How to Dial an Extension’s Number Automatically on Your iPhone

If you must dial an extension  Number to reach some of your contacts, or a code to join a conference, you know it’s a hassle to remember that information or looking up before making a call. Instead, why not have your iPhone automatically dial the extra numbers for you?

Phones have long accepted special characters, such as the comma and semicolon, to perform specific functions when dialing the stored numbers. Your iPhone is no different. It’s easy to add additional call extensions similar codes, conference codes, or even calling card numbers in the phone number for a contact.

How to Dial an Extension’s Number Automatically on Your iPhone

We will create a new contact for our example, but it is almost the same process for adding a code to the number of an existing contact. On the Contact screen, press the “Add Phone” button. If you update an existing contact, you can add a new phone or change an existing one.

Type the full phone number for the contact, and press the button (+ * to #) symbol.

There are two slightly different features for your phone to dial the extra numbers:

• Pause inserts a comma between the phone number and extension (or whatever code you use). A pause causes the phone to wait about three seconds after dialing, then automatically sends the decimal without further action required on your part. The break is good when you dial a number that accepts the extension code immediately.
• Wait inserts a semicolon between the phone number and code. After dialing the number, your phone will be waiting to press an additional button on your keyboard before sending the code. The waiting is useful when you do not know how long you have to wait before the code needs to be sent and is particularly useful for things like conference calls.

To insert a pause, simply press the “pause” button.

Your phone adds a comma for you. You just need to type in the code and press “Done.” Each time you call this contact, your iPhone will dial the number, wait for the break and then automatically send the code for you. You do not have to do anything but call the contact.

Note that if you need a little time between dialing and sending the code, but it is a constant length of time, you can insert multiple pauses. Each causes the phone to wait about three seconds.

To insert the code instead of a waiting pause, simply press the “wait” button after entering the phone number.

Your phone inserts the semicolon to you, then just type the code you want the phone to dial after waiting and then press “Done.”

When you call a contact using the waiting, your phone will dial the number and displays an additional button at the bottom of the screen, you can tap to dial the code. After dialing the number and connection, just listen to the call and press the “Dial” button when it’s time to enter the code.

And that’s all  about your How to Dial an Extension’s Number Automatically on Your iPhone. Pause and wait are features that have been around in one form or another since we had phones that can store and dial phone numbers, so it is not surprising they are on the iPhone. And they are certainly better than the dial that contact and then realize that you have to search the extension code.