “Contact,” “Direct Dial,” and “Direct Message.” Select “Direct Dial” if you want to call the contact directly from the home screen and “Contact” to open the contact card before placing the call.

3. Drag the desired widget to the home screen and select the contact whose shortcut you want to create.

Also read: How to Create Your Own Android Widget

Using a Widget (iPhone)

The Contacts app on aniPhone doesn’t let you add shortcuts to the home screen. Instead, you have to use the Contact widget to add it to the home screen as shown below:

1. Touch and hold an empty space on your iPhone’s home screen until the icons jiggle.
2. Tap on the “+” icon at the top.

3. Scroll down on the Widgets screen and tap on “Contacts.”

4. There are three types of widgets to choose from: single contact, four contacts, and eight contacts. If you want to add only one contact to your home screen, tap on the “Add Widget” button under the first widget. The widget will be added to your home screen with an automatically suggested contact.

5. To change the contact, tap on the newly-added widget if the icons are still shaking, then tap on the existing contact that shows up and select the new contact that you want to add to your home screen.

6. Alternatively, touch and hold the contact widget and select “Edit Widget,” then tap on the contact and replace it with a new contact of your choice.

Similarly, you can add a four- or eight-contact widget to your home screen.

Using the Shortcuts App (iPhone)

The previous method has a drawback: it will open the contact first. If you want to directly call the person from your iPhone’s home screen, you have to create a shortcut using the Apple Shortcuts app.

1. Install and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the “+” icon at the top of the All Shortcuts screen, i.e., the “My Shortcuts” tab.
3. Give a name to your shortcut in the “Shortcut Name” field.

4. Tap the “Add Action” button, then search for “Call” in the search bar.

5. Tap on the “+” icon next to Call. The shortcut screen opens again. Tap on the “Contact” placeholder label and select the contact whose shortcut you want to create.

6. With the contact selected, tap on the three-bar icon at the top and select “Add to Home Screen.”

7. Tap on the home screen icon on the next screen to change the shortcut icon. Finally, hit the “Add” button at the top right to place the contact shortcut on the iPhone’s home screen.

Also read: 20 of the Best Siri Shortcuts for iOS Power Users

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I'm having trouble adding a contact to the home screen?

If you are unable to add a contact to your phone’s home screen, restart the phone. Then, clear the the Contacts app’s cache on Android. On iPhone, recreate the widget or the shortcut. You can also try using a different type of widget. Also, ensure that the contact has a number in it, especially if you are trying to add a direct dial shortcut.

How can I remove a contact from the home screen?

Touch and hold the contact shortcut or widget on the home screen until a menu shows up. Tap on “Remove” or “Delete” to delete the contact from the home screen without affecting the actual contact in the Contacts app.

How can I add a contact shortcut to the Today View on iPhone?

Touch and hold an empty space on your iPhone’s home screen until the icons start jiggling, then swipe right multiple times on your home screen until you reach the Today View. Tap on the “+” icon at the top of the Today View to open the Widgets screen. Scroll down and tap on “Contacts.” Select the type of widget that you want to add and choose the contact to place on the Today View.