Adding telephone numbers to your contacts with VoiceOver on iPhone

If possible ask the contact to call you

The simplest, and most reliable way to add telephone numbers to your contacts is to ask your contact to telephone your mobile phone.  Whether you accept or decline the call, the caller's number will be available to add automatically to your contacts. Open the Phone app immediately after the call. What you do next will depend on whether you are using the Classic or Unified interface to the Phone app. You can choose between these two interfaces using the filter button which is at top right of the Phone app's screen.

How to add the number if you are using the Classic interface

Locate the favourites tab at bottom left of the screen. Swipe right once to locate the recents tab and double tap to select it. If you answered the call, you will need to ensure that all calls and not just missed calls are being displayed. If you aren't sure, slide a finger near the top centre of the screen to locate one of two adjacent buttons - All and Missed. Slide or swipe to locate the All button and then double tap to select it. Now swipe right until you reach the first number in the list of calls and this should be your caller's number.

Swipe up with one finger until you hear "more info". and then double tap.

Now swipe right until you hear "Create New Contact" and double tap.

At this point, VoiceOver's behaviour may vary a little. If you don't hear "first name" or "first name, is editing" slide a finger down the left side of the screen until you locate the First Name field and then double tap. Even if VoiceOver initially landed on First Name and said it was editing be sure to double tap to make certain that editing has really begun.

Now you can dictate or enter the first name on the keyboard. If you use dictation, you should be able to swipe right to move on to the Last Name field. If you use the keyboard, the Return key should move you on to the Last Name field.  If this doesn't work, slide a finger down the left of the screen to find Last Name. However you got there, double tap to be sure you are editing and then dictate or key in the last name. If the last name is difficult to dictate you can spell it but the name will then be entered in capital letters. This doesn't affect the system. It just looks odd if you can see it. 

Now that's all you need to do apart from using a Done button but you may wish to enter a company name if this person works for a company or if this is a company phone number you should use only this field to enter the company name.

Finally, you may wish to change the label on the phone number if you have more than one number for this contact. This will allow you to call  using Siri with instructions like "call John Smith mobile" or "call John Smith work". If you want to do this here's how.

Continue swiping right until you hear "remove phone". Swipe right once more and you will probably hear "phone". This is the current label for the phone number. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. Locate the Done button at top right and double tap.

How to add the number if you are using the Unified interface

Locate and double tap the Recents tab at bottom left of the screen. If you answered the call you need to ensure that all calls are displayed and not just missed calls. Use the filter button at top right to select Calls with a double tap. Now slide a finger down from the middle left of the screen to find the Recents heading and the number will be immediately below the heading. 

Double tap.

Now swipe right until you hear "Create New Contact" and double tap.

At this point, VoiceOver's behaviour may vary a little. If you don't hear "first name" or "first name, is editing" slide a finger down the left side of the screen until you locate the First Name field and then double tap. Even if VoiceOver initially landed on First Name and said it was editing be sure to double tap to make certain that editing has really begun.

Now you can dictate or enter the first name on the keyboard. If you use dictation, you should be able to swipe right to move on to the Last Name field. If you use the keyboard, the Return key should move you on to the Last Name field.  If this doesn't work, slide a finger down the left of the screen to find Last Name. However you got there, double tap to be sure you are editing and then dictate or key in the last name. If the last name is difficult to dictate you can spell it but the name will then be entered in capital letters. This doesn't affect the system. It just looks odd if you can see it. 

Now that's all you need to do apart from using a Done button but you may wish to enter a company name if this person works for a company or if this is a company phone number you should use only this field to enter the company name.

Finally, you may wish to change the label on the phone number if you have more than one number for this contact. This will allow you to call  using Siri with instructions like "call John Smith mobile" or "call John Smith work". If you want to do this here's how.

Continue swiping right until you hear "remove phone". Swipe right once more and you will probably hear "phone". This is the current label for the phone number. Double tap and swipe right through the list of available labels. When you find the right label, double tap to change the number's label. After this you will be taken to the number itself and you will be editing it. The number is already there so don't attempt any editing. Locate the Done button at top right and double tap.

If you can't get the contact to call you

You'll need to add all the details in the Contacts app or the Contacts tab of the Phone app and you will need to enter the number manually.

Open Contacts or double tap the Contacts tab in the Phone app.

Double tap the add button near top right.

This will probably take you to the First Name field and be editing it. I think this works more reliably than the method I described above. Enter the fields you want one by one but this time you will need also to enter the number manually. You will be given a numeric keypad on which to enter the number.  When you have entered the number locate and double tap the Done button at top right.

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